Undeniably Theirs (Book Three)

by Ramona Gray

  “They were,” Jackson confirmed.

  “That’s great.” Ian grabbed a beer from the fridge and twisted it open. He clinked his beer bottle against Jackson’s. “Congratulations, man.”

  “Thank you.” Jackson took a drink of beer. “Tell him the other part, Chloe.”

  Chloe placed her hands on her hips and pretended to walk the runway in front of them, tossing her hair and exaggerating the sway of her hips. “They,” she swung around, tossing her long red hair behind her again, “loved my designs. Loved them.”

  “I knew they would,” Ian said.

  “You don’t understand,” she said excitedly. She ran forward and pressed her body against his, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling up at him. “They didn’t even know they were my designs. Amy showed them the portfolio and they specifically pointed out two of my six designs and said they loved them. Two of my designs, Ian! Two!”

  “Congratulations, baby.” He tried to kiss her, but she was still talking.

  “When Amy told them they were my designs, they were so complimentary. I mean, probably about sixty percent of it was them just trying to get me into their bed, but that still leaves forty percent of them actually being impressed with my designs. I’ll take forty percent.”

  “Wait, what?” Ian’s body stiffened, and he automatically put his arm around Chloe’s waist, pulling her in tight against him. “They tried to get you in their bed?”

  “They’re total horndogs,” Chloe said airily. “They try to get every single woman that crosses their path into their bed. They want me to meet them for drinks tomorrow night, but -”

  “No.” Ian’s hand tightened on her hip. “No way. Absolutely not, Chloe. You are not having drinks with them.”

  “Ian,” Jackson nudged him, “I wouldn’t, man. I tried that approach earlier and she threatened to spank me.”

  Ian was barely listening to him. He stared down at Chloe. “You’re not having drinks with them. I won’t -”

  Chloe poked him hard in the chest. “I already told them no. One, I wouldn’t sleep with investors in the company I work for, and two, I’m not interested in them. Why would I be? I’ve got my own two very naughty boys to do very naughty things with.”

  He relaxed a little. “As long as you realize that you belong to -”

  “Don’t you start that with me too,” Chloe said. “Maybe some women are into the ‘you’re my woman, hear me roar, grunt, grunt’ behaviour from their men, but I’m not one of them.”

  “Aren’t you?” Jackson said.

  She stuck her tongue out. “No.”

  “I’m just saying,” Jackson gave her a lazy grin, “that you got a little flushed when I talked about you belonging to us and mentioned spanking you.”

  She reached over and poked him in the chest this time. “It’s very rude of you to mention that.”

  Jackson laughed. “Maybe you like the caveman behaviour a little more than you’re pretending.”

  Ian squeezed her ass before giving it a hard spank that made her squeal. She glared at him and he grinned at her. “Just testing the waters.”

  She wiggled out of his grip, taking a step back and staring at them both. For a moment, he worried that he’d gone too far, until her lips curved up in a smile. “Both of you naked and in the bedroom. Now.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ian drawled.

  “She’s kinda bossy, but I dig it,” Jackson said. When Ian didn’t move, Jackson made a forward motion with his arm. “Our lady requires servicing. Get a move on, my good man.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Miss me yet?

  Chloe read the text from Jackson, smiling to herself, before texting back.

  I left your place four hours ago.

  His reply came less than a minute later.

  Have you eaten? It’s after six and I’m starving. Have dinner with me. We’ll watch a movie and then bang like bunnies until Ian is finished work.

  She giggled and clutched at her phone like she was a stupid teenage girl. She wanted to say yes. God, did she ever. Guilt plucked at her. Her grandmother was back from her trip today and Chloe was just leaving to stop in and check on her. Her plan was to treat her with a dinner out, maybe try and talk to her about not letting Lori’s new boyfriend come to the house. Her nana needed to establish ground rules for Lori, and maybe being away for a few days had helped her gain some perspective.

  She sent another quick text to Jackson.

  Taking my grandmother out for dinner. Can I come by after?

  Yes. Come by whenever, will leave door unlocked.

