“Now for some killer heels and a bit of jewelry.” Suzie smiled.
“I was thinking just a ring and simple stud earrings. The dress is such a show-stopper. I wouldn’t want to take away from it, or worse, look gaudy.”
“Sounds perfect. Go change and we’ll go down to Shoes & More.”
It wasn’t long before we found the perfect peep-toe black stilettos. I was nervous about walking in them, but Suzie assured me that if I walked confidently, I wouldn’t have any problems. A stunning fashion ring boasting a garnet stone the size of Mars was the stand out piece of jewelry I needed. Faux diamond stud earrings were the perfect compliment.
Once my outfit was complete, I made my daily call on our way to lunch. We dined at the deli before walking to the salon and spa across the street to indulge in mani, pedis, and some waxing. One of the stylists teased my hair, curling it into big loose curls that gave me a made-up, yet casual appearance. The make-up artist went daring with smokey eyes; I’d never had the guts to use dark colors on my face, though I’d always admired it on women in magazines. Glossy lips with a subtle pink hue completed the look.
“What time is it?” I asked Suzie as she zipped me into the dress. Joe had let me use the back office of the bar to get ready.
“Five ‘til eight.”
I nodded, my nerves on the rise. My stomach was in knots, my pulse uneven. My hands wouldn’t stop sweating. I was growing more anxious by the second.
“Take a deep breath, honey. No good having a panic attack before you go on.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“I’d go on with you, but I wouldn’t want to ruin your big moment.”
I chuckled. “Thanks.” Suzie helped me put the finishing touches on my outfit. “Will you check and see if they’re here yet.” She nodded, slipping out the door, which was located off to the side of the bar, between the dance floor and sitting area.
She returned a minute later. “They’re there, looking all confused,” she laughed. “I’m going to go keep them company. Plus I see Jim. Give me a hug first.” She wrapped her arms around me. “Oh, honey, I’m so proud of you. You’ve come such a long way.” She pulled back, cupping my face; with the heels I was just about her height. “If you want to make tonight perfect, you’ll finally tell those men the truth about what happened. You’re happier, but you’re not free. You still make that phone call every day; you still have the nightmares. Let those men take care of you.” She kissed my forehead. I nodded. “Knock ‘em dead!”
“I will.”
The second the door closed, I took a deep breath. I knew Suzie was right; I needed to tell them. They deserved the truth before we went any further. I had to finally trust someone other than myself; I had to believe in them, in our relationship, that they wouldn’t leave me because of a past mistake. I had to take them for their word when they said they would always be there for me. They’d changed my life; they’d awakened me after twenty-three years of merely surviving.
I checked the clock on the wall. It was 8:15 p.m. on the dot. I cracked the door in time to hear Braxton, the host, take over the stage again.
“Alrighty, folks. We have a special singer taking the stage tonight. She blew us away weeks ago and is ready to make her big return. Before we bring her out, could I please have Shane Walker and Cole Riviera come forward.”
I peeked out the door to find Joe setting two chairs on the dance floor in front of the stage, the crowd sliding back to give them space. Shane and Cole warily stood and came forward. Shane was dressed in dark jeans that hugged his rear perfectly, a green polo and boots completed his ensemble. Heat pooled between my thighs just looking at him. My eyes traveled to Cole, dressed in black from head to toe. He was the epitome of a sexy bad boy in that outfit; I expected him to pull out an undercover cop badge. His bronze skin reminded me of warm caramel, especially next to the deep tone of black. I squeezed my legs together as they sat down in the chairs.
I looked over to their table. Suzie was beaming from her spot beside Jim. She turned, catching my eye. She waved enthusiastically.
Joe grabbed the cordless mic from the stand after the guys settled in. He brought it over and passed it through the crack in the door to me. “Make it good.” He winked.
“No pressure,” I chuckled nervously.
“You’ll nail it. You did when you practiced it the other morning.”
“Thanks.” He nodded, returning to the bar.
