by Tia Siren
“No way,” said Jeremy, chuckling.
“How did you get my number?” I asked. “I mean my new number.”
“Like I said, I know you, Lexi. One well-placed call to the phone company with some of your security question answers got me just about whatever I wanted with regard to your phone,” he said.
“You’re deranged, you know that?” I asked.
“Lexi, now’s not the time to taunt ’im,” Rowland said.
“I’d listen to the little cop if I were you,” he said as he raised the gun to my forehead. “Are you sucking his cock, too?”
“Nope. He doesn’t have a twin, so it’s not really my thing,” I said.
“Lexi!”
The Wolf brothers yelled in unison as they pushed themselves out of the elevator. Jeremy pointed his shotgun up and shot the ceiling, forcing the cops to cock their guns as plaster fell on my head.
“Back the fuck up!” Jeremy exclaimed.
“Do as he says, please,” I said.
“Lexi, are you all right, love?” Terry asked.
“Still breathing, but if you keep talking, I might not be much longer,” I said.
“Why the fuck are you not shooting him!?” Tony asked the police.
“Because he hasn’t made a move toward anyone. He’s simply posturing,” I said.
“Posturing?” Jeremy asked. “Is that what you call this?”
The barrel of his shotgun pressed against my chest. The heat of it was too much, causing me to grunt in pain as I stood toe to toe with him. He wasn’t taking me down. I was stronger than this. I knew he would misstep, and I knew this would be his end.
He wasn’t getting out of this alive.
“Yes,” I said. “That’s exactly what I call it. Because it’s a show. You won’t kill me.”
“And why won’t I kill a whore like you?” he asked, grinning.
“Because you want me to suck your dick with all the tricks I’ve learned from the twins,” I said, smiling.
“You stupid slut!”
His trigger finger twitched, and the guns behind me went off. I shrieked and ducked down as the Wolf brothers ran to grab me. Tony scooped me up into his arms while Terry pulled a gun from his robe, which he held out in front of him while they backed up toward the elevator with me. Tony reached down to press the button before he barreled me into the elevator, and Terry stepped in just as I looked up to see what was going on.
Jeremy was bleeding from his shoulder and his arm as the police wrestled him to the ground. I watched them slap cuffs on him while he continued to scream at me, calling me names and debasing my reputation as I shook against Tony’s chest.
“It’s over, darling. It’s done. He’ll never bother you again. I swear it.”
“And if he does, love, I’ll be ready to kill him,” Terry said as he uncocked his gun.
“Holy shit,” I said as I pushed myself closer to Tony. “It’s over.”
“Yes, it is, darling,” he said. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Yes, it is.”
Chapter 32
Even though the saga was over, I still didn’t sleep well. Officer Rowland kept calling me all night to update me on what was happening with Jeremy. He was being processed and held, and Officer Rowland kept guaranteeing me that there was no way he would see the light of day again. That should’ve provided some relief, and it did. I no longer felt the need to look over my shoulder. I could tell Courtney that she was free to live her life the way she wanted. I no longer had to be a walking prisoner that continuously dragged other people along for the ride.
But the looming conversation with the guys kept entering the forefront of my mind.
The Wolf brothers seemed to be the only twins onboard. The rest wanted me to choose. And I couldn’t. I honestly couldn’t. I got out of bed and walked through the hotel suite, bypassing the comfortable couch to throw open the massive double doors. The rocking chairs on the porch were beckoning me as the sun slowly began to rise in the background of LA, and I sighed as I sat down.
“Can’t sleep?”
Courtney’s voice startled me, and I jumped. She pulled her robe tightly around her and sat down next to me, her eyes never leaving the side of my face.
“You’d think I’d be able to now,” I said.
“That’s true, but your damn phone kept ringing all night,” she said.
“Officer Rowland updating me on Jeremy’s bullshit.”
“I think he likes you.”
“Yeah, well, I have enough men to deal with,” I said, grinning.
“I said you could always share.”
“Nope. I want all of them. All of them or none of them. That’s how this works,” I said.
“That’s selfish.”
“That’s life. I care about them all, especially after the protection they afforded us after the vandalism at our apartment. I can’t choose and I won’t.”
“Well, at least tell me about your rousing night with the Wolf brothers. You know, minus the whole Jeremy saga and shotgun-pointing fiasco.”
“You would’ve been proud of me. I didn’t back down for a moment,” I said.
“Of course. The moment you’re about to die is the moment you find your balls again.”
“Better late than never,” I said, grinning. “And the night was wonderful. Perfection. Terry is a fabulous dancer and, ironically enough, the harder one in bed.”
“Harder one?” she asked.
“What I’ve found with the twins is that there’s always one who is a bit more dominant. Maybe not by much, but one always has a softer touch. I just assumed that would be Terry. You know, with his facts and Tony being so suave all the time.”
“I guess they all have their talents and surprises,” she said.
“Yep. I’m sitting down with all of them tomorrow to talk,” I said.
“About what?”
