by Maia Dylan
“The last part of that message said that Santiago had to be stopped,” Marcel pointed out. “It called out his name, and said he needed to be stopped by any means and at all costs. How could he not see that as a threat?”
“You know,” Kieran’s voice held a tone Violet did not care for, and when she turned toward him, his eyes had a distinct amber hue to them, “you are starting to sound a little like this IEH organization yourself.”
Violet narrowed her gaze at the lion, and despite noticing the air pressure change in the room, a clear sign that his dominance was leaving an impression in the room, she remained unaffected. “That makes perfect sense. IEH stands for the Latin Iustitia et Hyacinthinum.” Mason made a sound at that last word, no doubt recognizing it. “You will not find that anywhere, and there is no formal listing of that name in full. As far as the American Government and the city of Chicago are concerned the name of the business is IEH. But it stands for Iustitia et Hyacinthinum, and means Justice for Violet. I wrote that message. I am IEH.”
Chapter Seven
“Well, that went well,” Mason said dryly, and Jacob fought the urge to reach out and punch him.
“If by going well you mean fucking horrendously bad, then yep, it did.” Jacob cursed under his breath and looked over at the door their mate had exited through moments before. After her announcement that she was in fact IEH, all three of the shifters had laid into her. Mostly out of concern for her, but that was not how their Violet had taken it. Santiago may not know who she was, but by deliberately antagonizing him she was putting a large as fuck target on her head.
Kieran had said she was playing a dangerous game, and may have mentioned something about foolish actions, and their mate had seen red and kicked him out. Kieran had left immediately, but from the continuous growl that rumbled through his chest, Jacob knew he didn’t liked what he had heard any more than Mason and Jacob had. After he had left, and they had calmed down a little more, she went on to add that she was also taking business and contracts out from beneath Santiago, and their fear rose to epic proportions.
They had yelled at her a second time, effectively forcing both feet into their mouths simultaneously as far as she was concerned. In what Jacob was starting to see as typical of how Violet dealt with upsetting situations, she attacked verbally, not giving them a chance to talk, and stormed out of the room. They had hurt her and she was pissed, and he kind of couldn’t blame her.
“Do you think she’ll ever calm down enough to let us in that door?”
“God, I hope so.” Mason stood up and moved to the door she had walked through. Just as he raised his hand to knock, they picked up the sound of her voice from behind the door.
“I really think I should just shoot them both, Dot,” Violet said, and he and Mason shared a confused look. No one had gone into the room with her, so who the hell was Dot?
“Well, you could do that.” A woman’s voice that echoed and sounded slightly off and Jacob knew she was talking to someone via a computer. “But I don’t think you should. It sounds to me that they are worried about you, V. And that is something that I applaud, and not something that I would sentence two men to death for. Besides, didn’t we already determine that they are hot?”
Violet harrumphed but didn’t deny it, and Jacob wanted to roar in pleasure. Their mate thought they were hot, so things were looking up!
“Just because they are easy on the eyes doesn’t mean they can go spouting stupid stuff to a grown ass woman,” Violet groused, then a moment later groaned. “But the thing is, Dot, they are right. Them and Alpha Kitty called it correctly. That message enraged Santiago to the point he aligned with Diablo’s gang and he sent his men out to make a point.”
“So if they’re right, why are you getting all shitty?”
Jacob vowed to buy that woman flowers just as soon as he found out who she was and where she lived.
“Because I hate it when someone else points out my mistakes, you know that.” Violet sounded tired.
“Violet, my sweet, you do what you do because you are trying to make the world a better place. I know that, and I would hazard a guess that those two shifters know that, too. But you take too many risks, and I for one am afraid for you when you do go toe to toe with that bastard.”
Violet mumbled, and Jacob thought she might have said, “I know how to take care of myself.”
Dot laughed. “I know you do, V. But sometimes, the best part of life and having relationships with people that care about you, is knowing that they would do everything in their power to take care of you. Just as I know you take care of me and my Johnny, and I’m pretty sure you would do the same for those leopards of yours.”
