Room Three: They Like to Bite (Club Sin Series) by Ember Davis

Copyright © 2021 Ember Davis

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, organizations or locals is entirely coincidental. The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

For permission requests, email Ember.A.Davis@gmail.com

Contains explicit love scenes and adult language. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older.

This book is available exclusively at Amazon.com. If you’ve obtained it anywhere else, you have an illegal copy.

Cover Design by Bookin’ It Designs

For all the other amazing authors participating in the Club Sin series with me, especially Penelope Wylde who reached out and trusted me to help get it off the ground with her.

Oh! And of course my mom, whose seemingly off-handed comment about something she saw on TV became a collaboration series I am incredibly proud of.

Table of Contents

CLUB SIN RULES

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

EPILOGUE

CLUB SIN SERIES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER BOOKS BY EMBER

CHAPTER 1

ELLA

Most would think living in New York City is all lights and the world at your fingertips being the city which never sleeps and all. It’s not. There’s grime. There’s crime. It’s expensive as hell and crowded. Way too fucking crowded.

I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Fine, that’s a lie. I’d love to have a home in one of the boroughs where I can stop worrying about the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. I want the whole Suzy Homemaker thing, but the problem is I don’t think most homemakers have the fantasy of being taken by more than one man at once, being ravaged by them while also being loved by them.

That shit isn’t normal. Right? I don’t know. I don’t know a single homemaker and don’t have an inside scoop into their private sexual fantasies.

It’s those fantasies which led me to Club Sin in the first place. Yes, it’s a sex club and the only place I can really be free.

Well, mostly. Over the last year I’ve explored a lot of rooms in Club Sin, each one designed to bring a different fantasy to life, explore a kink and indulge in the depravity of one’s imagination. I’ve been watched, suspended, spanked, had food eaten off me, and even indulged in a little breath play. One thing I haven’t been able to do is explore my desire to be with more than one man at a time.

It’s not like the club frowns upon such things, quite the opposite. The owners are in a polyamorous relationship, one I envy. I can’t seem to bring myself to let more than one man enjoy my body, even in the safety of the club. In my heart, deep in my soul, I know there are only three men who I could ever indulge in such a fantasy with.

They’re so far out of my reach though. For so many reasons. I could never have them. They could never want me. I don’t think they even know I exist, not anymore. It’s been years since I’ve seen them, and the last time was ten years ago. I was just some kid to them at 15 then, not like I can blame them for that. I had no idea what I felt for them was real, I thought it was a schoolgirl crush. Maybe it’s all it was.

Maybe they only live in my imagination as being the men for me.

I’ve pushed it so far back in my subconscious I’m amazed every time the thought of being with them hurdles to the forefront of my mind. They probably wouldn’t even recognize me if they saw me now. I don’t even know where they are.

How sad is that? To be in love with three men you haven’t seen in years who are halfway across the globe fighting for our country. Somehow, it only makes them sexier. The things I fantasize about them doing to me does not jive with my homemaker dreams at all. No matter how much I wish it did.

Walking into Club Sin tonight, I don’t know what I’m looking for. Some sort of release. Some sort of redemption. Some sort of sign which tells me it’s okay to let them go. I know I need to do it, but it feels impossible.

I remember the first time I walked into the dimly lit lounge of the club, surprised at how relaxed I felt. The same eagerness filled me then like it does now, a need to find, to seek, to revel in pleasure I didn’t even know how to identify. That first night I only watched, being a voyeur to those who desired someone to witness, to see, to feel without touching. It didn’t take me many visits before I found watching wasn’t enough for me. Still, I haven’t found what I’m looking for, even after entering the club regularly for the last year.

I have no idea what I’m looking for. Will I ever find it?

I feel eyes on me as I walk to the bar. Considering I checked my coat, along with my cell phone, at the door to reveal my black corset and miniskirt, complete with garters, thigh-his and heels, I’m not surprised. People, men mostly, looking at me within the walls of Club Sin isn’t new. I look like your average girl next door if you’re only looking at my face, but it’s thrown out the window when you take in my outfit.

Tonight, the lounge feels charged in a way it doesn’t usually. Why are my palms sweating? It’s not like I’m new around here. Even sipping the drink the bartender, Theo, brings me doesn’t stop my racing heart or the nervousness filling me. What is going on?

When I can’t take it anymore, I turn and start to survey the room. I have to say, the owners did an amazing job with the club, converting a warehouse in Brooklyn to accommodate not only their fantasies, but those of so many others. The room is lush and textural without being stuffy and highbrow. Who wants a hoity-toity sex club?

I recognize a few people in the lounge, one or two I’ve played with before. They’re brand of kink isn’t what I’m looking for tonight. I don’t want to watch others get their jollies off. I want to be ravaged. I want to be consumed. It’s a need which burns in my gut; one I can barely put into words.

Oh, how my brother would hate to know where I am right now. Landon would kill me and everyone in the club if he knew. Being ten years older than me gives him the right to be overprotective, I guess. The only good thing was, since he went off and fought for our country for years, he wasn’t around much when I started dating. Right around the time I entered puberty, he was gone with very few visits. I didn’t understand it then but serving is simply part of who Landon is.

Landon brought the three men into my life who I wish weren’t so out of reach and would hold me instead. Not like it matters considering I haven’t seen them in ten years. Landon came back stateside after leaving the SEAL life behind to open his own security firm in the city, but my guys didn’t. They stayed, which shouldn’t cause an ache in my chest, but it does.

I look over to one of the small sitting areas and immediately choke on air when I find three sets of eyes boring into me. Three sets of eyes I never thought I’d see again. Three sets of eyes which are devouring me in a way I’ve never experienced before.

I blink rapidly. There’s no way they’re here right now. No way at all. Turning back to the bar, I finish my drink, knowing it’s the only one I’ll be having tonight. You can’t play while intoxicated at Club Sin for everyone’s safety. It’s something I was always grateful for before, but now, with those three men watching me, their eyes burning me, I wish I could drink more.

They probably don’t recognize me. How could they? I was just a kid the last time they saw me.

Three sets of eyes. The green ones belong to Barrett Dorsey, always the strong silent type, intense and focused. The blue eyes are Colt Evans’; they can leave anyone feeling cold and shunned if you let his demeanor get to you. I always did, making my heart ache with something I knew I’d never have. The warm brown eyes of Owen Carmichael reflect his personality, one of a big goofball with a heart of gold. He’s the guy who would give you the shirt off your back while Barrett stares at you with judgement and Colt wonders why you didn’t plan to have a shirt when you needed one.

I have no idea how they were even friends, given how different they were. When you added Landon to the mix it was like they clicked, brothers beyond blood long before they were brothers in arms.

The question is: what the hell are they doing here? Yes, why are they in Club Sin is an excellent question, but why are they in New York? Are they back for good? Is this just a short leave before they go back to some godforsaken place to put their lives on the line for my, our, freedom?

My heart sinks as I think of one more question. Are they here with someone?

I know they shared women before, I could be very stealthy when I needed to be back before they disappeared from my life. I thought it was for good, but I can still feel their eyes on me. I should leave. I can’t be here with them. What if they tell Landon they saw me? Does Landon know they’re here?

My back straightens and I realize I really do need to go. I can’t be here.

Before I can retrace my steps to the entrance and slip out without a backwards glance, I feel a warm palm against the small of my back, sending need through every cell of my body and making my nipples pebble. What the hell?

I look over and then up to meet Owen’s warm, rich eyes as he looks down at me. They were always so tall, but Owen is the tallest at 6’4”. As he smiles down at me, I can’t help the way my breathing picks up. I want to walk away, to not let him touch me, but I know I can’t. I cling to the idea he doesn’t know who I am, that none of the three do.

Owen leans into me and whispers in my ear, “What are you doing here, Ella?”

Fuck.

I clear my throat and square my shoulders. I’m an adult. I can be wherever the fuck I want to be. I sure as hell don’t have to answer to him.

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business, Owen,” my voice sounds detached, haughty, but also breathy and needy. Not exactly what I was going for.

I want to make a break for it. I want to run to the anonymity of busy streets which are so easy to get lost in, never to be seen or heard from again. How unlucky am I to find them here, where I have been able to explore without judgement, even while I’m left wanting on some level?

Before I can escape, Owen slides the empty glass away from me, giving a nod to Theo. He guides me toward the other two men who have haunted my dreams for the last ten years, even before I understood my attraction to them. Barrett’s eyes don’t leave mine as I approach, and I feel Colt watching the sway of my hips and the length of my legs. It’s hard not to strut when the hottest men in the room are looking at you like you are a snack, an appetizer, and the main course all in one.

Owen guides me to a tufted chair across from them and I perch on the edge, knowing I won’t get far, but needing to feel like I can run quickly and easily if needed. Barrett smirks knowingly, but he’s not the one I’m worried about the most. Not at all.

Colt’s voice is cold, “Are you here to play, little lamb?”

I narrow my eyes at him, “What I do and whom I do it with is none of your concern.” I might be looking at Colt as the words fly out of my mouth, but they are directed at all of them.

Barrett doesn’t say a word as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and steepling his fingers as he looks me over causing goosebumps to cover my skin. I need to get out of here.

I snap, “What are you guys doing here?” I swallow down the lump in my throat at the idea of them being here with someone, with a woman, with them finding pleasure with someone who isn’t me. I know it’s hypocritical, but I can’t help it. Jealousy isn’t always rational. The words come out hard, “Last I heard you were fighting the good fight.”

Colt leans back into the couch he’s sitting on, his ankle coming to rest on his knee casually as he takes up as much room as he can. It’s not entirely his fault considering his broad shoulders. He has a beard now, something he would only grow when he was on leave. At least, that’s how it used to be. I don’t know these guys anymore. Maybe I never did.

Owen’s eyes soften, “We aren’t here with anyone if that’s what you’re asking?”

I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head, “I wasn’t.” I shrug and try to relax my body but fail miserably. “It’s none of my business if you’re here with someone or not, just like it’s none of your business what I do.”

