Seven Beasts_Reverse Harem Romance

by Kelli Callahan

  “You’re sweet, but that isn’t necessary.” I shook my head and smiled.

  “No, he’s definitely following you.” Jesse piped up from the front porch of our house. “The last time you were out there, you blew a tire.”

  “I still think one of us should go with you.” Steve leaned against the rail that surrounded the porch.

  “We talked about this during my bath—and again at breakfast. I’ll be fine, I promise.” I opened my car door. “Hugs?”

  I hugged Axe first since he was right there beside the car. They all took their turn giving me a hug, some of them letting it linger a little longer. Blue went for a little extra and kissed me as well, which started the process all over again because they all wanted that too. Each of them seemed to try and outdo the other, so I spent nearly thirty minutes having my lips crushed by one hungry set after another. By the time I had finished with them, I was already tingling with excitement and I really just wanted to go upstairs. I fought back against my desires and climbed into the driver’s seat. Axe cranked up his motorcycle and followed behind me. As much as I tried to convince them I didn’t need an escort, I was happy he was there. When we reached the highway and he waved goodbye before turning his motorcycle around, I felt an intense sadness circulating inside of me. I felt tears in the corner of each eye and turned on the radio, trying to fight them off. I couldn’t believe how sad I felt towards leaving. When I arrived in Granite Falls, all I wanted to do was get out—once I was gone, all I wanted to do was get back there as quickly as possible.

  Just explain things, get some stuff, and come back—it is easy.

  My father was a lot better than he was when I left. I put my grandmother’s ashes on the table and gave him the deed for the house. He seemed to be in good spirits and I wasn’t quite ready to tell him about Granite Falls quite yet, so I went upstairs to make a phone call to Jennifer Payne. She wasn’t sure if her father would be able to offer any help on the American Motors plant, but she agreed to check into it. I wanted to get back in my car and drive back that instant, but I was tired after driving nearly eight hours to get home. I went downstairs and had dinner with my father, returning as soon as it was over to start figuring out what I needed to take when I went back to Granite Falls. I knew I needed my clothes, some essentials from the bathroom, but everything else could stay behind. As much as I cherished my memorabilia from high school and college, it didn’t seem necessary. I finally curled up in bed and pulled my pillow close, imagining it was one of my men holding me tight.

  I miss you guys—I have no idea how I’m going to tell my father. I want to be brave, but this is going to be really hard.

  I woke up early with Granite Falls on my mind. I had to tell him early so I could start packing. If there was a fight, I would have to let him settle down before I could leave. My feet were heavy when I got to the bottom of the stairs. My father was in the kitchen making breakfast and coffee was already filling the house with a delicious aroma. I poured a cup after saying good morning and helped him finish preparing breakfast. I wasn’t sure all of the greasy fats were good for a man who had just recently recovered from surgery to open up some clogged arteries, but I didn’t want to say anything. Just when I thought I was going to be brave enough to open my mouth, there was a knock at the door. My father’s nurse was there to check on him. I went back up to my room and found that I had a missed call from Jennifer. I immediately closed my door and called her back.

  “Jennifer!” I was nervous and excited at the same time.

  “Hey Samantha!” Her voice was cheerful—I hoped that was a good sign. “I talked to my dad this morning and he said he’s familiar with the deal, but everything is tied up in red tape. He didn’t go into a lot of details, but it sounds like there are some lobbyists pushing for them to accept the proposal from Granite Falls. He said the deal is better than the one that the state is offering, but the state doesn’t want to let it go through because they would lose out on their only opportunity to sell the land. Apparently, they’ve been sitting on it for a long time just waiting on something like this to come through.”

  “Seriously? Does he know when a decision will be made?” I felt my heart racing in my chest.

  “No, but he said he would check on it tomorrow. I’ll give you a call if I find out anything new. I told him it was for you and you know he adores you like a second daughter, so I think he’ll do some more digging.” She paused for a moment. “Are you back home? We should get together tonight and catch up.”

  “Yeah, I’m home...” I didn’t want to tell Jennifer the truth. I felt obligated, which meant Granite Falls would have to wait another day. “Yeah, I’ll come over tonight.”

  I had never really considered Charles Payne to be a second father to me, but he was always nice when I visited with Jennifer. If he was willing to try and make something happen, I was all for it. I chickened out again when I got downstairs with my father and wasted the day not putting anything in a suitcase. I checked in with Axe and let him know it would probably be another day before I could get on the road. When night came, I headed over to Jennifer’s house. Her father wasn’t home so we decided to raid his liquor cabinet and do a few shots like we were in college again. Jennifer was so much more successful than me. We both had a business degree but the only job I had ever held was retail while she was already working for a local marketing firm. I just wasn’t very motivated and when my father’s health declined, I used it as an excuse to avoid finding a job.

  We did more shots than we should have and I was vaguely aware that I shouldn’t drive, but I wanted to be home so I could figure out how to tell my father the version of the truth we came up with—it wasn’t a complete lie—it just wasn’t everything. In my drunken state, I imagined it going over well and him agreeing to come live in Granite Falls where we would both be taken care of. I smiled at the thought of my fantasy and then my heart sank into my stomach. Blue and red lights started to flash behind me and then a police siren echoed in my ears.