Jacob liked the sound of that. Being called hers was definitely something he could get used to.
“How is it going anyway?” Violet asked, but Jacob knew she would be processing the advice her friend gave her.
“It is going really well! You got the contract, and the ministry was so pleased they’ve waived the probation period and want you committed to the fix as soon as possible. Johnny and I crossed the strait over to the South Island yesterday and plan to do a wine tour this afternoon.”
He had no guilt about eavesdropping on the first half of that conversation, but Jacob felt a little bad listening to this part, so he tapped Mason’s arm and the two of the moved off into the kitchen.
“Well that was … interesting,” Mason said with a huge grin on his face, and Jacob had to agree with him. They had learned more about their mate, and how her feelings were starting to grow for him and Mason, and they would forever be indebted to Dot.
Mason walked into the large gourmet kitchen, stood with his hands on his hips, and completed a three hundred and sixty degree turn.
“What are you doing?” Jacob had to ask, taking a seat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island.
“I’m starving,” Mason admitted as he started opening cupboards in the kitchen. “I’ve been dealing to those fuckers for two days straight, shifting between my animal form and human form repeatedly, and I need food.”
“Cool, whatever you’re cooking make it a double. I could definitely eat.”
Mason stopped his random spinning and looked around helplessly. “Sure, but if it’s not edible, then don’t blame me. Christ, have you ever seen a more complicated kitchen? All I want to do is find the fridge, grab some eggs, a skillet, and cook us some scrambled eggs, but I recognize nothing in this kitchen.”
A soft click sounded in the room, signaling a door opening, and Jacob swung around on his chair to face the door his mate had just walked out of.
Is she going to throw us out, too?
She walked into the kitchen, refusing to meet his or Mason’s eye. “Firstly, you should never put eggs in the fridge.” Obviously she had been listening to their conversation somehow, but he figured calling her on it would be a little pot, kettle, black so stayed quiet. “If you do, they lose their flavor. And although the eggs I keep in the pantry are tasty, not adding tomatoes, prosciutto, parmesan, and capsicum is almost criminal.”
Neither he nor Mason moved, not sure what to do, and simply watched as their mate moved with confidence around her kitchen. She opened panels that he had thought were simply wall panels to reveal a walk in pantry, and pulled out a skillet from a cupboard under the stovetop.
“You might have noticed something about me,” Violet said quietly, still not turning to look them in the eye. “I tend to fly off the handle every now and then and overreact. It’s not something I am proud of, and I am sorry for yelling at you.”
“I think we were the first to do that yelling, Violet,” Mason said. “Perhaps if we all make an effort not to yell too much and let the other person talk, we might avoid an argument or two.”
Violet shot them a glance and a small smile. “Agreed. And I will try. I’m sure to slip up at least a lot, but I will definitely try.”
“Can we help, baby?” Jacob asked quietly and smiled gently when she looked up and met his ga
ze.
“Can you crack an egg into a bowl without adding shell?” Her tone was shy, but there was a thread of humor.
“Nope,” he deadpanned, and she giggled.
She turned to Mason and raised a brow in question, and his brother shook his head with a grin. “Sorry, little one, our mother banned us from the kitchen at a young age. The only help you will get from us is fetching stuff from the pantry and doing the dishes. Anything else and you are taking your life into your own hands in all honesty.”
Violet laughed. “Thanks for the warning. Why don’t you head into my room and grab a quick shower while I get some dinner going?” Mason thanked her with a quick kiss, and Jacob watched as a sweep of color graced her beautiful face.
Without skipping a beat, Violet went back to chopping the ingredients, cracking the eggs, and whisking them together with a confidence that spoke of considerable skill. In what seemed like no time at all, she had toast on, omelets cooking, and the kitchen filling with the most delicious smells. Jacob entertained her with stories from his childhood and embellished a few when they made her laugh.