Owen smiles at me like I’m amusing to him. Yeah, it’s time for me to go. Pity I didn’t get the chance to play, but this has been enough entertainment for me tonight. I need to get the hell out of here.

Colt’s eyes roam over my body, “I think it is our business.” He makes a tsking sound, “I doubt Landon would like to know what his little sister gets up to.”

I sneer at him, “What I do is none of his business either. He left; I grew up.” I stand up quickly, barely maintaining my balance, wishing I didn’t wear sky high heels tonight.

I know they can all hear the implication that they left as well. It hangs in the air between us. There was a time, long before the last time I saw them, when I would follow the four of them around like a lost puppy. They didn’t seem to mind it and always helped me keep up and challenged me to do new things. The first time I got across the monkey bars at the park was because they egged me on every time I fell. It was so long ago.

Do not break down under the crushing weight of all that was because it’s only in the past.

I turn, but before I can take a step, Barrett’s deep voice makes me shiver, “We’re back for good, little lamb.”

I don’t look back at them, I can’t. Instead, I walk out of Club Sin, feeling lost and confused the entire way back home. Maybe I should have stayed and shown them just how much I’ve grown up. Maybe I should have played, but I know it would have been awkward. My head, my heart and my body wouldn’t have been into it while knowing they were in the club. I push away the tornado of emotions swirling through me along with the thoughts of them finding a woman to play with, wondering what turns them on and what they like.

When I crawl into bed in my small, studio apartment, naked, I can’t help but wonder if they’d ever play with me. The thought of their calloused hands all over my body, their intense eyes taking me in, is too much to be ignored. I was always a sucker for them. No matter how much I wish it weren’t true.

I pinch my nipples, rolling them between my fingers. I already know I’m soaking wet from our limited interaction, my wet thong which clung to the lips of my pussy as I pushed it down my legs was evidence enough. I slide my hands down my body, wishing it were them touching me. I plunge two fingers inside while I circle my clit. It isn’t much, it isn’t them, but their eyes are all I can imagine as I make myself come far too quickly.

I should have drawn it out. I should have fantasized more.

As my eyes drift closed, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll be able to go back to Club Sin again. Will they be there? What did Barrett mean when he said they were back for good? Can it really be true? Will they stay in the city? Does Landon know? Why did I have to see them tonight? What will tomorrow bring?

CHAPTER 2

BARRETT

I feel dread like I’ve never felt before as I walk into the offices of Sullivan Protection. Seeing Ella last night at Club Sin has made me twitchy. It was the first time going there as members after our applications were approved and the fees were paid. When we scoped out the club weeks before, the three of us knew it was the right place for us. We’d heard about how they cater to multiple men indulging in fantasies with one woman, which is exactly the kind of play Colt, Owen and I like.

I was not expecting to see Ella. Hell, I wasn’t really expecting to see Ella ever again. It’s been a long fucking time and the last ten years has been damn good to her. I noticed her the moment she walked in; I think every man in the lounge did. She was hard as hell to ignore. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, her long legs, the fuck me heels she wore and the delicate garters begging to be snapped against her thighs.

I knew, without even looking at them, Colt and Owen were watching her as well. Her long brown hair with blonde highlights flowed around her shoulders, begging to be pulled. Her ruby red lips needed to be wrapped around a cock, preferably mine or one of my brother’s. Her collarbone screamed to be nipped.

My eyes snapped to Owen when he leaned forward in his chair and muttered, “Fuck.”

Colt looked at me and all I could do was shrug, making him roll his eyes. His tone was detached, “What?”

Owen looked between us and then back at the woman who I could imagine covered in my teeth marks, our teeth marks, devoured. “You don’t recognize her?” When all I did was arch an eyebrow in response, he shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, stealing glances at the woman who made her way to the antique bar which took up one side of the room. His voice was reverent, soft, but also steely, “It’s Ella.”

I stared at the woman, knowing the only Ella I’ve ever known couldn’t possibly be the woman who made it feel like all the oxygen in the room disappeared. There was simply no way. I started to shake my head, but then she turned around as if she knew we were watching her, and her eyes scanned the crowd. When they locked with mine, those clear crystal blue eyes, I knew Owen was right.

Ella Sullivan. The younger sister of our other best friend, the girl who grew up right under our noses. Until we left at least. The younger sister of the man who is also our boss.

Colt’s voice was cold as he muttered, “Fuck. What the fuck is she doing here?”

I couldn’t look away from her. I didn’t want to. She was pulling me in with every breath she took. The recognition in her eyes told me she knew exactly who we were. As her breathing picked up, I knew she was affected by us in delicious ways. If I were closer, I knew I’d be able to taste her desire. I was having the same reaction to her, we all were.

Even halfway around the world, we kept up with her. We knew she wasn’t the girl she was the last time we saw her. When we all served together, Landon kept us up to date and when he left to go back to civilian life, we did it on our own. I knew she was beautiful, I’d seen the pictures, but seeing her in person was something else.

The longer I watched her, we watched her, the more everything disappeared around us. We weren’t in Club Sin. We weren’t lost in the past, where a little girl followed us around and looked at us like her heroes. We weren’t overseas surrounded by fellow soldiers. We sure as fuck weren’t with Landon because if he knew the thoughts in my head about his sister, he wouldn’t hesitate to torture and kill.

A chant started in my head, one I tried to ignore. It was only two words, but the weight of them, the rightness, couldn’t be ignored.

Mine. Ours.

Before I could even register what was happening, Owen was up. “I’m going to bring her over,” he gave me and Colt a pointed look, “so get ready.”

I don’t think anything could’ve prepared us for her coming our way. Not the years of training. Not the years of combat. Not the past and certainly not the present. I felt like a fish out of water for the first time in a long fucking time, probably since we went to boot camp and had to get our shit together to do what we had always planned—serve our country.

I could barely say anything to her, which wasn’t surprising since I’ve always been a man of few words, but hearing her voice stunted me in a way I wasn’t expecting. I wanted her to know, needed her to know, we weren’t going anywhere. I don’t know if she heard the warning in my voice, the truth of me knowing she was it for me, for us, but the way her body shuddered told me her body certainly did.

Today, slinking into the office early, avoiding my brothers in the brownstone we share and, hopefully, Landon, guilt fills me. Guilt and dread. Landon would never forgive us if he knew the dirty as fuck thoughts I had about Ella last night. He would beat my ass and it would be completely justified. If I had a sister, I’d feel the same damn way. I don’t think I do, but I never knew my dad, he left without ever knowing I existed, so I suppose a sister out in the world is possible.

Maybe we can avoid Ella. It’s been easy enough the last ten years. I think we, I, can keep doing it.

How are you going to avoid her when you know she’s yours to take, yours to devour?

I hide in my office, the one I’ve been working out of for the last six months. Six months we’ve been home, free of our obligation to Uncle Sam, and working for Landon. It was always the plan to come home and for him to put us to work. I thought we’d settle into a life and then the woman we’ve been dreaming about, the one we always knew we’d share, would fall into our laps.

Maybe she did.

No. Ella can’t be that woman, our woman. No matter how much my heart already knows it’s true. No matter how much I wish it could be. Landon would have our heads. He would never approve. We’d lose our brother, our jobs, our future.

Would we though? Isn’t Ella already our future? Can’t you just imagine her round with our babies?

I’m about to rip my fucking hair out, the push and pull of my thoughts making it impossible to focus on anything for long. Fuck. We didn’t explore the club last night or play, knowing there wasn’t another woman we could touch or even think about after seeing Ella.

How long has Ella been going to the club? Does she have someone, or more, in her life already? What gets her off?

I clench my fists and almost take out my emotions on my desk. Jealousy and rage boil inside of me at the thought of any other man watching her. Touching her. Sinking into her. Hell no. Her body is mine; ours.

Before I can go completely AWOL, Owen opens the door and walks into my office casually. Colt is right behind him looking at me as if he knows all the things which have been racing through my head since last night, barely letting me sleep.

Owen, the fucker, chirps, “I see you got an early start this morning.”

I arch an eyebrow at him, tossing the pen on my desk which was in my hand more for show than anything else. I haven’t gotten any work done. Not even close. I lean back in my chair and look between two of my brothers, my best friends, the ones who have gotten me out of more scrapes than I care to think about. I have a feeling they’re not going to be the ones to get me out this time; they’re going to be the ones to get me into the shit.

We’re a grenade whose pin has already been pulled. I can feel it.

“I want her. She’s ours.” Colt voice has a finality to it, it’s no nonsense and to the point, as always.

I look at Owen to find him grinning from ear to ear and nodding his head eagerly. I swear his grin grows as he looks between us. “Thank fucking Christ you said it man,” he looks like he’s about to bounce off the walls with excitement.

I shake my head slowly. There is only one thing to say. Only one truth here. “Landon.”

Colt’s eyes slam shut, and the smile slowly drops from Owen’s face. Did they really not realize? Did they think Landon would be okay with this, with us defiling his baby sister the way I know we want to? Thinking about stretching her out on a bed before us, restraining her for us to feast upon, makes my cock throb behind my zipper.

I try not to fidget in my chair, but I know I fail when Owen smirks and teases, “Got a little problem there, Bar?”

I smirk right back, “Not so little.”

Owen barks out a laugh even though we both know I’m not joking. I flip him off for good measure, but he only rolls his eyes before waving me off. I know he’s about to open his mouth and say something stupid. I just know it.

Colt’s voice has an edge of something in it I’ve never heard before, something like regret and a little pain. “Then we stay away from her.”

My heart sinks at the thought, but I know there isn’t another option. Not when it comes to us. Not when it comes to her.

Before we can agree or make a pact or whatever little boy bullshit Owen would probably try and talk us into, Landon opens the door, looking down at a folder in his hands. There’s a collective intake of breath from the three of us fueled by panic at the idea he could have heard any of our conversation.