  “Oh no!” I pulled over to the side of the road and tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do.

  Chapter 17: Axe

  “She should be here. She’s not even answering her damn phone.” I stomped out onto the porch. “Give me a cigarette.”

  “I thought you quit.” Steve handed me his pack and I lit one up.

  “I’m nervous and I don’t want to start drinking until I know she’s okay.” I took a long drag and my lungs instantly rejected the smoke. I hadn’t smoked since I was a teenager.

  “I’m sure everything is fine.” Jesse stood up and let out a sigh. “Try her phone again.”

  “We shouldn’t have let her go.” I dialed her number and listened to her voicemail pick up.

  Fuck

  “We didn’t have a choice.” Luther shrugged. “She’s not our hostage.”

  “It’s our job to make sure she’s okay though.” Major tapped his foot and I could see nervousness on his face.

  “I’m going into town.” Jesse started down the steps. “I’ll try to find some way to get in touch with her father. Joe, did she leave any information for him when she did the deed?”

  “I’d have to check City Hall.” Mayor Danvers sighed. “Let me ride with you.”

  I was going out of my mind. When Samantha left, I expected to see her beautiful face again the next day. When that didn’t work out, I was at peace because she did call and touch base with us. It had been almost twenty-four hours since her last call and I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. A million things went through my head—she could have been in an accident, her father could have reacted badly—she could have even decided that the whole thing was crazy when she thought it through. I just needed an answer. If it was her decision, I would figure out a way to live with it, but I needed to know one way or the other. Jesse had barely been gone for an hour when Steve’s phone lit up with Jesse’s number. He tossed his cigarette over the side of the porch and put the phone to his ear. All of us gath
ered around him waiting on the news.

  “You have to be shitting me.” He hung the phone up angrily. “She got arrested—for a fucking DUI.”

  “What!?” I raised my eyebrows angrily. “How the fuck...”

  “I don’t know. Jesse ran her license and got a hit. She’s still locked up. He’s going to make some calls.” Steve sat down and sighed.

  “At least she’s okay.” I leaned against the porch. “I’m going to kick her ass when I see her.”

  “Let me handle that.” Luther folded his arms and his eyebrows came together angrily. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t sit down for a week.”

  Chapter 18: Samantha

  The cold steel of the handcuffs hurt my wrists when they were clamped on tight once the officer had me do a breathalyzer. He took me roughly by the back of the neck and shoved me into his squad car. When that didn’t sober me up, I realized how drunk I really was. The officer kept me in the back of the police car while a wrecker came for my car and then he started driving me towards the station. As we got closer, the impact of my decision really started to sink in. I wasn’t going to be able to return to Granite Falls the next day—I might not even get to go back the day after that. The police officer booked me and put me in a cell that was cold and lonely. I curled up on the cot and started to cry. I couldn’t believe how badly I had screwed up. I got my phone call the next morning and tried to call my father, but I got no answer at home or on his cell phone. I didn’t have any other number memorized, so the officer took me back to my cell and told me I would be arraigned later that day.

  “Come on, Grant.” A police officer appeared at the entrance of my cell. “You must have a guardian angel because you’re being released.”

  “What?” I sat up in confusion.

  “I don’t get paid to ask questions.” He motioned for me to follow as he opened the cell.

  I had no idea what was going on, but I followed behind the officer as we passed the rest of the cells and entered the part of the police station where I was booked. I was allowed to change back into my regular clothes and all of my personal items were returned once I signed a piece of paper. It felt like a dream when he started leading me down the hallway towards the exit. I knew something was definitely wrong, but freedom was so close I could taste it. I didn’t get arraigned and they never set bail or anything—I was just being released. I stepped through the exit and things became a little clearer when I saw Jesse leaning against his sheriff’s car.

  “Get in.” He opened the passenger door.

  “How did you get me out of there?” I started towards the car, feeling my heart beating in my chest.

  “Professional courtesy, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely off the hook. Luther is going to have a long talk with you once we get back to Granite Falls.” He motioned towards the open door.

  I don’t think he’ll be doing much talking—and I’m not sure I’ll enjoy it this time.

  “I still haven’t told my father...” My words trailed off as I took a seat.

  “You don’t have to. I just came from his house. I was actually there when you called.” He sat down behind the steering wheel and looked over at me. “He’s not very happy, as you can imagine.”

  “You told him about...us? What we talked about?” I swallowed a lump in my throat.

  “I told him enough. He was concerned, but he wants you to be happy. We’re going to swing by there on our way out of town.” Jesse nodded as he started driving.

  My father didn’t yell at me either, but I could see a lot of disappointment in his eyes. It was hard to tell if it was because of my decision to move to Granite Falls or my arrest. When our talk was over, he hugged me and told me he did want me to be happy, regardless of what that meant to me. Jesse helped me pack my bags and carry them to his car. I hugged my father one last time before getting back into the passenger seat. I hoped time would show him that it wasn’t just a random whirlwind romance where I was running away to marry a man I just met. The truth was so much sweeter than the fiction we created, but there was no way he would understand that. Nobody would understand it except the eight of us that had agreed to the arrangement. He promised to visit when he was feeling better and I promised I would come back to visit him when I could as well. After that, we were on the road and the next stop was Granite Falls—and the rest of my life.