By the time Mason returned, they were ready to eat. The three of them sat down at the table, the lights of the city around them twinkling through the windows, and their conversation remained light and easy. Jacob was hard pressed to remember when he’d last enjoyed an evening as much as he was enjoying this one.
When she stood and reached out to start clearing the table, Jacob grabbed her hand. “Like we said before, baby, Mason and I are worthless in the cooking department, but I can wash a dish within an inch of its life.”
“And the way I use a towel should be outlawed,” Mason added with a grin. The two of them took care of tidying up while their mate chatted with them from her place at the kitchen island sipping a cup of coffee. After a while, her conversation died away, and she stared into the bottom of her cup. Jacob finished up and turned to lean against the sink, drying his hands on a towel as he watched her carefully.
“So, will you get in trouble because I threw Kieran out?” Violet asked after a while, not taking her gaze from the cup in her hand. Jacob wondered if she knew she had referred to him by name rather than the nickname she had given him.
Mason shook his head as he placed the tea towel on the bench. “Not at all. Kieran has already texted me to tell you he apologizes for upsetting you, and hopes you know that his anger was born out of concern for you. The guilt you feel about Santiago is one shared by Kieran and now the entire Black Ridge pride, and he wants to be sure you know that you have more than just allies in this city, you have family.”
Violet jolted back in shock. “Family? He said that?”
“Yeah, he did because it’s true,” Jacob said with a shrug, “and not just because you are the mate for two of his pride, but because of the fight you fight and the values you live by. They resonate with us as a pride. Family and connections are the most important things in the world to us, and it means we take care of each other. There is no greater importance than pride.”
Violet stared at them, and Jacob thought she looked a little pale. “And he sees me as part of the family?” she whispered.
Jacob pushed off from the bench and moved around the kitchen island to stand beside his mate. Whether it was the growing connection between them or his own imagination he couldn’t tell, but he felt he could sense her emotions getting the best of her. “He sees you as a member of our pride. You will always have Mason and me protecting you, and if anything happens to us, then the pride will be there for you.”
Mason, who had stepped up behind their mate, wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Always, little one. You’re not alone anymore.”
Chapter Eight
You’re not alone anymore.
The words sounded alien to her, but they repeated over and over in her mind. She had been alone from the moment her Poppa had died. For the past twelve years she had worked with a single-minded focus. Make as much money as possible, train as hard as she could, and destroy anything and everything Santiago touched. Up until that moment she had not realized that she had never taken the time to grieve. She had been alone. So very alone.
She opened her mouth to say something, what it was she had no idea, but no words came out. Just a single brokenhearted sob, and then as if that were the dam that held back all her tears, all her pain rose to the top and consumed her. She gave herself over to her tears, and cried. She cried for her Poppa and for every one of the people Santiago had killed or destroyed from the moment she failed to kill him. She cried for the childhood that she had been robbed of, and the future she had embraced in the name of vengeance. And by the time she’d finished she felt completely empty.
When she finally managed to open eyes that felt extremely gritty, she found herself on her bed, pressed between Mason and Jacob. She had no recollection of having been carried into the bedroom. The bedside light was on low and cast a warm light around her room, and she took comfort in her familiar surroundings as she quieted. She lay completely relaxed, held tight to Mason’s chest with Jacob pressed from shoulder to knee behind her. Neither of them had said anything. They’d simply held her as the storm had consumed her, and now that it had ended, she felt almost cleansed.
“You okay, love?” Mason asked and she felt the rumble of his words against her.
She sniffed and nodded. “Sorry about that.” Her voice was husky, and if she wasn’t mistaken there was a touch of relief there, too.
“No need to apologize,” Mason said gently as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “I have a feeling that was a long time coming.”
Unable to think of what to say, Violet simply nodded and snuggled a little deeper into their embrace. She froze at the feel of the hard evidence of both men’s arousal against her.
