Understanding Alice Du-Kane

by Riley Walker

  Oren shakes his head at his brother. “While my brother may be an idiot, he is right. You can take classes for yourself and for our sanity. Take Zoe with you. Both of you need to be better prepared.”

  “I’ll go with you.” This is coming from Ridge, my giant teddy bear. “That way we can practice together here.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to Zoe after she gets home tomorrow from Ben’s house. She was supposed to come back home, but she changed her mind. I know she’ll agree to do it.” I grab Ridge’s hands that are still on my knees and squeeze them. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all before. I won’t keep something like this from you again.”

  Ridge turns his hands over and grabs mine. “We just want you safe, Hot Lips.”

  “Now that we have that taken care of, Alice wanted to talk to us all again about this relationship of ours.”

  I hiss at North. He could have given me a second before jumping right into this conversation. The smirk on his face tells me he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

  “Ally Cat, I thought we already talked about this. We want you, you want us. What more is there?”

  I smile at Oren, my simple man.

  “The problem is, she started feeling guilty after being with me today. She thought she should have talked to each of you first.”

  I turn to glare at North. “Damn it, North. I can speak for myself. You sound like a proud peacock right now. It’s not pretty.”

  “Here’s the thing, all of you are agreeing to just being with me. One person. I get all four of you and that doesn’t seem fair. I won’t share you though. I need to know that you all are absolutely sure about this before we go on.” I look at each of them before I continue on. “People are not going to understand this. Having this type of relationship will be hard enough with being judged, I couldn't deal with having jealousy and fighting between the four of you.”

  Cash stands and walks over to me, sitting on the edge of the couch beside me. “Pretty Girl, the four of us have talked about this in great lengths. If we didn’t all want this, we never would have agreed to it.”

  “He’s right.” North runs a hand down my cheek. “We know what we’re agreeing to and we all want to be here, with you. We just have to take it one day at a time. Maybe for now, we just rotate when we go out, instead of all five of us going somewhere together. Keep this private.”

  I nod my head in agreement. “I like that idea. I’m not ashamed of being with all of you, I just don’t want our private life to come to light right now. I’m doing everything I can to keep hold of my position at Du-Kane, Inc. If Uncle Richie found out, he could destroy me and take my company from me. Do you understand?”

  North answers first. “We understand exactly what you’re saying, Alice, and we don’t fault you for feeling this way.”

  “He’s right,” Oren responds. “We understand. We wouldn’t do anything to cause you any grief, especially with Du-Kane, Inc.”

  “Pretty Girl, you know we’re willing to do anything to help you. None of us would do anything to hurt you. Ever,” Cash says adamantly.

  Ridge pats my knees. “Now that this topic is done and agreed on, can we get something for dinner? I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

  I look around the room and the Michaelson brothers. My Michaelson brothers. I don’t know what I did to deserve these men, but I’m going to do whatever I have to to make sure they never leave.

  Twenty-Eight

  Escape Room

  The sales from FLAG have started rolling in and Puff N’ Stuff is so busy we can hardly keep the product, much less the edibles, in stock. I thought about hiring a baker to help out, and with the sales, I now have no choice.

  “So, Hudson, it says here,” I point to the resume of the cute, very young baker, in front of me, “that you work at the CupCake shop in Midtown. Why are you looking to leave there and come work for me?”

  I watch the young, redheaded man lean back and steeple his fingers under his chin. “I’ve been with them since I graduated culinary school. I’m just now being allowed to actually bake. I’m told what to bake and when to bake it. I’m ready to experiment and come up with my own recipes. I need to bake and create. What better place to test new things than a marijuana shop? The possibilities are endless.”

  I have to admit, I like this guy. He’s nice, laid back, and seems eager to work. “Alright, Hudson. I’m willing to give you a shot. Ninety days probation, don’t let me down.”

  Hudson stands and accepts my outstretched hand. “You won’t regret this, Alice.”

  I lead him out of the tiny office in the shop. “The contractors should be done today with the new kitchen and the appliances will be delivered first thing in the morning. Let’s meet here around ten, then you can look over everything and we can order whatever I forgot.”

  With a smile on his face, Hudson nods his head and leaves the shop. That’s one problem down. I turn and see John leaning against the counter. “What? You didn’t like him?”

  He shrugs his shoulders. “He seemed nice.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  John lets out a breath, “I’m worried about you. You seem so tense, and you look exhausted. You doing okay, kid?”

  The moment John began to feel comfortable around me, he started calling me ‘kid’. I told him not to, and he used it more. I finally gave up and just answer to it. “I am tired. I haven’t been doing a good job taking care of this place and keeping up with my responsibilities at Du-Kane, Inc. like I should, so now I’m having to play catch-up. I should have everything back in place by the end of the day. I just need to run by the office, then I can head home and crash.”

  My phone chooses that time to ring, bringing me out of my one person pity party. I answer without looking at the screen.

  “Alice.”

  “Hey, Alley Cat.”

  I rub the back of my neck. I knew I had forgotten something. “Hey, Oren. What’s going on?”

  “I’m just checking in and reminding you about our plans for tonight. Are you okay, Alice? You sound distracted.”