“About this choosing thing. Tony and Terry seem to be the only ones not actually making me choose. Hell, they even told me they’d just bought a mansion and wanted me to move in—and didn’t give a shit if the rest of the guys moved in, too. The rest want me to choose.”
“Wait. Back up a second. Unpack that statement for me,” she said. “I haven’t had coffee yet.”
Just then, someone knocked at the door. A voice called out “breakfast,” and I heard my stomach growl. Courtney flew from her rocking chair and ran for the door of the hotel. She groaned after she threw it open. Breakfast had been delivered to us again, and I merely shook my head and smiled. I’d have to give the Wolf brothers a call and thank them once again for the room service.
I heard the squeaking of wheels as a tray was wheeled between the two rocking chairs on the balcony. A warm mug was placed in my hand, and I gladly took it. The sunrise draping over the buildings of LA was astounding, and for a moment I was able to appreciate its beauty.
Now that I was no longer prisoner to it.
“So, the mansion. Go.”
“Terry and Tony were talking last night about a mansion they bought just outside LA They said they were doing a lot of traveling to and from the area and had decided the traveling warranted a permanent home. So, they bought this mansion on something insane, like twenty acres of land or something, and they’re furnishing the shit out of it.”
“Wow. Must be nice to just be able to buy a home,” Courtney said.
“Apparently it’s got, like, a dozen bedrooms alone. They offered up the idea of me moving in because I’d mentioned to them that you didn’t want to room together after this was all said and done.”
“I would if a room in a mansion was on the table,” she said, grinning.
“Of course you would.”
“I’m just kidding. I really do need a place of my own. I’ve been looking at some places. Remind me to show you once you’re done,” she said.
“I will. So, they told me they’d enjoy having me live there because I could look after the house and stuff while they’re away.”
“So t
hey want you as a personal maid,” she said.
“No. They just want someone occupying it. They said it would make them feel better because they’d know I was protected—and some other stuff I wasn’t paying attention to because fuck those men are beautiful.”
Courtney’s giggle caused a grin to appear on my face.
“Then Terry made a quip about the guys coming and going as they pleased while I was living there, and then they made an offhand comment about how the other twins could move in for all they cared. That sparked a serious conversation about it, which morphed into me sitting down with all the guys tomorrow and actually having that conversation.”
“All of you moving in together?” she said.
“Well, I’m starting it off by telling them I’m not choosing. I just can’t. It’s not that I’m selfish or something. I just care about all of them. A lot. At this point, I’d never be able to be with one without being reminded of the others. Not in some weird way, but they all seem to fulfill a part of my life that is vital to me being happy. I wouldn’t be able to sacrifice one of them without feeling somehow incomplete.”
“I gotta say, I’ve got no fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
“I know, I know. Sometimes I’m not even sure I get it. I just miss having a family. Like right now, there’s a party going on at work for a 99-year-old woman. Her family is throwing her a massive surprise birthday party. Her fucking family. I mean, that’s incredible, right? Having a family that’ll do that kind of stuff for you?” I asked.
“It is,” Courtney said.
“I feel that with them, all of them. They feel like family every time I’m around them. Court, having them all here at the same time—save for the Wolf brothers—was the happiest and most secure I’d felt in a long time. Yes, I was hiding because my life was in chaos, but never once did I feel—I don’t know…”
“Alone?” she asked.
“Exactly.”
“You know you could probably feel not alone with only one or two of them, right?” she asked playfully.
“You’re just jealous,” I said before I sipped my coffee.
“Yes I fucking am. Any woman would be. And even though I have absolutely no idea what to say to advise you, I hope the talk with the guys goes well. I want my best friend happy, and I think you’re finally at a point where you could be.”
Tears puddled up in my eyes while I continued to sip my coffee. The sweet smell of breakfast wafted underneath our noses as Courtney began to pick and eat, but all I could think about was the sunrise. It painted the sky in blues and yellows and oranges as it swept across the sky, and it was peppered with clouds. It was as if the nighttime was physically ripping itself in half just to make way for the beauty that was the coming of the daytime hours.
Just like I’d ripped myself apart for the beauty of the eight men that had bombarded my life in ways I couldn’t yet explain.
“Lexi?”
“Yeah?”
“You want some more coffee?”
I turned my gaze toward my best friend as a small tear escaped and ran down my cheek. To have a family like them, people who loved and cared for one another, it was like a dream come true. I was so close to having everything I could have ever wanted in my life, despite the twists and turns it had taken to get here. Jeremy was gone for good, my heart was full of love I hadn’t experienced in years, I was about to take a couple of beautiful men up on their offer for me to live in a fucking mansion, and I was going to be applying for a massive promotion at work.
Life felt like it was finally falling into place. Now if I could just get them all to understand.
“Not only do I want more coffee,” I said as I held out my mug, “but I want you to tell me about these places you’re looking at.”
Chapter 33
Just as Court and I were winding down for bed, a knock came at the hotel door. I freaked before I drew in a deep breath, the events of the prior day slipping to the forefront of my mind. It had to be one of the twins. It couldn’t possibly be Jeremy.
Could it?