  She smiled and was about to toss her phone into her purse when it rang. She hit the answer button. “Hi, Nana. How was your trip? I’m on my way to your place to take you for dinner. Don’t bother saying no, you deserve to be treated to a night -”

  “Chloe! Chloe, you have to come over here right now!”

  The panic in her grandmother’s voice sent fear shuddering down her spine. She grabbed her purse and her keys and ran for the door, not bothering to grab a jacket. She ran down the hallway and into the stairwell.

  “Nana? I’m on my way. What’s wrong?”

  “He’s killing her, Chloe! Please hurry! Please!”

  The line went dead and her heart went into overdrive. Fear blasting crater-sized holes in her gut, she burst into the lobby of her building and headed for the parking lot in a dead run.

  * * *

  “I called the cops! Do you hear me? I called the damn cops! I’m sick of this shit!”

  The neighbour next door was standing on the porch and screaming at her. Chloe barely heard her over the terrified screams of her sister and the angry shouts of her boyfriend coming from within the house. She tried to open the front door to her Nana’s house, cursing when it was locked. Her sister screamed again, and Chloe jammed the key into the lock and twisted it open. She threw the door open and charged down the hallway.

  “Nana! Nana, where are you!?”

  “Chloe!”

  Her grandmother was standing outside of her sister’s room. Her wrinkled face was deathly pale, and she staggered back as Chloe skidded to a stop in front of her.

  “Nana!”

  “He’s hurting her! Chloe, he’s hurting your sister!”

  “Lori!” Chloe pounded on her sister’s door when the handle wouldn’t turn. “Open the door! Lori!”

  “Go away, you fucking bitch!”

  “Get away from my sister, you asshole!” Chloe shouted. Adrenaline pumping through her body, she slammed her slender frame against the door.

  It shuddered and there was a sharp crack. She hit it again, the cheap frame splintered, and the door popped open. She almost fell into the room, her heart stopping in her chest when she saw her sister lying on her back on the bed with her boyfriend straddling her prone body.

  He smacked her hard in the face. “You gonna cheat on me again, you stupid cunt? Are you? I swear I’ll cut your face to shreds if you even think of fucking around on me again.”

  He raised his hand again, this time curling it into a fist. Terrified he was going to kill her sister, Chloe ran forward. She snatched up the lamp sitting on the night table, ripping the cord from the wall, and smashed it over his head.

  He groaned and staggered back, blood pouring down his face from a cut to his temple. He touched the blood, staring at the red liquid on his fingers before giving her a dazed look. “You – you cut me?”

  “Get away from my sister,” Chloe said.

  He stumbled toward her and she backed away. The scent of whiskey was overwhelming, and he took another step before dropping to his knees.

  “Fuckin’ bitch, hit me…” he slurred, before his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell face-forward into the worn carpet.

  Chloe made a shuddering sigh of relief. “Lori? Are you okay? Are you?”

  “What did you do?” Her sister slid off the bed and wobbled toward her. Chloe winced at the ripe mixture of body odour and beer. “You killed him! You ki
lled Ron!”

  “I didn’t kill him,” Chloe said. “Lori, sit down and –

  Her sister’s fist smashed into her stomach, driving the air from her lungs. She doubled over, gasping for breath as her sister grabbed her and threw her up against the wall. “You bitch! You killed my man!”

  She punched her in the belly again and pain flared in Chloe’s side. Still gasping for air, she tried to push Lori back, but her sister slapped her hard twice across the face. Her ears rang, and she grabbed at Lori’s hands when Lori wrapped them around her throat.

  Chloe’s eyes bulged as her air supply was cut off completely. She tried to claw at Lori’s face, and her sister kneed her in the stomach before squeezing brutally around Chloe’s throat.

  “I am so fucking tired of you ruining my life,” Lori wheezed booze-scented vitriol into her face. “Always so fucking perfect, always so righteous. I hate you. I should have fucking killed you the day mom and dad brought you home from the hospital.”

  “Lori! Stop!” Her Nana’s hands wrapped around Lori’s arm, tried to tug them away.