  I’m so tired, but he’s right. I made plans with Oren and I refuse to backout on him. I know having the one-on-one dates mean as much to them as they do to me. “I’m good. I promise. I just finished hiring a baker for Puff N’ Stuff.”

  “Yeah? That’s great! Maybe that will help take some of the stress off of you. It’s a good thing the shop is so busy, but you can’t keep up with the demand all by yourself. Putting in the kitchen in the abandoned store next door was a brilliant idea.”

  Last week when I pulled up, I saw the ‘for sale’ sign next door. A light bulb went off and the next thing I know, I’m having Ben and his guys over here converting it to a new kitchen. “It definitely will make my life a little easier. What time are you picking me up tonight?”

  “Is six too early?”

  “That’s fine. You still won’t tell me where we’re going?”

  “Nope,” Oren says with a small pop on the ‘p’. “Just dress casual. I’m not taking you anywhere fancy. I’ll leave that to North.”

  I chuckle at the thought of simple Oren dressed up for dinner at a fancy restaurant. That would probably end up in a disaster. “I’ll be ready at six. Laters, Oren.”

  “Laters, Alley Cat.”

  I look over at John. “I’m gone. See you tomorrow?”

  “Yep. Try to get some rest, kid.”

  I give John my middle finger and walk out the door, his laughter trailing behind me.

  I’m waiting for Oren to pick me up when Zoe sits next to me and Dobey on the couch.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Oren is taking me out tonight.”

  She raises her eyebrows at me. “So, you picked Oren?”

  Uh oh. I forgot to tell Zoe about the guys. “Well I didn’t actually pick one.”

  “You minx! You’re dating the twins aren’t you!” she says while slapping my shoulder.

  I cringe. “Well, I’m so
rt of dating all of them.”

  Zoe gasps. “Girl, you can’t date all the brothers. They’ll tell each other.”

  I roll my eyes and lay my head against the back of the couch. “It was their idea. It’s complicated, but we’re giving it a shot.” I roll my head to look over at Zoe. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  “Hell no girl! It would be crazy to pass up those four fine pieces of ass.”

  The doorbell rings. “That’s Oren. We’ll talk more later.”

  “You better give me all the deets.”

  When I open the door, Oren is standing there looking good as always. He has on dark jeans and a blue polo shirt that makes his hazel eyes stand out. I’m glad I decided to go casual in my skinny jeans, purple cami, and matching chucks. His eyes roam over my body and he grins when he gets to my feet.

  “Do you have a pair of those in every color?” he asks while pointing at my chucks.

  I ignore his comment and step out, closing the door behind me. He walks ahead of me to open the passenger door of his Prius and I get in and buckle my seat belt.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  He puts the car in drive. “First, we’re going to my favorite pizza place, and then I have a surprise for you.”

  The Chicago style pizza was the best I’ve ever had, and now we’re heading to the surprise destination. He pulls into a warehouse parking lot, and I immediately recognize Ridge’s truck, Cynthia.

  “Where are we? Is Ridge here, too?”

  He gets out of the car and runs around to open my door. I get out and Oren takes my hand, pulling towards a large door on the warehouse. The other three Michaelson brothers are inside the lobby waiting on us.

  I look around trying to figure out where we are, but all I see are some chairs, a TV hanging on the wall, and a door to our right. Ridge hands me a clipboard and tells me to fill out a waiver.

  “Why am I filling out a waiver?”

  The guys all take a seat. “It’s an escape room, sweetheart,” North says, while grabbing my hand and pulling me down into the chair next to him.

  “Oh my God! I’ve been wanting to do one these, but could never find the time or a group to do it with,” I say excitedly while filling out the form. Oren takes it from me and disappears behind the door. When he comes back, he sits next to me and the TV comes on. There’s a video explaining the rules, and then a voice that reminds me of the movie Saw gives us our mission. It says we must enter the room, and find the clues that will get us through each locked door. Some rooms have keys, while others have passcodes. Our main objective is to find the kidnapped victim and get her to safety.

  We walk through the door and down the hall as instructed. At the end of the hall, there is a door with an enter sign. Cash is the first one through the door, and we all file in behind him. The room is dark, but you can see a desk with a flashlight on it. North turns it on and that’s when we notice a piece of paper with instructions. In each room we’re scrambling around for clues to various lock boxes that only lead us to more clues. I’m so busy laughing at my guys running over each other, that I’m of no help at all.

  I’m not sure when I started thinking of them as my guys, but it feels right.

  We make it through in record time, thanks to Oren. I give Ridge, North, and Cash a quick kiss on their cheeks before getting back in Oren’s Prius. He keeps his hand on my thigh the whole drive back to my house. The heat from the palm of his hand is causing a different kind of heat to spread throughout my body. When we get to the house I notice all the lights are off.

  “Zoe must have stayed the night with Ben again. Do you want to come in for a drink?”

  He gives me a huge grin. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  I open the front door and Dobey practically runs me down to get outside. “I guess he needs to pee.”

  “I’ll stay outside with him while you get us a drink.”