I walked over and looked through the peephole and was ecstatic when I saw the Castle brothers standing there. I threw open the door and wrapped my arms around them both, feeling their rugged muscles flexing against my body. They held me close as their faces dug into the crooks of my neck, their noses sniffing in my scent as I smiled in content.
“Would you guys like to come in?” I asked.
“We’d love to,” they said in unison.
I ushered them in and sat them down on the couch. I grabbed us all some juice from the fridge, tossing it to them before I wiggled my way between them. We sat in silence for a bit, simply drinking our apple juice and enjoying one another’s company.
One of the things I adored about Liam and Logan was that you could sit with them silently and yet still feel as if you were spending your time wisely.
“How are you feeling?” Logan asked.
“Now that Jeremy’s being put away,” Liam said.
“Not gonna lie: I jumped when you guys knocked. It’ll take some time to get used to not having to look over my shoulder, but it’ll be nice to finally live my life the way I want,” I said.
“Good. That’s good,” Logan said.
Another blanket of silence fell over the conversation, but this time it wasn’t so comfortable. I could tell something was on their minds, so I made the grave mistake of asking them what was going on.
“Are you guys all right?” I asked. “Did something happen at work?”
“Nah. Work’s fine,” Liam said.
“We just wanted to, uh, tell you some things,” Logan said.
“Okay. Shoot,” I said.
“You know we could take care of you, right?” Logan asked.
“And we could stagger our work schedules so you’d never be alone,” Liam said.
“We live right here in the area, so you wouldn’t have to uproot and go too far. You’d have a support system right here,” Logan said.
“And you could have us every night if you wanted us. We could invest in a massive bed that all three of us could sleep in,” Liam said.
I didn’t like where this was going one bit.
“You guys, I told you in our group messages that we would talk about this tomorrow,” I said.
“We just want to give you the chance to choose us. You know, away from everyone, so no one gets mad or anything,” Liam said.
“Yeah. You’ve experienced enough outbursts of emotion, and you can’t deny the chemistry we had that night,” Logan said.
“We’re crazy about you, Lexi. We can’t stop thinking about you,” Liam admitted.
“Please choose us,” Logan said.
“Enough.” I stood up, and their eyes were solely trained on me. I felt cornered, manipulated, like they were using checking up on me as an excuse to make some last-minute argument that would have no bearing on my decision.
“I told you all we would sit down and talk about this tomorrow. I don’t expect much out of my life anymore, but I do expect my wishes to be respected,” I said.
“We know, and I swear we aren’t trying to disrespect you,” Logan said.
“But we could be good for you like you’re good for us,” Liam said.
“Stop it,” I said.
“We could protect you and take care of you. We might not have the money the Wolf brothers do—”
“Stop it, Logan,” I said.
“I could learn how to dance. If that’s what it is—if that’s what’s drawing you to Tony and Terry—I’ll learn,” Liam said.
“Please stop,” I said desperately.
“Lexi—”
“I think she told the two of you to shut the fuck up.”
They both wheeled around to face Courtney, who stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. She was leaning up against the doorframe, eyeing the two of them, and I watched them slump in defeat. I wiped at tears of frustration as I turned my back on them, hearing Cour
tney’s feet patter over to the door.
“She’ll talk to you two, along with the rest, tomorrow night,” she said.
“Lexi, we didn’t mean to upset you,” Liam said.
“We just wanted—”
“I know what you wanted,” I said, keeping my back turned to them. “And I’ve told you my position time and time again. Spoiler for tomorrow night: don’t expect that to change.”
I felt their eyes on my back as I heard Courtney walk over to them. I watched her reflection in the mirror as she took their arms and slowly pulled them toward the door, ushering them out.
“Just give her some space,” I heard her say. “She’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.”
“I swear, we didn’t mean to—”
“You might not have meant to,” Courtney said, “but you did. Good night, fellas.”
She shut the door in their faces before they could get a word in edgewise, and soon I felt her arm slide around my waist.
“Sure you don’t wanna keep rooming together?” I asked breathlessly.
“Yep. Because I know what you want, and you deserve a chance to go get it.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get it. Even with Jeremy gone, I still might not get the life I want,” I said.
“Do you love them?” she asked.
I thought about that question long and hard. Love? I honestly wasn’t sure. I had thought I loved Jeremy until he went psycho on me. But I knew I cared about them, all of them, and deeply.
“I care for them greatly. Does that count?” I asked.
“It does. Talk to them tomorrow night. If you don’t, failure is guaranteed. At least if you do, you’ve got a shot.”
“When did you get so smart?” I asked.
“You’ve always been the smart one, Lexi, the one with a good head on her shoulders. You’ve been dragged through hell lately. Stepping up into that role in order to be here for you is the least I can do,” she said.
“Thanks.”
“I take it this might not be a good time to let you know I’m leaving the hotel on Tuesday, right?” she asked.
“Where will you be going?” I asked.
“I’ll be here to help you get through the meeting, but Tuesday I’m going to look at the two places we narrowed it down to tonight. I’ll sign for one of them, and hopefully I can just move my shit on in.”