I clutched the mic with sweaty palms. My heart was racing, my hands shaking and my knees weak. I prayed I could at least make it to the stage in my heels given my current predicament. Not to mention the ache in my lower center.
“Please join me in welcoming back Miss Karley Garcia. Enjoy guys,” Braxton said, nodding directly to Cole and Shane. The men exchanged a look.
They sat on the edge of their seats. To an onlooker, it would seem that they were excited, but I knew them better. The way Shane’s lips pursed as he gently squeezed his lower thighs showed he was on edge; he didn’t like not knowing what was going on. Cole was a bit more relaxed, rubbing his hands up and down his thighs, stopping for a few seconds on his knees each time. He was anxious, anticipating what was coming, but being in the dark didn’t bother him. He knew it was going to be good and showed it with the small smile on his face.
I slipped outside the office door, closing it quietly behind me. The music started the second I heard the click. I switched the mic on and began my trek towards the front. As I stepped out onto the dance floor, a chorus of whistles and shouts sounded behind me.
I lifted the mic and began to sing Kelly Clarkson’s Before Your Love, right as the guys turned towards me in their chairs. “I wonder how I ever made it through a day. How did I settle for a world in shades of grey?”
I soaked up their reactions, the way their eyes widened, brows rose and jaws slacked. I smiled, my nerves slipping away, as they both exhaled simultaneously. They were different men, but reacted the same to me. Their eyes narrowed and darkened as they traveled up and down my body. I completed a graceful weave around them, trailing my hand over them as I continued to sing to them.
Mid-chorus, I headed up the stairs onto the stage, and got my first look out into my audience. I was singing just to Shane and Cole, so it didn’t matter if they enjoyed it or not, but I was happy to find many of them swaying to the tune, their arms hooked around their partner.
In the middle of the second verse, I settled my attention on the guys again. “I stand before you and my heart is in your hands. And I don’t know how I survived without your kiss; ‘cause you’ve given me a reason to exist.” I emphasized the lines by gazing directly into their eyes as I belted the truth.
I focused on them throughout the rest of the song, allowing the world to slip away, allowing it to be only me and them in this moment as I made the daring declaration; admitted the impact they had on me, on my life and my heart. I truly didn’t live before their love.
I dug deep to belt out the final note, expanding my lungs to push out the word ‘love.’ Relief didn’t immediately wash over me when I hit it perfectly and held it as long as I was supposed to. Rather my nerves returned with a vengeance as the crowd broke out in applause. I heard Suzie above them all, shouting with her hands cupped around her mouth. More whistles traveled forward. My eyes were frozen on them though, waiting for their reaction; waiting for a smile, a frown, anything to indicate how they felt about my bold move.
It wasn’t like me to do this sort of thing. I’d never had the confidence to before; never felt strong enough to take such a step. They’d done more than make me smile over the last couple months, and the weight of that was on my chest, making it hard to breath as each second ticked by without a response.
I twisted in place, fidgeting with the mic. I shifted from leg to leg, my knees feeling weak as my stomach churned. I swallowed the sadness trying to creep upwards when they didn’t indicate that they were happy with what I’d done. Sure, they were probably shocked by my
appearance; they’d never seen me dressed in anything other than jeans and a tee, but beyond that, I couldn’t tell if they were planning to walk out or not.
“I’ll take her!” a guy yelled.
Cole stood, his chair skidding backwards. “Over my dead body,” he declared. My heart skipped a beat as he reached up, secured his hands on the side of my waist and lifted me down from the stage. He took the mic from my hand and laid it on the stage. “This might get in the way,” he said, before he captured my lips, his hands cupping my cheeks. I heard the patrons erupt around us again. Cole deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding over mine. His attack was soft, yet hard.
“Well folks, seems Karley’s secured one of her men with that powerful performance,” Braxton announced. I frowned slightly as I pulled back from Cole. Shane was the hard one. He seemed like the most outgoing, but he never gave much of himself to the conversation. He was a private person despite his social prowl.