  Lori snarled at their grandmother, baring her teeth at her before shoving her away with her body. “Get out of here, Nana. This is none of your fucking business. Go to your room, right fucking now.”

  “Lori, let her go.” Her grandmother cried. “Let her go right now!”

  “I said fucking leave, Nana!” Lori screamed.

  Black roses bloomed in Chloe’s vision. She clawed at Lori’s hands, kicked at Lori’s legs as the sound of her sister’s voice grew fainter. When the bruising pressure around her throat was suddenly gone, she slid down the wall, coughing and choking and gagging in air.

  “Please don’t hurt her! Don’t hurt my Lori!” Her nana’s voice was wavering and thin, panic infused throughout it.

  “Nana, it’s…” Chloe’s voice dissolved into a coughing fit as pain scorched like fire across her throat.

  “Move back, ma’am. Right now.”

  Chloe squinted in front of her. Her sister was lying face-down on the floor and a cop was kneeling on her back and holding her hands behind her. She was twisting and squirming and screeching expletives. When one flailing hand broke free of the cop’s grip, she tried to scratch him across the face.

  “Ma’am, stop resisting!” He shouted. “Police! Stop resisting!”

  Lori screamed at him and he pressed his knee into her back. He caught her hand and latched one cuff around her wrist before latching the other cuff to her second wrist. He stood, wiping the sweat from his face as Lori screamed again.

  A second cop, his broad back oddly familiar looking, placed his hand on her grandmother’s arm. “Ma’am, I said, move back, please.”

  “Ian?” Chloe’s voice was hoarse, barely audible above the sounds of her sister’s pig-like squeals of outrage, but the officer stiffened and whipped around.

  “Chloe!” He ran forward and knelt beside her, putting his arm around her and lifting her to her feet. “Baby, are you all right?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Jesus, your throat.” He touched her throat before glancing at the other cop. “Tony, radio in for medical – now!”

  He pulled Chloe into his arms, rubbing her back as she coughed harshly. “It’s okay, baby.”

  “I think I killed him,” she whispered.

  He stared at the unmoving man on the floor before booting him hard in the ass. The man groaned, and Ian shook his head. “You didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Chloe whispered.

  Ian cupped her face and pressed a kiss against her mouth. “It’s all right, baby. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

  * * *

  “Ian! Where is she? Where’s Chloe?” Jackson grabbed his best friend’s arm. Ian had called him and, despite his assurances that Chloe was okay, Jackson’s fear had turned to outright panic in the half hour it took him to drive to her grandmother’s house.

  “She’s okay, Jackson. She’s inside.” Ian grabbed his arm before he could rush inside the house. “Listen to me for a second, okay?”

  “What?” Jackson gave him an impatient look before studying the cop car parked in the driveway. A woman, her red hair hanging in her face, was sitting in the back seat. Jackson inhaled sharply when she glanced at him through the window.

  “That’s her sister, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Ian pulled him back when Jackson tried to walk to the car. “What are you doing? You can’t go near her.”

  “She almost got Chloe killed,” Jackson snarled.

  “Stop it.” Ian shook him roughly. “I called you because I need you to be here for Chloe and that doesn’t include yelling at her sister. She needs you, Jackson. I can’t stay, I’m on fucking duty for God’s sake. She needs you, so get your fucking shit together.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Jackson said.

  “You good?” Ian eyed him.

  “I’m good.” He followed Ian into the house. Chloe was sitting on a chair in the kitchen. An EMT was packing up her bag and Chloe smiled at the woman.

  “Thank you.” Her voice was hoarse, and Jackson could see the dark bruising already starting to show on her throat.

  He clenched his hands into fists as the EMT nodded. “You’re welcome. If you start to have difficulty breathing or the bruising and swelling doesn’t go down in a couple of days, go to the hospital. All right?”

  Chloe nodded and the EMT brushed past Jackson and Ian without saying a word. Chloe’s face fell when she saw Jackson. “What are you doing here?”

  “I called him,” Ian said as Jackson pulled up a chair beside her. He put his arm around her and kissed her mouth.