“Barrett,” he looks up and notices all of us in my office. A tight-lipped smile stretches across his face, he’s a serious dude, but he can still smile. This one doesn’t reach his eyes and panic fills me. Does he already know? He heaves a sigh of relief, “Good you’re all here.” Owen, Colt, and I share a look, but give nothing away. Landon flicks the folder onto my desk in front of me and nods at it before crossing his arms and planting his feet. “I need to talk to you about a threat I got this morning.”

It might be horrible, but I feel like the balloon of worry which was growing inside me pops and deflates. He doesn’t know anything about us seeing Ella last night. If I feel this amount of relief just thinking he might know something, staying away from her is the right call.

So why does my heart ache at the thought?

“What kind of threat?” It’s Colt who asks the question, his voice ice cold, not giving a damn thing away. No relief. No secrets. It’s times like these I’m grateful people don’t expect me to talk much.

Landon rubs his hand down his face, “I’m not sure who yet, even though I have my suspicions. The thing which has me calling you guys into this is they specifically talk about Ella, by name.”

I snap open the folder immediately to look. I can feel the rage coming off my brothers at the mention of anyone threatening Ella. No fucking way.

You took everything away from me that mattered. I know my life isn’t the only one you’ve ruined. You’ll pay for it, Sullivan. You have no idea the pain I can cause you. Little Ella is quite a piece of ass. I would love to make all her fantasies come true. She’ll be calling my name in pain and pleasure while you’re still wondering who I am.

My blood boils. There is no way some sick fuck is going to get their hands on my Ella. Our Ella. I pass the folder off and watch as emotions flash across Colt’s face before he shuts them back behind his icy façade. When he hands it off to Owen, I know the moment they have the same realization I did. Whoever this is knows Ella goes to Club Sin. The talk of fantasies. The pleasure and pain.

Owen drops is good guy bullshit, his voice low and calm, too calm, “What do you need us to do, Landon? There’s no way this guy’s getting his hands on,” he pauses for a fraction of a second, but I notice and when my eyes snap to his, I know he wants to call her ours, “Ella.”

Landon looks each one of us in the eye, “I need you three to watch her, 24/7. I think it would be best to plant someone in her apartment and for her to stay somewhere else. I want her watched at work and anywhere else she goes.” He finally walks over and slumps into the last empty chair. “She won’t let me do it. She hates when I get involved in her life beyond surface shit, but she might not fight you guys. She knows you already, better than the other guys here.”

Well fuck. The only place I know she’ll be safe, without a doubt, will be at our brownstone. How the hell are we going to avoid her, avoid making her ours when we are going to be protecting her? I know Landon will work the other side of things. I can only hope this never touches her, but I’ll be damned if we let her be in danger.

A quick glance at Owen and Colt tells me they’re right there with me. Now, we just need to keep our hands…and everything else to ourselves.

CHAPTER 3

COLT

Well, isn’t this just a big pile of shit I now have to deal with. Sitting around the conference room table going over the plans to make sure Ella stays safe while figuring out who sent the fucking letter right to the front desk of Sullivan Protection is fucking hell. Of course, whoever it was didn’t deliver it directly to the reception desk where Piper works; that would have been too easy on us. He used a courier which is already being run down.

The only thing stopping me from storming out of this room and going to Ella is the knowledge Barrett is already watching her workplace and will tail her when she leaves. I don’t know how the fuck we’re going to convince her to come stay at our place, to take the only room left open, the one we designed for her, even if we didn’t know it at the time. The room we always knew we’d share with the woman meant for us.

How the hell could we know it would be Ella who would have that rightful place in our home, in our lives? How fucked are we now because Landon will never be okay with it? I’ve known the man most of my life, grew up with him right along Barrett and Owen and I know he will never let us have her.

The ache in my heart at knowing she can never be ours grows with every breath I take.

I push it away, lock it up and try to ignore it because the first priority, the only priority, is keeping Ella safe. When I look up and lock eyes with Owen, I can see the same pain there that I feel deep in my soul. He knows just as much as I do the truth in this situation.

She’s mine. She’s ours.

I know it, but it doesn’t mean we can really have her.

I focus back on the meeting, going over possible origins of the threat and how the rest of the team, consisting of Hale, Weston, his twin Easton, Blaze and Remington, will be working the case. It’s an all-hands-on deck situation. Not only because they threatened Ella, but because they threatened Landon and did it in our own fucking house.

None of us are going to let it stand. Icey rage fills me. I knew we’d deal with sick fucks, murderers, criminals, people who do bad things because they are soulless and unremorseful. I’ve been dealing with men like this for years, having spent almost 17 years fighting for this country. Seeing it on my home turf, seeing the lives I fought for plagued by demons in their own backyard is a hard pill to swallow.

Landon stands and stretches, his back popping, “I think we’ve gone over all we can right now.” He looks at his watch and then between Owen and me, “Ella should be home from work by now. I don’t know what she gets up to in the evening, but I would recommend approaching her as soon as possible.” He shakes his head a small smile on his face, no doubt considering the stubborn nature of his sister. He has no idea I saw it first-hand last night. “It’ll probably take some convincing.”

I force myself not to look at Owen because we do, in fact, have an idea of what she gets up to in the evening. The thought of any man other than me or my two brothers touching her sends my rage into absolute zero territory. Dangerous. Seething. The only thing which dampens it are the possibilities of how we can convince her to go with us, to live with us. Landon would cut off my balls if he knew the thoughts going through my head.

Ella bound, but never gagged because I want to hear her pants, pleas, her moans, and the sharp exhale of her finding pleasure at our mercy. Ella’s naked flesh on display for us, only for us from now on; I’ll lay down my own fucking life before I let another man touch what is ours. If having Ella costs me one of my oldest friends, I think I would accept it.

Maybe she’ll be worth it. Maybe she’ll end the suffering inside me, warm me from the inside out and help to bring light to my shadows.

The demons inside me run deep, strong little fuckers. Barrett and I have similar darkness in the corners of us, having grown up in broken homes where abuse was not only normal, but expected. It was what banded us together while Owen gave us levity and understanding. Landon gave us something we never had before: a home, a haven. Throwing it away now would be a shame, but…Ella. I can’t deny she offers something even greater than the memory of a home; she gives us the possibility of one. Forever.

Before the rest of us can stand, Piper sticks her head into the room, and I notice the way she doesn’t look at Landon. I’ve been watching their little interactions since we came to work at Sullivan Protection six months ago. It’s something not yet formed, broken and tattered, but I have a feeling if they nurtured it, it would grow. It would be strong.

I glance at Owen, my thoughts filled with the idea of a connection tethering Ella to us. It’s hard to find hope in the recesses of my heart, but there is a glimmer there. I clench my jaw, trying to snuff it out, eliminate it before it makes this even harder on me, on us, but still, it persists.

Fuck.

Piper’s voice is gentle and light, “I wanted to see if there was anything you need before I head out? Drinks? Need me to call in a food order?”

Landon’s jaw ticks, but he doesn’t turn toward her. I can see it is only through sheer force of will that he doesn’t.

Hale’s cold voice, one which reminds me of my own, is the one to answer her, “No. We’re just wrapping up.”

I can feel Remington’s censure even while he keeps his voice light, “Thank you, Piper, for asking. Have a good night.”

I look up to see her nodding and then slipping back through the door as if she were never there in the first place. Only then, when the door closes with a soft click, does Landon turn and look toward it even though it is devoid of what, who, he wants to see.

I stand up and head to my office, shutting a few things down before I head down the hallway. Owen’s door is wide open. For a moment, when he doesn’t realize I’m there, I can see how much this is hurting him, how much he wants to make Ella ours. It’s written all over his face, the ache, the longing. When he looks up and sees me, he shuffles those emotions behind a smile and his normal, easy-going demeanor.

“You ready to head out?” There’s a fake cheeriness to his voice. One which makes me wince internally.

I don’t, can’t, call him out on it. “Yes,” my tone is the same as it always is, cold, detached. Almost.

He arches an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment as we head out, the ride home quiet. I don’t think I can handle the way he sometimes bounces off the walls or the excitement which filled the car this morning while we were heading into work after finding Barrett long gone. He was over the moon at the prospect of Ella being the woman for us.

I wanted to be excited, but there was something fighting me on it. It took Barrett one word to bring it into stark focus. Landon.

Barret, Colt, and I knew we wanted to share a woman for a long time. It started as kind of a joke in our teenage years but grew into so much more as we got older. It became the one beacon of light for me, for the three of us, when times were bleak. We need each other, having formed a bond beyond friendship and brotherhood.

The first time we shared a woman between us, even as we floundered and tried to get our footing, it felt like we were on the right path. When we tried to date separately afterwards, it wasn’t the same. The more time we had to think about it, dream about it, we knew, eventually, there would be only one woman for us.

Someone to understand us. Someone to care for us. Someone who would sacrifice themselves at our feet to feed our hunger, letting us devour her in exchange for pleasure and love beyond what they thought possible. It’s the only thing which has allowed me to keep a grip on my humanity for so long, the only thing keeping me going forward.

If we can’t have Ella, with the knowledge she’s the one, how will I keep that sliver of empathy and morality I’ve fought so hard for?

I force Owen to make one stop on the way home and I’m mortified by the homecoming dance vibe of my thoughts. I want there to be flowers at home waiting for her. It might be ridiculous, or sentimental, but I don’t care.

The Briar Patch is a quaint flower shop where I’ve gotten a few plants before taking them home and promptly killing them. It’s the one thing I try to do to bring a little life into my existence. Briar, the owner, is sweet and demure. She never makes me feel badly for killing the plants she sells me.

When I walk in this time, my steps are light with the thoughts of seeing Ella again and heavy with the knowledge I can’t really have her. Briar’s head rises from the arrangement she’s fussing over on the counter, her smile bright. She looks like she belongs amongst the flowers she treats with such care.

“Hi, Colt.” Her tone is teasing when she asks, “Have you come for another victim?”