SHANE
I was taken aback by her boldness. I’d never seen a more beautiful woman. She was radiant; she was strong. She had everything any shifter would want of their mate. Despite her public claim though, there was more to her. I sensed it. While she’d finally begun to open up, she still held a lot back. And it’s what she wasn’t revealing that was beginnin’ to scare the shit out of me. I loved her, and I wanted her, but I knew I needed to tread lightly, which was damn hard when my instinct was to pounce on her every chance I got. I knew I needed to hold back until she was ready to stop holdin’ back, but who the hell could resist the plea in those pretty brown eyes?
KARLEY
Tucked into Cole’s arms, I gathered the courage to peak at Shane. I was taken aback by the blatant desire in his eyes, focused entirely on me. He stood up. “Both of her men. She got both of us with that performance.”
I couldn’t hold back the broad smile that made my cheeks ache as he stepped towards me, pulling me into his embrace. He leaned down next to my ear. “I’ve never wanted to strip a woman and fuck her in public so bad.” I gasped as a chill ran down my spine, heat pooling in my sex. He leaned back. His green eyes had darkened to a deep hazel as he focused on my lips. One second he was looking at me, the next kissing me; his lips settling over mine, demanding that I respond. He drowned me with the urgency, the intensity of his touch.
“Pay attention ladies. Looks like it pays to serenade your man.” I heard Braxton, but was too caught up in the man in front of me, and the one that’d come up behind me.
“Let’s get out of here,” Cole whispered.
Shane pulled back, his lips slightly swollen from the roughness of his assault. He nodded, grabbing one of my hands and pulling me beside him. Cole took my other, his free hand landing on my lower back, guiding me. The crowd seemed to part, allowing us to pass through. We walked through the trail of well-wishers. As we neared Suzie and Jim’s table, tears welled in my eyes. Suzie was right; they were both going to protect me. I smiled at her at we passed. She gave me a double thumbs-up.
“I’ll drive,” Shane said as we stepped outside. He promptly removed his jacket at the feel of the night air and wrapped it around me. The look on his face as he covered me up said it wouldn’t be for long.
Cole opened the passenger door for me, squeezing my rear as he helped me into the truck. Seems they knew I’d be coming back with them tonight because they drove the one vehicle they owned that forced me to sit between them.
The drive to their place was silent; the air thick with tension. I knew it was in a good way when the guys kept adjusting the crotch of their jeans.
Chapter 12
The second I walked through their front door, they pounced. Cole grabbed me, pulling me against his erection, his lips crashing down on mine; I immediately molded my lips to his, keeping up with his urgent pace.
Shane was right behind him, his hands skimming my body over the dress before they settled on my hips, pressing my rear against his equally enticed member. My body tingled everywhere; every nerve aware of them, every beat of my heart growing stronger with their touch. I knew I needed to tell them before they started to strip. With a few soft pecks, I pulled away.
“I, uh, need to talk to you both before we go any further.” I felt them stiffen. I held my breath, waiting for them to give me a little space. To my surprise, they didn’t.
“Talk,” Shane said, remaining where he was. I looked to Cole, but he only nodded his head once.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. I sucked my lower lip in between my teeth, slowly gnawing away at it. “Um, can we go sit down?”
“It’s that serious, huh?” Shane stepped away, grabbing my hand and leading me towards the living room. Cole followed; both men situating me between them on the sofa.
I fiddled with my fingers, trying to gather the strength to tell them without breaking down. I felt rough fingers running along my jaw, stopping at my chin where he lifted my face towards him. “You know you can tell us anything, sweetie,” Cole cooed. I nodded, quickly looking towards the ceiling when the tears welled.
Seeing the tears, Shane relaxed in an effort to comfort me, extending his hand and gently rubbing my back. “That’s what we’re here for, darlin’.”
