by Abby Angel
“Nothing. He would pay Anders in…exchange for a night with me,” Aurora reveals.
Her cheeks are rosy and hot. I’m still a foot away, and I can feel them radiating myself.
No wonder she’s so fucking upset! Her fucking drugged-out brother literally just pimped her out to get himself out of a bad spot.
I’ve never been angrier in my entire life. How can she find worth in such a hopeless person? He’s fucking used her all this time for her money and now he’s selling her body? It’s all I can do not to bash his skull in.
Looking to my brothers, I see they’re even in less control. Jasper’s getting ready for a showdown, and I think he might actually kill the guy. He’s cracking the knuckles on each of his fists and starts walking toward Anders.
“No!” shouts Aurora. “Please don’t do this! I swear I won’t forgive you if you make Anders worse off than he already is. He needs help. And he told me today he’s ready to take it. I can’t have you punish him when he’s come so far today alone,” she cries.
“If that’s what you wish, Aurora, we won’t harm him,” I say. I turn to Anders. “But make no mistake, if you fuck up like this ever again, we will not show such restraint.”
He stares at me, shaking and confused. He’s so fucking doped up that he probably doesn’t even really know what’s going on.
This guy is making me sick to my stomach. And how Aurora has such faith in him is beyond me. I have to commend her for being so strong-willed—and loyal.
“Alright. Great. So we need a plan,” says Finn. “We can’t let that loan shark just have her.”
“Right,” I reply, formulating a strategy in my head.
It’s hard to think with so much bullshit going on around us.
Aurora’s damn brother is curled up in a fetal position on the floor, crying and apologizing. He’s scared and intimidated by the three of us, and he’s being a hysterical mess. If I wasn’t certain he was high on something before, I’m damn sure now.
“We can take her to the beach house,” Jasper says.
“Perfect,” I respond. “That’ll buy us some time to figure out who this guy is and get it taken care of.”
“He was another bidder at the auction,” Aurora reveals. “He’s the gross one that was buying all the girls. I barely escaped his grasp then, and now he’s got me.”
I pull her into my side and whisper, “No, baby, it’s gonna be okay. We would never let him have you. Do you trust me?”
She nods her head yes, and I’m relieved to know that at least with me, she can feel safe.
I embrace her and kiss her forehead. Her body pressed against mine reminds me of our time together, and I feel a rush of emotion towards her. I would do anything to make sure she’s safe and happy.
“The beach house is about an hour from here. I just need to call and arrange a limo. Pack what you must, but know that if there’s anything you need, we’re happy to purchase it,” I say to her.
She looks at the three of us as her saviors. She’s practically glowing.
We’re her superheroes. After all, we do have the masks.
Chapter 42
Aurora
The silence is deafening.
Sitting in the back of the limousine with my drugged-out brother and the three hottest, strongest guys I’ve ever seen…it makes for quite a sight.
Anders doesn’t even compare to the Grayson brothers. Seeing him next to them only makes it more obvious how far gone my brother is. He’s not in good health. He may even be on the brink of death, I can’t tell.
But one thing’s for sure…the situation seems to be out of my hands. Thankfully, help has come.
I wanted to hide this part of my life from Declan, Finn, and Jasper. I never wanted them to see the truth, the reality behind the facade of my life. But they have seen it, they’ve seen me with all of my problems, and I have to say it’s not so bad.
The guys are pissed as all hell, though. I see that there’s no way out for Anders now—he’ll be going to rehab. He wouldn’t dare defy these guys.
They scare even me—in the best way, of course.
Finn is on the phone, making calls to his connections in the industry, trying to find out exactly which billionaire bought me. He seems so enraged by it all. And I’m quietly hoping that I can somehow get out of this arrangement.
Money or no money, I can’t sell my body to a man like that, that masked billionaire devil of a man.
Jasper is also on the phone, but he’s talking to private nurses. He’s arranging for someone to come out to the beach house that we’re headed to. He wants someone to help Anders detox until we can get him into a proper treatment facility.
It feels so good to have someone else worrying about Anders for once. At last, the weight of the world is starting to lift off my shoulders.
And Anders, coming down from his high back to reality, is starting to backtrack on his promise of going to treatment. He’s trying to plead with Declan.
“Come on, man, I’m telling you. I have this all under control. I can get her out of the deal, and we can go home and pretend like this day never happened,” Anders is saying.
Declan seems enraged when he says, “You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to detox, and then we’re not gonna see your face until you’ve successfully completed treatment, no matter how long that takes. Do you understand me?”
Anders seems to cower away from Declan’s power and authority. I would, too, if I were in his position. These guys are not people to mess with.
Frankly, I’m sitting back in a state of shock. I just can’t believe the prowess and the way that the Grayson brothers have come together to take charge of the situation. They operate as one smooth, flawless machine.
It’s hard to believe that these brothers hate each other. Because at the moment, they’re working together to find solutions for all of my problems.
“Are you okay?” Declan whispers to me.
I nod my head, but tears threaten to give away my true position.