I purse my lips and try to let some of my exterior melt, but it’s not easy. She laughs anyway, my frigid nature not getting to her. Why the hell are my palms sweating? I should have better control of myself than this.

I shake my head, “No. I’m here for some flowers?” Why the fuck did that come out like a question? Briar raises an eyebrow as if she’s wondering the same thing. I shake my head and clear my throat, my words surer this time, “I’m here for some flowers.”

Briar’s eyes light up and she wiggles her eyebrows at me, “Got a hot date?”

I barely keep my face neutral because Ella may be a lot of things, hot is definitely one of them, but she’s not my date. Also, I have a feeling she’s not going to be happy when we tell her she’ll be coming with us for a little while. Briar is nice and all, but I certainly don’t want to get into anything with her about Ella, who she is, what I wish I could have or why she needs protection.

“Something like that.”

She makes a humming sound and studies me and I want to squirm under her scrutiny. Will she see right through me? It makes me wonder if Landon will be able to if he chose to look a little deeper. Damn it. I shouldn’t have stopped in here. This is stupid.

Briar tilts her head to the side, “What kind?”

“I don’t,” I look around the shop and stumble over my words to my utter fucking shame. I keep it simple when I take a breath and try again, “Just something nice.”

Briar moves at a damn snail’s pace as she gets the bouquet together, but it’s beautiful when she’s done. With a wave, Briar sends me off while teasing me about them wilting eventually. Climbing back in the car, Owen shoots me a look which speaks volumes, but he doesn’t give me any shit. Which is a good idea on his part.

When Owen and I get to the brownstone the three of us share, I’m thankful we aren’t fucking pigs or frat boys who can’t clean up after ourselves. We’ve lived a life of order for a long time and being out of the military hasn’t dulled what was drilled into us. Looking around as we tidy up a few things, I realize how sparse and empty our place is. Being home only six months has nothing to do with it.

The thought of Ella in our space leaves me feeling a spark of hope again. Maybe she can turn this place into a home. Should I let myself think such things?

Owen saunters back into the living room where I’m fluffing the one pillow on the couch. What the fuck am I doing? The grin on Owen’s face tells me he totally caught me and my vague Martha Stewart impulse. Fuck.

“I can’t wait to get her home,” Owen’s voice is bordering on giddy. I almost hate to squash it, but I can’t have his hope mixing with mine and making some sort of tornado which will rip through our lives and leave us destitute when it all goes to shit.

“This isn’t her home.” There’s finality to my words even though I know they’re a lie.

Owen’s eyes challenge me to believe my own drivel. “It will be.” I narrow my eyes at him, but before I can say anything his arms cross, and his stance widens. “You can try and deny it, both you and Barrett, but you’re the same guy who said she’s ours.”

“Landon,” I deliver the only death blow needed in this conversation.

Owen stands defiant in my argument, as lackluster as it is. He shakes his head, “She’s worth it. I know it. She’s ours, man. Landon will get over it because, in the end, he’ll know we’ll take care of Ella and give her everything she’ll ever need. We’ll love her Colt.” His voice drops to a whisper, “I already do.”

My heart thumps in my chest knowing the truth in his words and the resounding answering love within my own soul for her. I didn’t think knowing, loving, wanting would hit me like a ton of bricks, not with how detached I can feel from this life most of the time, but then Ella turned around and I looked into her crystal blue eyes last night. I found myself falling.

Before I can refute his words, my phone rings. I pull it out to find Barrett calling us and don’t hesitate to put it on speaker.

“Evans,” I bark out.

Barrett’s voice is dripping with anger, “She’s at the club.”

Owen’s mouth opens, I’m sure to ask him how the fuck he let her go to Club Sin or ask what she’s wearing or any other asinine thing, but the line goes dead before he can. Before I can.

I look at Owen for a second before we’re both moving toward the door and out into the night. Since Barrett’s already in his SUV, we walk a few blocks until we’re able to hail a cab and head to Brooklyn. My hands are itching to spank Ella’s ass, making it pink before giving into the ache in my gums which beg me to bite down on the fleshy round globe.

The moment we’re outside the warehouse which houses Club Sin, Barrett is next to us, practically salivating. His eyes are wide and wild as he looks between us and then the door. It doesn’t take long to get inside, but it feels like a lifetime.

The moment we enter the lounge, my eyes find her immediately at the bar, in much the same position as she was the night before. Her legs and perfect ass are clad in leather pants.

Leather. Fucking. Pants.

My cock takes notice and I’m sure mine is not the only one, not even counting Owen and Barrett’s. She’s wearing a black bustier and pearls around her neck with her hair pulled up, showing off the column of her neck. I swear it’s begging for my teeth.

I don’t look at the guys before moving toward her. I’m filled with rage at her being on display to the other men in the room. I don’t stomp to close the distance, but move with the lithe grace of a predator, one who has found his prey. Her.

Seeing her again only makes me surer. She’s mine. She’s ours.

I’m almost upon her when she turns her blue eyes to me, so clear, so strong, so true. They narrow for a fraction of a second before she masks her emotions, hides them away from me, making the ache and the emptiness inside me throb.

She perches on a barstool, crossing her legs and almost making me groan, but I swallow it down. Her voice is light, conversational, but there is a frigid quality within it, “Why hello, boys.”

I lean into her personal space and whisper in her ear, “We need to talk to you.”

It’s a demand and nowhere close to a request. My hands itch to grab her. The muscles of my arms ache from me holding them tight to stop me from reaching for her even as my body demands it.

She smirks before she juts her chin defiantly, her eyebrow arching in punctuation, “The only way I’ll be talking to you tonight is if you take me into a room.”

CHAPTER 4

ELLA

Holy shit. Did I really tell Colt fucking Evans I wasn’t going to talk to him unless he takes me into a room at Club Sin? A room designed for people to play out their most intimate and kinkiest fantasies? A room where anything can happen, hindered only by the bounds of consent and your imagination?

I don’t think I’ve ever been so bold in my life. I don’t know what it is about the way Colt’s blue eyes, the dark quality of them making them look almost navy, bored into mine as he walked in flanked by Owen and Barrett, but I feel the need to submit to him, to them. Still, I know I can’t let them get under my skin and make me run with my tail tucked between my legs. I won’t submit to someone without them earning the right to it. I can’t do it.

They haven’t earned shit.

They show up at a place I’ve been a member for over a year and then make me run from it? A place where I feel like I can almost touch, almost taste, the satisfaction I crave? No. I won’t let it happen. I won’t be chased away from here.

From the look in their eyes, I don’t think they told Landon about where they found me last night, if they told him anything at all. I thought for sure I would see guilt or even remorse in their eyes because Landon has been calling me all damn day. I figured he wanted to talk to me about my membership at Club Sin, the men in front of me having spilled the news of my evening adventures, which is why I never picked up the call.

It’s not like Landon and I are best friends and siblings. How could we be? He spent so long away, years where I grew up and he became a phantom, a ghost, a memory of a time before, of a time when he was actually in my life.

If Landon knows and has a problem with my behavior, my choices, then he can simply shove it up his own ass. I’m not a little girl and I’m not naïve. I might not know exactly what I want, what it is which unlocks the innermost part of me, but at the club I feel like I’m getting closer to it every time I’m here.

Colt’s eyes slam closed as he leans back from my neck. The feeling of his breath fanning across my skin almost forces my body to be overtaken by a shiver in response. When I look at Barrett, there’s a glint in his green eyes, the gold flecks brightening in recognition. He knows the effect Colt has on my body.

Maybe he knows what my body is seeking. Maybe they all do.

No. It doesn’t matter. They are untouchable, untraceable, so fucking far away from my grasp. It doesn’t matter how much my heart wants them, my body getting in on the same parade. I tossed and turned last night in my sleep, their eyes haunting my dreams before they gave me pleasure I couldn’t name or identify, but felt in the deepest, primal, parts of me. I’ve felt like a zombie all day because of it.

I came out tonight because I needed something. Anything. I was afraid I wasn’t going to find it, but then Barrett, Colt and Owen walked in. I knew the moment they did even if I didn’t acknowledge it right away. They’re dressed casually today in jeans and t-shirts, but no less imposing than they were in slacks and button-ups last night. The way the fabric stretches across their muscles, three chests which beg to be explored, makes me want to clench my thighs together. I don’t want to let them know what they do to me, not yet, so I stop myself.

Owen almost whines, “Seriously, Ella, it’s important.”

“I don’t think it is and I don’t care. I came here for a reason tonight.” Colt’s jaw clenches and a vein is bulging out of Barrett’s neck while Owen looks pained. “I’m not going to let the three of you ruin another night,” I sneer the words. I don’t give a fuck. Which is a lie. I do, but I just need…something. “If I had any idea the three of you were home, for God knows how long, then maybe you’d have a way to contact me outside of these walls and speak to me about things which are not club related at a more convenient time.”

I start to turn, but Barrett’s hand shoots out and grabs my arm, it’s surprisingly gentle, especially when I see a deep hunger in his green depths which rivals my own. His voice is a low rasp, “We know what room is right for us,” he searches my eyes, “do you?”

I give a nonchalant shrug, “Surprise me.”

The men share a look, one I know has been honed from almost a lifetime together, it speaks without words, only recognition and synchronicity. Owen looks giddy, bouncing up and down on his toes before Colt sends him a look of censure. If they think I’m going to do anything other than entice them once they get me into a room, they have no idea how much my desire for them fills me now that I know I’m going to get my way.

Barrett leans into me this time, whispering across the shell of my ear, “Well, come on then, little lamb.” He nips at my earlobe causing me to let out a gasp.

When he pulls back from me, the smirk on his face almost makes my knees give out from underneath me when I stand from the stool. The way the dark images of his tattoos wrap around the thick muscles of his arms try to hypnotize me. I straighten my spine, there’s no way I’m letting them think I’m weak. If they do, it will get in the way of this happening. The building would have to be burning for me to not make the most of this, whatever it is.