“Uh, it’s just hard. I’ve, um…” I took a deep breath, trying to exhale my fears. “I’ve never told anyone, not even Suzie, and I’m a little afraid to. I really messed up.”
“We’re not here to judge you,” Cole said, gathering my hand in his.
“We’re not going to walk away from you over somethin’ that happened before you met us either,” Shane added, taking my other hand.
“I had two younger sisters, Karmen and Karmella. I was the oldest, so all the responsibility fell on me. My mother worked long hours. My dad worked hard, but couldn’t keep a job for long. He was an alcoholic and had some anger issues. Growing up, I heard my mother’s cries at night, desperation in her pleas, when he would hit her. She was always bruised somewhere, though most of the time they were able to be hidden. That’s exactly what she did too; she hid the truth from everyone.
“Until… until one day when I was twelve. My father had lost another job; he came home in a rage. I guess he needed someone to take his anger out on. I knew the second he walked in that something was wrong. I sent my sisters to the neighbor’s house, and took what my father dished out.” I tried to distance myself from the memory, relied on facts to tell the story rather than emotions. I chanced a glance at them. Cole sat, muscles stiff, jaw set, eyes focused on me. Shane was nearly identical, his other hand in a fist, as he centered his attention on me.
“When my mother came home from work and saw what he’d done, she immediately called the police. We pressed charges on him and he spent the next three years in jail. I didn’t know he was out; I didn’t know that he would show up there,” I choked, the tears starting to stream down my face. “I remember saying good-bye to my mom and sisters. I was going to a friend’s house a couple blocks over to work on a school project. I didn’t lock the door when I left though. The police said he must have walked right in because there were no signs of forced entry. If I had just locked the door, they could have had a chance. They would have heard him breaking in. They could have had time to get away, to hide, to do something. They… they would have at least had a chance.” I rushed the words between sobs.
“What did he do?” Shane’s tone was cold as ice, exactly as I’d feared. I tried to pull my hand away, but he held it firmly.
I studied the hem of my dress, trying to collect myself; trying not to completely fall apart as I revealed what I never had as my heart was being broken in two. “He, uh, shot them.”
“Son of a bitch,” Cole bit out. I winced at the harshness of his voice.
“Where is the bastard right now?” Shane asked.
“Jail.” I stared at the floor, feeling sick to my stomach. My nose had long ago lost its ability to smell as I cried. I took a few deep breaths, feeling the sting of the salty water dissipate from the rims of my eye
s.
After several minutes of tense silence, I pulled away from them, this time they let my hands go. “I, uh… I guess I’ll be going.” I bit my lower lip hard enough to draw blood to keep myself from tearing up again.
“The hell you are!” Shane yelled. I took a shaky step away from him, hitting the coffee table and losing my balance. Cole caught me in a split second, pulling me into him.
“What happened wasn’t your fault, sweetie. Maybe they would have had a fightin’ chance, but maybe they wouldn’t have. Either way, you couldn’t have changed what happened.” Cole kissed my forehead, trailing down to my jaw before caressing my lips with his. His tenderness had the tears gathering again.
“Fuck. Did you really think we’d blame you, darlin’?” Shane hugged me to him from behind. I shrugged my shoulders.
“I do.” My voice was barely above a whisper, but with their sensitive ears, I knew they heard.
He spun me around to face him, his thumbs wiping away the stray drops running down my cheeks. “Listen to me, darlin’. He did all the heavy liftin’. With what you just told me, he would’ve gotten in somehow; you couldn’t have changed what happened. You’re only punishin’ yourself when he’s the one that deserves the damn punishment.”
“Is that why you call the jail every day? To see if he’s still there or if he’s been released?” Cole ran his hands up and down my upper arms in a soothing motion.
“Um… sort of.” I stepped away from them. Their eyes narrowed as I moved around the coffee table needing the space between us. Standing before them, I began to shake as the memories of that night wracked me to the core. Feeling weak, I took off my heels, needing all the help I could get to remain upright.
Karley's Surrender Page 6