  “I don’t like lying to him.” I let out a sigh and stared out the window.

  “You’re not lying. I do care about you and I’ll be marrying you.” Jesse reached over and took my hand. “He’ll see how happy you are when he comes to visit. That will help him understand that this is right for you, even if he doesn’t know all the details.”

  “I hope so.” I looked to Jesse and smiled.

  My homecoming to Granite Falls wasn’t as joyous as I originally thought it would be when I left. After the other six hugged me and told me how thankful they were I was okay, I got seven lectures about the dangers of what I had done. When that was done, Luther took me upstairs and I knew it wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience. I spent some time over his knee getting to know the paddle in a way that I didn’t want to ever know again. I spent the night alone in my bed, denied their touch as additional punishment for what I had done. I didn’t wake up to breakfast in bed or any of the pleasantries I had become accustomed to. I dressed myself in a pair of pajamas and walked downstairs where they were all sitting and talking. It appeared to be fairly early. Mayor Danvers was the first one to get up when he saw me.

  “It seems like you did something right while you were home.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around me.

  “What happened?” I felt him squeeze me tight and when he leaned back, there was a smile on his face.

  “Our proposal has been accepted! The American Motors plant is coming to Granite Falls!”

  “It is!?” I was quickly overcome with excitement. “I don’t know if that was me...”

  “I do.” Mayor Danvers released me from his embrace. “The guy that called me mentioned you specifically—a Mr. Charles Payne?”

  “That is Jennifer’s father! Oh my God! He did it!” I reached into my pocket for my cell phone. “I have to call Jennifer.”

  JENNIFER CONFIRMED that her father had spoken to some colleagues that were on the fence and convinced them that helping out a small town in need was better than satisfying the state’s greed for more money. He also brought up the fact that having land nearby developed and growing a town could increase the value of the land in the long run. After I hung up with her, I decided to call my father. He was happy I had made it to Granite Falls and said he was feeling a little stronger that morning than he did the day before—every day seemed to be getting better than the last. I apologized for driving drunk and promised him I would never do it again. I had said those words to him the day before as well, but I felt like I needed to keep saying them. He asked about Jesse, which I thought was a good sign. There was still hesitation on the subject, but I was content with my decision. I was in Granite Falls where I belonged with seven men who would always make sure I was well taken care of. Regardless of how strange it was, I couldn’t have been happier.

  Two days later

  “THOSE FUCKING CATS...” Blue walked into the house and sneezed, wiping his nose with his hand. It was followed by a grunt.

  “What did you do with all of them?” I walked into the living room with a tissue and handed it to him.

  “It was like wrangling—well, fucking cats. I got them all loaded up and they’re on the way to a shelter. They’ll all have new homes.” He grunted and shook his head as he wiped his nose. “I spent all day chasing them down.”

  “Hey, I helped.” Steve walked in behind him and sighed. “How the hell did your grandmother get so many?”

  “I have no idea.” I tilted my head when I saw something under Steve’s arm. “What is that?”

  “Oh, I found this in your Grandmother’s house. It appears to be her recipe book.” He smiled a
nd handed it to me.

  “This is nothing but pie recipes.” I raised my eyebrows as I flipped through it.

  “Did someone say pie?” Mayor Danvers popped his head out of the kitchen.

  “We found Mrs. Grant’s recipe book.” Steve folded his arms and beamed like he had just discovered gold.

  “Seriously?” Mayor Danvers walked out into the living room. “Samantha, do you think you could make them like she did?”

  “Well...” I flipped through a few more pages. “The directions are here, I could give it a shot.”

  “Good! I’d love to have a dozen or so when they break ground on the new American Motors plant.” Mayor Danvers’ nodded. “Of course, you’d need to practice and make sure you know how to make them first...”

  “Which means we’re about to eat a lot of pie?” Steve raised his eyebrows and his face turned to a hopeful grin.

  “It looks that way...” I tucked the recipe book under my arm. “Who wants to go on a grocery run?”

  It was like a cascade of hands all volunteering at once—apparently, they really did like my Grandmother’s pies.

  “AMERICAN MOTORS JUST faxed over the details on the new plant. We’ll have five hundred new jobs by this time next year—all because you.” Mayor Danvers leaned against me and kissed my neck.

  “That is wonderful news.” I closed my eye and leaned my head back against his kiss. “Did you find out what the holdup was with the state?”

  “Yeah, apparently they were dragging their feet on the permits. American Motors wanted to take our bid, but the state made it seem like they needed to do a lot more work and it would take years to complete it. They even offered to discount their land at first, but once your friend’s father put words in the right ears, things took off like a rocket.” He kissed my neck again.

  “Good, I’m glad things are working out.” I reached back and caressed his hair.