They herd me to the door which leads to the back of Club Sin. It opens to a long hallway and the rooms which take up most of the warehouse space. It’s a hallway of options, fantasies, laid out before you. It’s a path of debauchery; one I’ve walked before, but never like this. I can feel the men behind me in formation, as if protecting me, shielding me. It makes the need inside me flare, becoming hotter with every step we take.

I barely give the sentry at the door a glance, but, like every other time, he asks, “You good?”

“Yes,” it comes out like a purr, but I know it’s enough.

Club Sin is big on consent and safe play, something I have always been grateful for. Before you’re in a scene, no means no and coercion have no place here. I’m far from fucking coerced; maybe the opposite is true.

As the door opens, a hand lands on the small of my back, guiding me forward. I don’t have to look to know it is Colt’s, though I have no idea how I know it. I just do. We haven’t traveled far when his fingers tense. I stop walking, somehow understanding his silent command.

Barrett pushes the door to Room Three open, a room I’ve never been in before, Owen walking through right after him. Before I have the chance, Colt leans into me and whispers against my neck, “What a good little lamb.”

He nips at my shoulder causing a moan to escape before I can process the sensation of his teeth against my flesh. I can feel his lips curve into a smirk before he chuckles, possessive, dark, tendrils of sound and temptation.

He increases the pressure on my lower back and my legs start moving into the room on their own, under his command. When I walk in, I take in the lush purple tufted furniture designed for pleasure, the heavy bedframe which takes up most of the room, the cases where toys and restraints can be found. The bed is similar to others I have seen, heavy and domineering in the space, already equipped with binding someone, trapping them willingly, holding them in place.

This might not be the first room I’ve been in, but there is something different, new, in the air. It’s a charge, a need right on the edge of frenzy, which surrounds us. I try to focus on my breathing as Colt leads me directly to the bed, but it’s difficult and I’m damn close to panting when we come to the edge. His hands burn my skin when he grips my shoulders and turns me to him.

“You have no idea what you’re asking for, Ella,” Colt’s eyes hold mine, his words and tone meant to be threatening.

I feel a lot of things but threatened is not one of them. My nipples harden, rubbing against the fabric of the bustier I’m wearing, begging to be set free, for them to be feasted upon. My skin feels like it’s too small on my body, like it could come undone and show the weakest parts of me, the parts no one wants to see. Somehow, I feel like I can trust them with those pieces, like they’ll protect them.

I square my shoulders, clasping my hands behind my back and lowering my head slightly, just enough. My voice is innocent, “No?”

When I hear a sharp intake of breath, my eyes slide to the side, allowing me to see a little bit of Barrett. I hide my smile because I must to get what I want. I know it. They do too.

Owen’s voice is deeper than it normally is, the jovial tone usually found in it swallowed up by desire, “We brought you in here to talk.”

I turn slightly and bite my lip before looking up at him from under my lashes. I keep my voice low, a whisper, a hint, “These rooms aren’t usually known for talking.”

Barrett’s fists clench at his sides and I can feel the jealousy, the rage, coming off Colt. I reach behind my back and deftly unhook my bustier. I swear my fingers have never moved as nimbly or quickly in my life. Normally I fumble and end up looking like a baby deer in the dark, all awkward limbs and stumbled movements.

They have plenty of time to stop me, but they don’t. I know the moment I bare myself to them the spell I’ve woven will be broken and they could reject me, but I have to show them exactly what I’m offering. Myself.

I let my top drop and a collective breath whoosh out of them. The men who my heart have claimed, even though I’m afraid to admit it. I square my shoulders and allow myself to meet their gazes. One blue. One green. One brown. They are all looking at me like apex predators, focused, feral.

Colt is the first to step forward, his body so close he almost brushes against my arm, but not close enough. His voice is cold, measured, sure, the way it always is, but there’s a warmth underneath it I’ve never heard before, “What do you know of the other rooms, little lamb?”

My head snaps to his and I can’t help but smirk at his question. His eyes flash with something possessive. “I’ve watched,” my voice is defiant. I’m not the little girl they once knew. Not anymore. They almost look relieved. My smirk widens. “I’ve been watched.”

Barrett steps into me and my nipples harden even more than they did when exposed to the cooler temperature of the room, as if they weren’t hard as diamonds the moment I saw my men again tonight. I desperately want to feel the push of his body, his skin, against my own. I want him exposed to me so I can explore the tattoos I see, the ones I remember from ten years ago and the ones I have yet to memorize.

“Have you been,” his voice is gravel, and he swallows hard before he grits out the last word, “touched?”

I pull my shoulders back, my hands going behind my back before my fingers lace together. My nipples graze Barrett’s chest and his eyes hood before lazily gliding down my neck and to my tits. When they snap up to mine, I answer truthfully, defiantly. “Yes.”

Owen steps to my other side and I’m cocooned completely in their warmth, their scents, masculine and heady. The ownership in Owen’s voice is completely disarming. I know if I could look at him, he wouldn’t be smiling, but I can’t tear my eyes from Barrett’s. “Have you been spanked? Tied up? Blindfolded? Anal?” He leans closer, his lips ghosting along my shoulder. “Denied? Taken by more than one man?”

I shudder and lick my lips. “Yes,” I take a deep breath and admit, on a whisper, “except I’ve never played with more than one man.” I close my eyes, not wanting them to see. “I couldn’t.”

Owen’s chuckle is deep, knowing, a chasm I could easily fall into. “That’s good, Ella because we’re the only men who will be doing anything involving your body and pleasure from now on. You’re ours.” A moan slips from my lips at the promise in his voice. It’s almost too much to hope his words are true. I try and build a wall around my heart to keep them out, to keep me sane. It’s obliterated when he nips at my earlobe and whispers, “Tell me this, our little lamb, have you been bitten?”

I gasp and my eyes snap open, meeting Barrett’s green gaze again instantly, as awareness skates across my skin. There’s something in me which wants to run, but I know they’d give chase. I want to be caught. I let out a shaky breath, “N-no, I haven’t.”

I look between the faces of my men, who I can only hope to keep. Their grins become wide, glinting, and I find I can’t tear my eyes away from their teeth. I can almost feel the way they’ll sink into my skin, leaving their impressions to tell a tale for days afterward.

Colt breathes out, “Good.”

Barrett reaches back and pulls his t-shirt over his head, shooting me a wink which is so out of character I almost think this could be a dream. The way Owen’s hand slides up my arm tells me it isn’t. This is very real.

CHAPTER 5

OWEN

Having Ella in front of us, the way she presented her body, was something we were never going to be strong enough to turn away. If we did, I know we would see hurt, rejection, in her eyes. We might be hardened soldiers, trained to withstand things most people can’t fathom, but hurting her would be something I could never live with. None of us could.

I didn’t need to get the okay from Barrett and Colt for what I said about her being ours. I can feel their acceptance of her, their need for her. It licks across my skin the same way hers does. Right now, it’s warring with the territorial need for us to track down any other man who has seen our little lamb like she is right now, but we can’t do that. No matter how much the beasts inside us demand it.

It’s not like we were ever monks, but the beasts are irrational, using instinct instead. After tonight she won’t be able to look at another man and she sure as hell won’t want one. She’ll be ours, claimed, marked, and tied. Forever.

Her skin is so damn soft under my fingertips. Colt’s hand starts at her shoulder and runs down to her fingers, then back up, mirroring me. Ella’s gaze shifts between us, hopeful, waiting, wanting. When Barrett reaches up and cups her perfect tits in his hands, his thumbs flicking against her hardened nipples, both Colt and I pull our t-shirts off. I’m not going to wait. I go ahead and strip down to my boxers.

This is happening and short of a bomb going off, I’m not stopping. Colt gives me a cold look at my eagerness before rolling his eyes and doing the same. I grasp Ella’s shoulders and turn her so she’s looking at me, her crystalline eyes darken as she appraises me. My fingertips start at her belly button and glide up her body, between her breasts and to the hollow of her throat. Barrett takes the opportunity to shuck the rest of his clothes, not bothering to stop at the boxers.

Eager fucker.

Colt’s hands come around her and start massaging her breasts and teasing her nipples. My hand grips the topknot in her hair, pulling back to make her arch her neck for me. For us.

I want to make sure; I have to. Her eyes boor into mine, pleading, needy. “You want this, Ella? You want us?”

“Yes, please,” her words come out as a whimper, soft and yielding. Fucking perfect.

I slam my lips down on hers, kissing her with passion, with forever, and she becomes pliant below me instantly. We’re all big guys, between 6’2” and 6’4”, even though Ella is around 5’5”, she fits between us perfectly. She’s soft curves and gentle swells. I want to taste each one, leaving behind evidence to my claim.

She moans into my mouth as I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her hips against mine so she can feel how much I want her. My cock throbs between us, begging to be released. I rip my lips from hers so we can both breathe, our eyes locking as we pant together in time, in synch.

Barrett drops to his haunches next to us, and I tear my eyes from hers to watch his movements. His fingers are thick but deft as he grips the top of the leather pants Ella’s wearing and pulls them slowly down her legs. Colt mutters a curse which tells me he’s noticed the same thing I have, and I barely bight back a groan as my eyes lift back to hers.

Colt nips her shoulder, “Naughty little lamb. No panties.”

It’s not a question and Ella’s eyes never leave mine as she answers anyway. “I didn’t see the point.”

Colt spins her and I let go of the grip I have on her hair when he does. My eyes immediately go to the round globes of her ass. Fucking perfect. I want to grab them, knead them, but instead I glide my hands up and down her back, barely skimming her skin.

Colt kisses her hard, demanding, his tongue battling with hers before she gives in, her shoulders dropping slightly, giving herself over to us completely, trusting us. He murmurs against her lips, leaving no room to be disobeyed in his tone, “Get on the bed, Ella, lay on your back.”

Barrett helps her out of her heels and pulls her pants off her ankles one by one before he stands. He hauls her against him before she can follow Colt’s command. His mouth plunders hers, stealing, taking. I have no doubt she can feel his cock pressed against her abdomen when she lets out a low moan and she rocks against him.