So, I tell him the truth, “It’s all too much. Seeing Anders like this makes me sad.”
He nods his head in agreement with me and softly rubs my thigh, trying to provide some comfort.
“He’s going to get treatment, Aurora. And then he’ll be fine, I promise. People pull out of this all the time,” he says.
I look up into his green eyes and feel nothing but thanks and gratitude.
“I just want you guys to know that whatever happens, I’m grateful for you. You came at the perfect time. Things were starting to spiral out of control, and I don’t know what I would have done without you,” I tell the guys.
They look at me with heat and desire. I return the affection. I want them, badly, but how could it ever be?
The Grayson brothers are famous for their feuding. I’ll have to pick one or have none. I know that’s ultimately the direction we’re heading in.
And yet, hot embers of lust seek expression, an outlet. I’m wishing Anders wasn’t here. I wish it were just me and the guys. Maybe we could explore the situation…in a more intimate way.
Even though it should be hard to think about sex at a time like this, it’s basically all that’s on my mind when I’m around these guys. They’re so hot…and cool…and in control, it’s hard to think of anything but one of them in between my thighs. I’d like to be with all of them again, but that’s magical thinking at this point.
I wonder what will happen when we get to the beach house—and how they will share me. They must know that that I can’t make a decision between them. They must know that I’ve been dating all three of them simultaneously.
I’m hoping I haven’t started another war between the brothers. But looking at how well they’re working together to aid me right now makes me feel like things could be different. Maybe the Grayson brothers can get along after all?
I sit back and look out the window. I see the ocean, and it’s a calm, clear day.
They said they were
taking us to their private beach house, and I can think of no better environment to start to heal and to put back the pieces of my life.
I let the guys take control and just rest in the moment. Trying to relax, I avoid eye contact with Anders.
He played with fire. The guys don’t seem too happy with him, and I’m not about to argue.
He needs treatment, yes, but I’m fucking pissed that he was going to sell me off like a slave. The moment of reckoning will come. When Anders is healed and he’s seeking forgiveness, whichever of the 12 Steps that is, I will unleash everything on him that I’ve been holding back.
I try to relax and not look at my brother’s wretched, horrible state. I try, for once, to think of myself and my own happiness before his.
Chapter 43
Jasper
If looks could kill, Anders would be a pile of dust by now.
I’m shooting daggers in his direction, but he’s too fucking spaced out to even notice.
My blood is boiling. Rage is pumping through me, and I feel like fucking punching someone.
If Aurora wasn’t in the car with us, I swear I’d hit that little shit right between the eyes and if he asked so much as why I hit him, I’d hit him even harder.
The longer I have to look at Anders, the angrier I get. It’s one thing to get your own life into a mess. I get that. We all make mistakes.
But it’s another to do it at the cost of an innocent person…especially the woman I happen to be into.
Hell, I’m no fucking angel. But any mistake I’ve made has not had the consequence of dragging my brothers down.
I mean, if you want to go and ruin your fucking body, do it—but don’t do it at the expense of your sister, particularly if your sister is as gorgeous and precious as Aurora is.
Of course, I’m not going to harm the little shit, but boy am I close to doing it. The way Aurora stares at him through those big eyes of hers. Fuck, man, it hurts to see how much she loves him and how much she’s hurting by what he’s doing to her.
In my book, hurting someone close to you, particularly family, is off the table. I know my brothers and I have had our differences, but we’ve never acted like Anders. But then again, we don’t do fucking drugs.
Finally, the car comes to a stop, and I realize we’re here. Aurora gasps. At first, I’m not quite sure why, but then I see her eyes take in the size of our beach house.
I guess it’s not the type of beach house ordinary people have. Ours is a beach mansion, more like. It’s as you would expect would be befitting of billionaire playboys.
The grounds are made up of a manicured lawn, neatly trimmed hedges, ornamental gardens, and all of it right in the cusp of the beach.
The entire fucking ocean is right there to wash away my baby’s worries—and possibly to drown Anders in if he gets out of line. I kid. But really, where’s the little punk gonna get drugs out here when he’s under our personal version of house arrest?
Our house has ten bedrooms, I think, and five living areas, several bathrooms, a gym, a wine cellar, and a media room.
It was worth every penny. All of this is spread out over two floors and a large surface area. I’m not good with fucking detail; I just know the house is huge. That’s all I need to know.
It is one of those modern architectural buildings, with massive windows to take advantage of the view and sun, and it has an overall square look.
Without waiting or asking for permission, I take Aurora by the hand and lead her to the house.
“May I give you a tour?” I whisper and notice her tiny smile.
Her eyes are still as large as ever. I swear I see a goddamn sparkle in them as she realizes this is where we’re staying.
All I want to do now is drag her into one of the rooms and fuck her. But I can’t. I’m here with my brothers—and Anders and the nurse—to keep an eye on our little druggie while he needs to start detoxing. It’s a full fucking house.
When will I get to be with her alone?
I can tell how overwhelmed Aurora is by all this. We simply took charge of the situation. We didn’t even need to consult with one another; each one of us knew what to do.