“Um, well, I—ah.” Violet cringed at her rambling, never having ever been in a situation where her verbal skills abandoned her. Both men chuckled.
“It’s fine, little one.” Mason laughed as he pressed another kiss to her temple. “There is no way in the world we could control our reaction to finally having you in our arms and between us. Just ignore it.”
Violet huffed a laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding right? Saying ignore you is like saying don’t bother eating the salted caramel butter cream from your cupcake because the plain vanilla cake underneath it is much nicer.”
“I don’t know if I like being compared to a cupcake icing,” Jacob said dryly from behind her, and she giggled.
“Well, that depends. I am the lick the icing off first kinda girl,” Violet said innocently.
Both men were quiet for a moment, and then twin growls filled the air. “You’re playing with fire, little one,” Mason groaned as his lips went to her neck, placing nibbling kisses along her jawline. Violet moaned at the sensation, arching back into Jacob to feel the strength of him behind her, and was enjoying the slow burn of arousal building with her with Mason tensed against her.
“Damn it,” he snarled. “You’ve just cried your heart out and are probably emotionally drained by everything you’ve heard today. Jacob and I are not going to take advantage of you like that.”
Jacob groaned. “Despite how damn good it feels.”
“How about I take advantage of the two of you?” Violet countered. “Would that be okay?” She reached out and pressed kisses against Mason’s jaw, loving the feel of the light stubble against her lips.
Mason groaned, arching his neck to give her better access, a move she made the most of. “Yeah, I think we would be okay with that.”
Jacob chuckled as he gently rolled his hips against her. “Just for the record, Mason and I would have both stood down, and simply held you while you slept. It would have been painful as hell, but we would have done it with smiles on our faces. Now, oh baby, now we get to show you what it is like to be loved on by two shifters who adore you.”
Jacob slid down the bed to kneel by her knees, and helped her to lay the bottom half of her body flat against the mattr
ess. His hands went to the waistband of the yoga pants she wore, and she lifted up as he slid her pants and panties off in one move, leaving her lying naked from the waist down on her bed.
“Holy Mary mother of all things hotter than hot,” Jacob whispered and she groaned when his hands slid down over her abdomen. “Look at you, Violet. So hot, so sexy, so fucking bare.”
Mason sat up to look down her body, and he groaned before looking down at her. She could see the amber of his leopard in his gaze, battling with the arousal that hovered there. Her mind whirled at how fast things were moving, but was stopped in its tracks when Mason leaned down and slammed his mouth against hers.
Vaguely she was aware as Jacob gently urged her to part her legs, but the movement was lost on her as she gave herself over to Mason’s mouth. His kiss was all consuming, and she felt as if she were drowning in his flavor and his heat when she felt Jacob lick between her thighs.
She cried out, but the sound was caught by Mason’s mouth.
“Damn, baby, you are delicious.” Jacob’s voice was deeper than usual, and she wondered for a moment if Jacob’s leopard was just as close to the surface as Mason’s, but then Jacob placed his mouth on her again and all thought fled beneath the maelstrom of pleasure that cascaded over her.
Jacob made small circles around her clit with his tongue, and Violet shivered then screamed when he sucked her into his mouth, flicking her tongue against her in a fast rhythm. Violet had not been with many men—hell, there had only been that one guy in college, and the experience had not exactly left her with great memories. She had pleasured herself in the past. What woman hadn’t? But for her to reach climax, it was a long hard road to get her to that level of excitement, but apparently, when it came to Jacob and Mason Williams, that wasn’t so much the case.
An orgasm slammed through her unexpectedly and had her pulling away from Mason’s kiss and arching off the bed with a scream. The intensity of her release had her reaching down to grasp Jacob’s head in her hands and rolling her hips to meet the frantic movements of his mouth, and the waves of her release rolled on and on as every muscle within her seemed to tense. When her pleasure began to ebb, she slumped back to the mattress, desperately trying to draw enough oxygen into her lungs.