When Barrett releases her, she doesn’t hesitate to crawl on the bed, all our focuses centered on her body as she does, watching each movement, getting a peek at the glistening lips of her pussy. Fuck. I want to fuck her from behind, my hands gripping her hips, my body draped over her back and my teeth biting the nape of her neck, holding her in place, reminding her who owns her.

I lose my boxers and stroke my cock right before she flips onto her back, her arms reaching above her head and her back arching, presenting her body to us, presenting all of herself to us. I walk around the bed, sliding next to her on my side. She brings her arm down and wraps it around my shoulders, pulling me to her before she kisses me hard.

With a yelp of surprise, she pulls away from me before her head snaps to Barrett on the other side of her, his teeth gripping the slope of her breast in his teeth. I watch those blue eyes of hers melt into deep liquid pools of desire. Her reaction settles something in me.

She wants this. She likes this. She needs this.

As she lets out a high, needy moan, her eyes go to Colt who has positioned himself between her legs, leaving kisses and bites along the inside of her thighs. Her breathing gets deeper like she’s trying to calm her racing heart and fight her natural reaction to being surrounded by predators. That’s what we are to her now because she understands what we want. She wants it too.

Ella licks her lips but doesn’t tell us to stop. Her fingers flex on my back, her nails digging into my skin, leaving her own mark on me. I welcome it.

I kiss along her jaw before biting her neck, hard, but not nearly as hard as she’s going to feel before we’re done with her. The indentations in her skin will fade before we’ve even made her come. Her entire body relaxes, sinking into the bed as she arches to expose her neck and push her tits up for Barrett.

We continue to explore her body with our mouths, our teeth, leaving bites behind, some teasing nips, some harder, but never breaking the skin. The sounds which come out of her with each one, the moans, the groans, the pleas, almost make me come without even touching my cock.

Barrett travels from the underside of her breast up her chest and neck to her ear. His voice is hungry, “You like our marks all over your body, little lamb?”

“Yes,” her entire body tenses, holding, suspended, before shuddering and releasing.

I look down her body to find Colt biting her hips as his hands grip her thighs. I have to know, “Did you even get a taste?”

Colt smirks. “Nope,” he pops the p as his hands start gliding over her body, bringing her down from her orgasm slowly. “So responsive,” there’s a reverence in his tone I’ve never heard before. He looks up at me and then Barrett who is kissing up and down her neck, softly, gently. “I’m taking her ass.”

Ella’s eyes are wide, but not with fear, as she looks down at Colt. She bites her lip and nods. She looks between Barrett and I, a little panic folded into the look telling me she doesn’t want to choose, she’s scared to. I give her a small smile when her gaze comes back to mine, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“Barrett’s going to fuck your sweet pussy, little lamb.” I kiss her chastely and murmur against her lips, “Our pussy.”

I kiss her deeply, wanting her to know I’m yielding not because I don’t want to slide my cock into her tight heat, but because we’ll have all the time in the world for me to sink into her. As I pull back, she lets out a shaky breath, her blue depths, so light and crystal clear, search mine as if looking for the lie, the jealousy, the resentment. She won’t find any because in my heart there is no room for it, not when she’s already taken up all the empty spaces, brushing the cobwebs from the corners. She licks her lips and nods slowly, but there are still questions in her eyes.

I nod and kiss her forehead, “I’m sure.”

“O-okay,” she breathes the broken word out and her eyes glaze over.

When I look down, I know why. Colt’s face is buried between her thighs. I wonder what she tastes like, but I know I’ll get the chance to find out later. I roll away, but not before winking at her, giving her reassurance. I’m not going anywhere. I saunter around to my pants, grabbing a few condoms from my pocket, glad I thought of grabbing them when Colt and I went to our place.

Ella watches my every move, even though I can tell it’s hard for her to concentrate with Colt eating her out and Barrett playing with her hardened nipples. She shakes her head slowly, her voice breathy, “I have the implant.” Her eyes slide closed and her back arches, her body and mind almost completely lost to the pleasure coursing through her. “I trust you.”

I share a look with Barrett before Colt gives one more swipe of his tongue and backs off her wet slit, meeting my eyes. I know what they’re thinking and toss the condoms back to the floor. Yeah, if we have the green light there is no way we’re going to allow any barrier between us. One of the rules, one which the club takes as seriously as consent, is a being STD free. Not like we’d ever do anything to put our girl in danger. Fucking never.

I go to the cabinets to find some lube, but it takes me longer than I want since I’m not familiar with where everything is. I hate not having my eyes on our woman, especially with the sounds she’s making. It’s hot as fuck and my cock is begging me for some relief. When I find what I’m looking for, I meet Colt’s eyes and give a nod before tossing it his way. His hand shoots out and grabs it before he smirks. He might be a cold bastard most of the time, but even I can see the excitement in his eyes at the prospect of the three of us taking Ella for the first time.

The first time of many. Of a lifetime.

Barrett lays flat on his back before reaching over and gripping Ella’s hips to haul her over him. The surprised yip she lets out turns into a moan as his cock nestles between her folds. She starts rocking back and forth, throwing her head back, her tits like a gift for me to feast upon. Her eyelids are hooded as she looks down at Barret. As her fingertips glide over his chest, they run along the edges of his tattoos, exploring. Her nails rake down his chest when his hands clamp down on her hips.

When her eyes look down at where the flared head of his cock presses against his navel, her eyes widen. She glances at me and down at my cock, large, pulsing, hungry and angry looking. I can’t help but wrap my hand around it and stroke it for her, wanting her to see. Looking over her shoulder, she takes in Colt who is up on his knees, his cock curving upward. She raises up and looks down at Barrett’s cock before her eyes become wide and wild.

Colt chuckles darkly, “Yeah, little lamb, we’re about to tear you apart.” She settles back down, rubbing herself against Barrett’s length, moaning and shivering. Colt presses his chest against her back, grounding her and kissing along her shoulder before biting down. “We’ll put you back together again, Ella.”

Ella’s head falls back against Colt as she moans, “I know. I,” she pauses and shakes her head, I can practically see the words she almost lets slip out, “I trust you.”

Colt nips at her skin again, it’s an admonishment of her not saying what is really on her mind. I can feel it. It wraps around us, the depth of her real feelings. Trust is important, essential, especially with us who are bonded by something greater than blood and stronger than history, but what is weaving around us is tenuous. Love. It’s love and I feel it as strongly as she does; I know Colt and Barrett feel it as well.

Barrett lets go of one of her hips, Colt’s hand taking its place immediately. Together they lift her slightly as Barrett grips his cock and positions it below Ella’s glistening pussy. They start to lower her down his length, slowly. My cock throbs when Ella’s eyes meet mine, pulling me in, not allowing me to be left out.

I approach her, standing next to the bed, my hands molding to her breasts, squeezing, playing, twisting, and pinching the hardened buds. When she’s fully seated on Barrett’s cock, she starts to rock her hips slightly like she can’t stay still. Barrett grunts, his eyes fixated on our woman, our little lamb, whose eyes slowly slide closed, her back arched in pleasure.

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Flushed. Wanting. Marked. I want to see her like this always, between us, shared and glowing from the attention, from the pleasure, from the love.

CHAPTER 6

OWEN

Barrett and Colt work together, slowly at first and then gaining speed, using their grip on her to control her movements as she rides Barrett. I lean forward and start nipping the sensitive, heated flesh of our woman. I can almost feel the ache of her nipples, the need she has for me to wrap my lips around them before biting down. I’ll give it to her but not yet.

When her lithe fingers wrap around my length, I grit my teeth to stop from coming on the spot. Now is not the time. Not yet. I’m not going to blow my load until her sweet lips are wrapped around me. I know she’ll swallow every single drop.

Ella’s movements stutter and I look over to see Colt working a second finger into her ass. Barrett helps her keep a rhythm, both of his hands back on Ella’s hips, but it’s slow and languid now, gentle and probing. I can see the flames flickering in his green eyes, the same ones I feel against my skin from being this close to her. I start marking her chest, her shoulders, her neck with my teeth anywhere I can reach, distracting her.

I kiss Ella deeply before Colt presses against her back, right between her shoulder blades, forcing me to disengage. Ella gives my cock a squeeze when Colt positions the head of his cock at her back entrance. Barrett lets go of one of her hips to grip her neck instead, giving a squeeze before he kisses her deeply. Even if I weren’t watching, I would know the moment Colt is able to push a little inside of her. Ella lets out a gasp and a long, low moan which comes from the back of her throat; a sound which has pre-cum dripping from me.

Colt murmurs, “Relax, little lamb.” Ella rips her mouth away from Barrett’s, her pupils blown when she looks up at me. I watch as the tension in her muscles slowly dissipates, giving herself over to following Colt’s command. He growls, “That’s right.” He sinks into her deeper. “You’re ours. Give yourself to us.”

She breaks eye contact with me, her eyes rolling back in her head as everything freezes for a moment. I know without looking both of their cocks are buried in her body. I want to join them. Ella must be a damn mind reader because she pulls me a step closer by my cock right before her tongue flicks out across the sensitive head, collecting the fluid there.

Her moan is the only warning I get before her mouth opens wider and engulfs me in wet warmth. My hand grips the back of her head as I try to will myself not to fuck her face. Not yet. Barrett and Colt start moving, one retreating, one filling, back and forth, a seesaw of pleasure. The vibrations of her moans against my cock make my balls draw up. I clench my jaw to try and gather as much control as I can.

Barrett kisses along her shoulder, biting as he goes. I know the intensity of his bites are building, right along with our pleasure. I can feel it in the way she starts sucking my cock harder. I can feel it mounting.

Colt drapes himself over her back, biting her as he does. “Fuck,” he barks out, “you feel so fucking good, little lamb. You like being ours, don’t you? You like our teeth sinking into your skin. You’re going to treasure the marks we leave on your skin,” there’s only truth in his words. No questioning. No curiosity.