Maybe we’re not as fractured a family as I thought.
Of course, we’re no closer to resolving this thing with Aurora. We went to see her to ask her to choose between us. And then there was a fateful emergency. We saw that she was crying, and now we’re here.
Fuck, how I wish I had her alone. There’s no possible way to have her make a decision now. Any undue pressure on her would not be a wise move.
As soon as we step through the door, I put my arm around her waist and steer her upstairs.
“This is my favorite part of the house,” I explain as I show her the bedrooms that overlook the water.
“It’s beautiful,” she says, and she looks at me with such intensity that I know she’s thinking it, too.
She wishes I would lay her down on this bed and make fucking love to her all night. And I swear I would…if it wasn’t for the situation.
Fuck.
I lead her through the huge entertainment theater and the bar. She walks around and touches everything. And I watch her walk, the sunlight hitting her beautiful blonde hair.
I show her a living room and the walk-out basement that leads right to the sand. If you look long enough out to sea, you can see everything fading over the horizon, the ocean looking endless.
It’s exactly how I feel about her. My feelings are endless. I don’t know where I begin and where she ends.
I swear to God we are one. And that’s exactly how I want it to be.
Except, I want to cement this thing physically and make sure that she never thinks about one of my brothers ever again.
“Wow,” breathes Aurora and I feel her snuggle into me. “You guys really are quite…powerful. You have money and property and everything you want,” she finishes.
I stop and pull her toward me. “I can make any dream you have come true.”
I’m breathing hard and struggle to control myself. I just want to rip her clothes off and fuck her brains out. “You name it, and I’ll get it for you.”
Aurora’s eyes grow even bigger. “Really?”
She looks like I’ve just dangled a treasure trove of riches before her. And I would. I would do fucking anything to see her happy.
“But you know,” I start and kiss her gently on the lips, cheeks, nose, ear. “You must choose one of us. I know you’ve dated the others. It can’t go on like this.”
Now her face turns somber—and shit, I’m responsible. Gone is the smile and her relaxed demeanor. Her body tenses, and she pulls away from me.
“I can’t do this Jasper,” she cries, and she bolts down the stairs.
I watch her run past Declan and Finn and out the door.
They glare at me.
“Good one,” Finn hisses. “What’d you do? Try and fuck her before we’ve had a chance to talk to her?”
I shake my head. “Shut up, Finn. She has to decide sometime,” I shoot back and make my own way back upstairs.
“Or did you tell her how stupid she is for caring for caring about her drug-addicted brother?” Declan chimes in.
Again, I feel the urge to hit someone.
Right now, the urge is directed toward my brothers.
“Assholes, both of you.” I spit at them. They shrug and put their bags down.
“I just said to her that she’s got to choose between us. She said she can’t choose and ran the fuck out.”
Finn looks at me.
“We better look for her,” says Declan and heads out the door. “Couldn’t you wait before you put the fucking weight on her? I mean you know it’s not as if she doesn’t have enough on her mind.”
His words are biting, and he may be right, but I can’t last another second without knowing who she’s gonna choose.
What’s wrong with getting her to choose now? Life’s a bitch. It might not be better for her tomorrow.
> What if her loser brother goes off on another drug bender and ends up dead? Then it won’t be a good time either to raise the matter of choosing between us. There is no good time.
As far as I’m concerned, she needs to decide.
“Yeah,” Finn chimes in. “You could have given her a few minutes. Maybe even offered her a drink. She’s pretty shaken up by all this. But no, Jasper has to charge like a fucking bull at every fucking moment.”
Now I’m getting offended.
“There she is,” I point to our left.
She’s standing by the beach, facing the water, her hair blowing in the wind.
I try and ignore the criticism from my brothers. They think I’m egotistical and self-centered. But they don’t know a goddamn thing, because we haven’t been close in years.
If it wasn’t for that annual meeting our father made us attend, I never would’ve even seen them. They’re like strangers to me now—and I the same to them.
I don’t believe in standing by and doing nothing. I believe in solving problems as soon as they arise and taking action before they get totally blown out of proportion.
“Maybe you should let us do the talking,” growls Finn in my ear, and I clench my fists by my side.
“Hey, Aurora,” Declan calls over to her, and she turns around to face us from her spot on the sand.
Her eyes take us in. She looks from Finn to Declan to me and then back to Finn.
She looks sad. Her cheeks are tear-stained, and I just want to fucking hold her and make her world okay.
“I-I’m sorry,” she says, walking back toward us.
“Come on, baby,” Finn takes a step toward her.
His fingers caress her arm.
Aurora shivers. I see the storm clouds loom on the horizon. I want her back inside, safe and sound under my protection. Something fierce is coming—and I don’t just mean in terms of the storm.
“We just want what’s best for you,” I start but am not sure what else to say.
Her expression is pained. My hand instinctively grabs hers, and I squeeze it, trying to provide some reassurance.
“I know, and I’m grateful, and I know you want me to choose, and—” she chokes.