  I smile and head to the kitchen to grab two beers out of the fridge. I kick off my shoes, and walk into the living room. Dobey and Oren come in just as I’m sitting down on the couch. Oren grabs a beer out of my hand and sits down next to me. He’s so close, our thighs are pressed together. Oren takes a long swig of his beer, then grabs my bottle. He places both beers on the coffee table, and then turns to face me. He’s looking at my lips with hunger in his eyes. I lean in and grab his neck, pulling him towards me. The kiss starts out soft and sweet, but when I part my lips and slide my tongue into his mouth, Oren becomes more aggressive. He grabs my hips and pulls me over to straddle his lap. I can feel his hardness pressing into me, and my panties immediately become wet. That hunger I saw in his eyes earlier is now taking over his mouth. He strokes my tongue with his and grinds me into his erection. The friction of our jeans is causing heat to pool between my thighs. I need to feel his skin, so I grab the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head. He looks at me with a wicked grin and tugs my cami over my head. We continue kissing and rubbing our hands over each other’s bodies. He reaches around my back, unhooking my bra, and tosses it aside. Our lips meet once again in a frenzy. He palms my breasts and groans into my mouth. I can’t take much more of this or I’m going to combust, so I stand up, removing the rest of my clothes, and point to his pants.

  “Off!”

  That’s all he needs to hear. Oren immediately jumps up and undresses, almost falling over to get his pants off. I push him back down on the couch and lower myself onto his erection slowly. His cock stretches and fills me up exquisitely. He groans in pleasure when he is fully sheathed in me. I don’t waste any time and begin to ride him. He meets me thrust for thrust. Sweat is dripping down our bodies as I ride him harder, rolling my hips so that his cock hits all the right places. I feel the orgasm hit me hard and my walls clench around his shaft. The waves of pleasure are taking over my body. I scream his name as he grabs my hips, pumping into me harder. His thrusts become erratic, and all I can do is hold on while enjoying the ride. He pushes into me one final time then lays his head on my shoulder.

  “Wow,” he mumbles into my shoulder.

  I just nod my head yes while trying to regain my composure. My body is completely spent in the best way possible.

  Oren kisses up my neck and along my jaw. “Can I stay the night?”

  I nod my head yes. He stands up and carries me up the stairs, leaving our clothes strewn across the room.

  Twenty-Nine

  Liar, Liar

  The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. FLAG has been selling like crazy. My plan to use the money the ladies bring in as rent is working well, maybe a little too well. Zoe and I have been thinking about opening another shop, PNS2, as she calls it. We could put some of the money from FLAG into it, and still not raise any suspicion.

  As far as the Michaelson brothers go, we’ve been very busy. After our night at the Escape Room, we’ve all gone out together a few times. Bowling, a concert down by the river, and dinner at each other’s homes. I have a date scheduled with Cash for this weekend, and Ridge next Tuesday. I haven’t been with either of them, and since my night with Oren, it’s been pretty simple. I’ve kissed them all, but it’s almost like they’re holding back until our one-on-one dates. Or maybe they’re just taking things slow, and I’m a horny slut that needs all four of them right this moment. If I could smack myself in the face without fear of knocking myself out, I swear I would. My mind is in the gutter all the time now and I blame it on those brothers. Damn Michaelson sandwich dreams.

  Speaking of the brothers, I haven’t heard from any of them since yesterday. I have a meeting with Oren at their office after lunch to go over what the investigator’s report says. Oren told me he’s done, and that all we need to do now is look over everything, then hand one copy over to the police, and another to the rest of the board members. It looks like dear old Uncle Richie won’t be seeing this side of prison walls for a very long time.

  I finish working on the reports for the shop and checking up on Hudson, our new baker. The decision to h
ire him was the best thing I could have done. He’s baking up a storm, and his creations are amazing, and flying off the shelves. The other morning, he presented me with our house blend coffee, but in an ice cream cone! It was a waffle cone with chocolate and caramel drizzle hardened on the inside, and powdered sugar around the rim. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I wish I could have one right now, but there’s no way I could drink it without spilling it while driving, and I need to get going if I’m going to be at the Michaelson’s office on time.

  Once I make it into their office, I bypass their secretary with a wave. She knows by now that I don’t need to be announced. I see all of the brothers in their small conference room. I assumed I would just be meeting Oren in his office, but maybe all the guys decided to be there since we’ll be going over everything my uncle has been up to.

  I open the door and the smile I had instantly falls. All four of them are looking at me in various degrees of anger, sadness, and confusion. My hand falls off of the door knob and I take a small step back, unsure of why I’m receiving the looks I am.

  North clears his throat. “Alice, please come in and have a seat.”

  I slowly make my way to the only open place left and sit. My purse is in my lap and my hands are holding onto the straps so tight my knuckles are turning white.

  Before I can ask what the hell is going on here, Ridge speaks up first. “We need to ask you a few questions, Alice. Do you think you could answer these honestly?”

  “Ridge,” Oren whispers harshly under his breath.

  “What?” Ridge shrugs his massive shoulders. “We all know that honesty isn’t exactly something Alice here is used to it. Is it, Alice?” I wince at Ridge’s use of my name and not his nickname for me.