Ella moans around my dick and I grip her hair a little tighter, my hips pumping and pushing my length deeper into her mouth, making her gag. I can’t help it. The way her eyes come up and meet mine, need smoldering there, need for release, tells me she doesn’t mind. Even better, she likes it. She craves it, the submissive little lamb desperate for the slaughter, wanting to sacrifice herself.

Barrett growls against her skin, burying his face in her neck and biting up her neck. “Yeah, Ella. Fuck, yes,” he grunts between bites.

I can only imagine the feeling of her pussy clamping down on him, of her ass spasming around Colt’s cock. I can feel us all getting closer to the edge. Almost there.

Ella pulls off my cock, her hand pumping up and down my length. She starts to move her hips with more intensity, chasing her own orgasm, forcing our pleasure closer to our release, all of us connected and living only in this moment with her.

She groans, “Yes. More.” She gasps when both of them slam into her at the same time. “Please,” it’s a whimpered cry, one we all answer with growls.

I use my grip on her hair to pull her mouth back to my cock, which she takes in eagerly. We start moving faster, harder, with precision. There’s only one way this is going to end—with all of us coming together. As Barrett and Colt continue to fill her simultaneously, I match the timing of their pumps, but not the intensity, I don’t want to hurt her; I’ll never hurt our girl. Never.

We’re marching toward the finish line, each breath, each movement, each nip, each swipe of our fingers against her skin a step. My balls tighten even more and a tingle starts in the base of my spine. I close my eyes for a brief moment, trying to tighten the leash on my control, but the way Ella screams around my length, has it fracturing.

Everything becomes frenzied, faster, harder. Close. Almost. The sounds of flesh slapping against each other mixes with our growls, grunts, moans, and Ella gurgling around my cock. It feels fucking amazing. Barrett and Colt fill her holes completely, both biting her at the same time as I grip her hair a little tighter, pushing deep and almost breaching her throat, but not quite.

Time becomes suspended again, folding in on itself, bunching before stretching and elongating. In the next heartbeat it breaks, snaps, shatters and the three of us come at the same time. Ella swallows down my cum, her eyes closed and her entire body vibrating, my brothers buried to the hilt inside of her, their muscles taunt.

We’re breathing heavily as I watch her throat work; it’s sexy as fuck. I recover first even though my knees are fucking weak. Getting head has never made me feel like this before, like I could slip to the floor into a puddle if I weren’t careful. When I pull back from Ella, she slumps onto Barrett’s chest, panting, her body still twitching slightly. Barrett wraps his arms around her, grounding her, as Colt slowly pulls his cock out of her ass. He maneuvers himself and slumps down onto the bed next to them, his breathing labored.

He glances at me and smirks. I can’t help but return it with a big grin before I go into the attached bathroom, grabbing three washcloths and soaking them in warm water. When I get back to the room, Ella is sandwiched between them, cuddled into Colt’s chest. He has a look of wonder and awe on his face I’ve never seen before. Barrett’s no better, his grin is wider than I thought was possible for the man.

I toss one washcloth to Barrett and Colt before I start to clean up our girl. She flinches at first before relaxing and letting out a deep sigh of contentment. The uncommon grin grows on Barrett’s face, and I can’t help but answer it. Once she’s cleaned up, she snuggles farther into Colt. I would be surprised he doesn’t push her away, always one to shy away from warmth, but with Ella it’s different.

With Ella, everything is different. It’s in the warmth which suffuses my chest and spreads across my limbs.

I toss the washcloth aside, joined by another two moments later, before I settle onto the foot of the bed. I’m going to have to be the one to bring up the reason we sought out the woman we now will be keeping. It’s not something we need to consult each other on, I can feel the truth of it.

I clear my throat and Ella’s eyes open to find mine while she gives me a lazy smile. “Ella, our little lamb,” my voice is soft, coaxing, “we do need to talk to you about something important.”

She shifts and lays on her back, Barrett and Colt turning on their sides, enveloping her body with theirs. I gently lay between her legs, propping myself up above her abdomen, brushing against Barrett and Colt’s arms as I do. We have no interest in each other sexually, but we’ve accepted that when sharing a woman there will be times when we touch. We’re okay with it.

“How are you feeling?” Barrett interrupts the heavy conversation we need to have, and I shoot him a look, but his attention is riveted on the creature between us, the one we would gladly lay our lives down for.

“I’m great,” Ella’s voice holds honesty, but there’s a hint of anxiety at the edges.

Colt’s hand brushes up and down her side, soothing her, “What we have to talk about has no bearing on what we just shared.”

Ella relaxes at his words and then she’s looking at me again, expectant. Waiting. I take a moment to appreciate her eyes because I know the look in them, of love and adoration, is going to change the moment I tell her she’s going to lose some of her freedom.

I kiss her abdomen right below her belly button before meeting her gaze again. “It’s about Landon.” Her entire body tenses when I say her brother’s name, not like I blame her. He’s not exactly post orgasmic conversation, especially when he would rip the three of us to shreds if he knew the position we’re in. I give her a reassuring smile. “He received a threat today, one which includes you.”

She tries to shoot up into a sitting position but with the way we’re holding her she doesn’t get far. I can feel the fear building in her, the panic. She shakes her head and I’m not sure if it’s in denial or disbelief. “Why would it include me?”

Colt’s voice is icy, calm, “Someone wants to hurt him and has figured out the best way to do it is through you.”

What we don’t tell her, what she doesn’t need to know is the way the note alluded to her time at Club Sin. She doesn’t need to know whoever this is may know more about her than any of us want to admit. My jaw clenches, but I force myself to relax and smile at her. If we have our way, which we will, Ella won’t need to come back to Club Sin. Unless we want to play with her here.

Ella’s eyes widen and meet Colt’s eyes which hold more warmth in them than I’ve ever seen before. It’s the magic about her. “O-okay.” Her eyebrows furrow together, “Why are you telling me this?”

Barrett’s voice is soft but stern, “You are going to move in with us until we have figured out where the threat is coming from and neutralize it.” I think I see a hint of a smile on her face, before her lips thin into a tight line. “We are going to keep you safe, little lamb. You’re moving in and we are going to be your shadows.”

Ella’s voice is measured, “My shadows?”

I kiss her belly again and her eyes snap to mine before I give her an easy grin. “Yes, we’ll be your personal bodyguards while this is figured out.”

Her eyes narrow in suspicion, looking at the three of us in turn. “Is this really why you came here? Thought I’d agree to this if you fucked me into submission first?”

I can see the rage building inside of her as she tries to wiggle out of our grasp. We’re not going to let that happen. Hell fucking no. Not when we’ve just gotten her, not when we’ve just found out she’s the one we’ve been looking for, the one we’ve always wanted.

Colt’s hand comes up and wraps around Ella’s throat at the same time Barrett bites down on her shoulder. She freezes, prey caught by a much larger predator. Colt’s voice holds a finality, a certainty, “What happened between us has nothing to do with the threat against your brother. Nothing. The only thing it has done is made us even more determined to keep you safe, Ella.” He gives her throat a squeeze before letting go and caressing the side of her face. His words are whispered, more broken and pleading than I have ever heard from him before. “We will keep you safe because it is the only way to keep you, and we plan on doing just that, little lamb.”

Her voice is small, “What about my apartment?”

I sigh, “Someone is going to be staying there as a ruse, Landon knows a bounty hunter who has similar features to you.”

She licks her lips, her eyes darting between us as I see the wheels turning in her mind, mulling, processing. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Okay.” I can feel the relief spread throughout the room at her acceptance of the situation. Not when she could fight us every single step. I wouldn’t blame her if she did. There’s a hopefulness in her voice, innocence and trust, “I’m going to stay with you?”

Barrett kisses the new bite mark on her shoulder, and I can’t help but look at her skin, marred with evidence of our love, of our pleasure; so damn beautiful. “Yes, you’re staying with us.”

I don’t say it, none of us say it, but I can hear the reverberation of what is left unsaid in the space around us. Forever. You’re staying with us forever.

CHAPTER 7

ELLA

The last three weeks have been a dream come true. I would love to say I wasn’t scared about the threat lodged against me, but with at least one of my men around me all the time, the fear is only a slight throb. It’s there but can be ignored. There is so much more to feel than fear.

Like the way it feels to be wrapped up in strong arms every night, surrounded by men who I’m pretty sure love me, even if those words haven’t been spoken. Like the joy it brings me to take care of them while they watch over me. Like the way it feels to have their teeth sink into my flesh reminding me who is in charge and who is to submit. Like the burn of their beards against my skin, even Owen’s stubble at the end of the day.

I give myself over to them willingly. I did it the night we walked into Room Three at Club Sin and I’ve been doing it every day since. I feel the depth of their appreciation in my submission, the way they treasure it and hold it close to them, though they express it in different ways.

Barrett says more than one word to me at a time which makes me feel like I’m a gold medal winner. Colt’s eyes warm and soften when he looks at me and the hard edge of his voice disappears. Owen lets me see past the goofball into the serious and loyal heart which lies beneath. They make me feel like the center of the entire universe, of all existence.

I wasn’t thrilled with them tracking me down at Club Sin. I thought I’d push them, call their bluff and they’d walk away; it didn’t turn out quite how I thought it would. I wasn’t happy about a threat made against me, but I can’t deny the outcome has been beyond my wildest dreams.

I feel no shame about having three men in my life, in my bed, in my heart. I thought some puritanical notions of coupling would plague me, would pull me down and whisper vile words in my ear, but it hasn’t happened. I don’t think there is room for it to happen, not when I’m with my men.

After we got dressed and left Room Three, I was taken to my apartment so I could pack. I had to keep it light because carrying a suitcase out of my place, if it were being watched by the mystery man who threatened me, would ruin everyone’s plan. I pouted, of course, because I like my things. I wanted my clothes, my books, my toiletries.

Owen wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest, “It’s okay, little lamb, we can take you shopping and get you whatever you need, or you can order things online to be delivered.”