  “Honey, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She stared at Ian. “You shouldn’t have called him.”

  “Yes, he should have.” Jackson ignored the hurt that trickled through him.

  She sighed and rubbed at her forehead. “I’m okay, Jackson. Don’t worry about me, all right? Go home and -”

  “You’re coming with me,” Jackson said.

  “No, I’m staying here with my grandmother.”

  “Chloe, it isn’t safe. You and your grandmother can both stay at our place,” Jackson said.

  Chloe laughed bitterly. “No. Nana can’t know where you live. Knowing her, she’d tell Lori and then…fuck, she’d probably show up on your doorstep.”

  “We don’t care,” Jackson said. “Honey, it isn’t safe for you here.”

  “It’s perfectly safe. Lori’s boyfriend is going to jail for the night at least. Right, Ian?”

  Jackson frowned at him. “Just for the night?”

  “My sister won’t press charges against him,” Chloe rubbed her stomach gingerly. “She says she will, but she’s lying.”

  “All the more reason for you to stay with us,” Jackson said.

  “I can’t,” she whispered.

  “You can.” His frustration was growing but, Jesus, he was scared to death for her. “Honey, you -”

  “Chloe?”

  Jackson glanced up. An old woman, her fine silver hair sticking up in short spikes was standing in the doorway. She pulled nervously at the sleeves of her sweater as she stared at Jackson. “Who is this?”

  “He’s a friend, Nana,” Chloe said. “Go back to your room, okay?”

  Her grandmother stepped into the kitchen. Jackson had to fight his urge to block the old woman from touching Chloe when she sat down on the other side of her. She took Chloe’s hand. “Sweetie, are you all right?”

  “Yes. Are you? Did Lori hurt you?”

  “Of course not,” her grandmother said. “She didn’t mean to do it, Chloe.”

  “Bullshit,” Jackson spat. He pointed to the bruising on Chloe’s throat. “She choked her. She choked her until her skin bruised.”

  “Jackson, hush,” Chloe said. She squeezed her grandmother’s hands. “Nana, she’s sick. I know you don’t want to believe it, but she needs help. If I press charges, she’ll stay in jail for a while. If we
don’t pay bail, the judge won’t release her. It’ll help her dry out, right? And maybe if she’s sober for a week or two, we can convince her to go back to rehab.”

  “You can’t. Oh, Chloe, you can’t do that to my baby girl.” Big fat tears dripped down her grandmother’s face, but Jackson didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for her. He couldn’t – not when Chloe could barely speak above a whisper and her slender throat was covered in dark mottled bruising.

  “I know it’s difficult,” Chloe said, “but it’s the right thing to do. Please, Nana.”

  “No, Chloe. Please, honey, please don’t do this. You can’t press charges against your own sister. She needs our love and our help, not our -”

  “What she needs is to be locked up so she can’t hurt Chloe again,” Jackson said.

  Ian’s hand squeezed his shoulder, but he shook his best friend off. He glared at the old woman. “Lady, I don’t know what your problem is, but your precious granddaughter is a drunk.”

  “How dare you,” the old woman said. “How dare you speak to me that way when you don’t even know me.”

  “I know you don’t give one flying fuck about the woman who’s sitting beside you. She’s your granddaughter too, and she needs you just as much as Lori does. You’re wasting your time trying to save a drunk who tried to kill her own sister, instead of -”

  “Jackson, enough!” Chloe’s voice rose in a hoarse and horrified shout. “Stop it, right now!”

  He shut his mouth with a snap as Chloe’s grandmother burst into tears. She stared at Chloe, her thin body shaking. “What kind of friends do you have, Chloe? They’re trying to turn you against your family. Against your own sister. Is that what you want? You’re going to let your sister rot in jail because your friends think it’s a good idea?”

  “No, Nana,” Chloe said wearily. “Jackson means well, he’s just…”

  “He doesn’t understand,” her grandmother said. She took Chloe’s hand and squeezed it before giving her a pleading look. “No one understands. Please, Chloe. If you let Lori stay in jail, it’ll kill me. Is that what you want?”