I grumbled, “I can’t exactly afford a whole new wardrobe.”

Colt’s voice was final and made goosebumps rise on my skin, “You won’t be paying.” When my wide eyes met his, he smirked, “We take care of our woman.”

He said it like it was so simple, like it was the way of the world. I had never had a man who wanted to take care of me, it made me feel treasured and warm. The next thing I knew I was swept out of my apartment and driven across the city to a brownstone the guys share. I still had burning questions, like how long they had been in town and the nature of the threat against Landon, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to ask them.

I wasn’t surprised to see the sparse interior. It was clear people lived there, but it certainly wasn’t a home. It seemed empty of life, everything having a purpose and nothing without one. It reminded me of Landon’s place, even though I hadn’t been there often. I chalked it up to a military thing; they were honed into utilitarian men with purpose and skill, not frills. I could understand it, but I made it my personal mission to turn the space into something more, something livable, something with life.

The only room where they seemed to put in any effort was the master bedroom which is where they herded me after giving me a quick tour of the rest of the house. I was shocked by the giant bed, far bigger than a king size, the warm blue walls, the customized bathroom with an extra-large shower and two double vanities.

I whirled around after taking in the space, trying to tamp down my suspicion and the thought of anyone else having been in the room that seemed so different, special. The little touches, the comfort in the room which didn’t exist anywhere else in their home was deliberate. Jealousy wanted to crawl up my throat and leave me choking on its toxicity even if I had no right to such an emotion.

Then there was the gorgeous bouquet of flowers which caught my eye immediately. It looked fresh and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Still, something in my heart warmed at the idea of one of them doing something so sweet for me, for my arrival.

“What is this place?” I tried, really fucking tried, to keep the venom out of my voice, but by the smirk on Colt’s face, the wide eyes of Owen and the clench of Barrett’s jaw, I failed completely.

Owen reached out and pulled me into his chest, the hard planes of him calming some of my raging thoughts, but not all. With his arms securely around me, he rested his head atop my own, his hands running up and down my back. “This is the room we designed to be shared with our woman.”

It was like being shot in the heart, or the back. I don’t know, but it sure as hell wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before. It fucking hurt, that’s for damn sure. Tears welled up in my eyes even as I tried to be strong. The thought of any other woman being in there made it feel like I was being sliced open.

I tried to pull back from Owen, but his arms were too strong. Colt came up behind me, running his bearded chin over my shoulder and the bite marks they’d left on my skin. It stung. It abraded. It grounded.

Colt’s voice was a low rumble, “Stop spiraling, little lamb. This room was finished a month ago and we haven’t had a single woman in here. We would never disrespect the woman meant to be ours forever by doing something like that.”

I squeaked out, “Then why am I here?”

Barrett came up beside me, but it didn’t make me feel trapped. It made me feel safe. He gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Because you’re ours, the only woman who will ever occupy this room, and to keep you safe.”

I melted; all the fear, all the trepidation, all the jealousy and anger dissipated with the truth in his words. Barrett was never a man of many words, but when he did speak, it meant something. He never beat around the bush, he never gave away more than he was asked, he didn’t coddle, but with me he seemed to come out of his shell. It’s been beautiful to see.

When I nodded, I was swept up in Owen’s arms and taken into the bathroom where my men stripped me and themselves before guiding me into the shower. They worked together to clean me, to worship me. I fell asleep surrounded by the men who, if I wanted to be honest, stole my heart years ago, even before the last time I saw them.

I’ve fallen asleep like that every night for weeks now. It’s been glorious. The only thing which can rival it is waking up in their arms, safe, secure, warm, and horny. What else can be expected of me when three sexy as hell men with broad shoulders and corded muscle are at my disposal?

I talked to Landon the next day and I was sure he expected me to read him the riot act for putting the guys on my personal security detail, but I couldn’t muster up any annoyance or anger. I did feel guilt for hiding the truth from him, hiding the way these men stormed into my life and stole my heart while I put up zero resistance.

I’m zoning out at work, a job I hate, but have to keep to pay my bills. I’m a secretary at a real estate agent’s office, which means I push papers, keep things organized and answer phones all day. So glamorous.

It’s not my fault I zone out sometimes. It’s hard to not think about the times all three of my men have taken me. My hand lifts to where the collar of my blouse covers one of their bite marks, Barrett’s by the way it throbs. He always bites a little harder, wanting me to feel it hours, days, later. I don’t mind at all, even the thought of it makes heat pool in my belly as my panties dampen.

I look over and meet Barrett’s eyes, those green orbs sparkling with mischief as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking. He probably does. As I feel my cheeks heat, I pull my hair over my shoulder, wanting to hide my reaction to him. His low, barely audible chuckle meets my ears causing my cheeks to heat even more.

I shoot him a look of admonishment and shake my head, but there’s nothing I can do to hide the smile creeping up my face. He smirks at me as he holds his hands up in surrender. Those hands. They make me a puddle of goo when they stroke my skin. Then there are his teeth.

Oh my. All their teeth. I really had no idea what to think when Owen asked me if anyone had ever bitten me, but the way my tummy fluttered at the thought made me want to explore it. I gave myself over willingly to my three men and I was not disappointed. There is something so primal about their teeth sinking into my skin. It taps into the part of my brain attuned to survival.

I wondered, at first, if there was something wrong with me because I didn’t want to run from them, I was captive and willing prey. I don’t wonder anymore; I’ve simply accepted it. I can feed their predatory nature, be caught, be pleasured, be left a trembling mess covered in their bite marks, and not feel even a hint of shame about it.

Now if only I could admit my deepest desire is to stay home and take care of them, to build a family with them. It’s not the right time, I don’t think. Will the time ever be right? Is this really love if I can’t even tell them I don’t want to work and, instead, want to be taken care of by them as they let me do the same in return?

We haven’t said those iconic words, not yet. I want to. I’ve never felt this way before and it’s not like my love is divided amongst them. It’s as if my heart has grown to accommodate my three men. It’s strange how it happens, I didn’t even know I was capable of such a thing. Yet, I wake up in their arms and feel my soul expand, proof of something I had no idea was even possible.

The guys rotate with one watching the lobby, one with me, and the third working with Landon’s team tracking down the threat to him and me or on other assignments. Even though Landon and I don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, mostly about the way he wants to baby me and treat me like I’m a damn toddler, which has put a rift between us for a long time now, I’m so proud of him. Every year he expands his business, but keeps the core, those who he trusts the most, close and small.

I get up, needing to make some copies. When Barrett steps toward me, I roll my eyes, “I’m just going to the copy room. I’ll be right back.”

He narrows his eyes at me but doesn’t follow. I’m usually back in minutes and, as much as I love my men, even a few seconds not under their watchful eyes feels like a whole spa day sometimes. The whirr of the machine is a comfort and takes me away on the monotony of the sound, my mind drifting.

When I feel someone come up beside me, I expect it to be Barrett, a wide smile on my face before I even face him. The sight of Craig Roberts, one of the real estate agents in the office, makes my bright smile slip into a sedate, professional one. He’s an okay guy, but he’s persistent about going on a date with me. He doesn’t ask every time I see him, thank goodness, but I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s tried to get me to agree since I started working here.

Craig smirks down at me, “How are you doing, Ella?” He puts his hand on my shoulder in a manner which would, maybe, be comforting from almost anyone else. From him, it makes me feel slimy, dirty. “When those big brutes stop following you around, we’ll catch a show and get something to eat.”

I narrow my eyes at him, I’m not sure if I’m more upset about him calling my men brutes or the fact he’s not asking me this time, simply telling me I’ll be going to dinner with him. Yeah, no.

I shake my head and take a step back, wanting some distance. “You know the reason they’re here, everyone in the office does. My brother takes threats very seriously,” I try and put just enough venom into my voice, hoping he picks up on the fact Landon wouldn’t take kindly to the way this douche is talking to me.

Something flashes in Craig’s eyes, something which screams danger, big giant alarm lights and loud sirens going off in my head. I freeze, unsure, uncertain, as I study him, looking for his agenda, looking for my exit, my escape. He closes the distance between us, and my legs automatically take a step back.

Craig leans into me, “You will go out with me, Ella.”

“No,” I squeak, “I’m not going out with you.”

His grin turns wicked, making my skin crawl. “Yes, you will.” He takes a deep breath; is he smelling me? “I saw you last weekend at Club Sin with those men.” I try and put some distance between us, my heart racing and my feet getting tripped up a little. When his hands shoot out, he grabs both of my arms, squeezing me hard. His voice is low, sinister, and not in a good way, “If you’re a whore for them then you’ll be a whore for me.”

I shake my head, feeling Barrett getting closer. I don’t know how it’s possible, but it is. As I almost sigh in relief, Craig squeezes my arms tighter. It’s like everything inside me switches back on. I haven’t only been fucking and falling in love with my men over the last few weeks. They’ve taught me a trick or two as well.

I stomp on Craig’s instep making him groan and loosen his hold on me slightly. I bring my arms, locking my hands tighter and smashing them down on his, breaking his hold on me completely. Out of the corner of my eye I see Barrett come through the doorway, rage painted on his features.

Before Barrett can grab him, I take hold of Craig’s shoulders and knee him in the groin. He makes the sound akin to a dying walrus and flops to the ground, cupping what I can only hope is a pancake of a dick. Barrett freezes while looking at me, I watch a bevy of emotions cross his features, pride being the last and most prominent.

I’m so damn tempted to kick Craig, but I stop myself. When Craig looks up at me and opens his mouth, I’m sure to spout some more hateful bullshit, I cut him off. My voice is stern and clear, “Don’t ever touch me. I don’t have to justify a damn thing to you or anyone else. I sure as hell will not be called a whore or be pressured into anything because you think you know something after you saw me at a sex club.” Barrett’s growl fills the room, and I can feel the rage coming off him. When I step around Craig, Barrett wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into his side, tucking me there as he vibrates with raw anger. “You should probably get some ice and then pack up your shit because I’m going to talk to everyone higher than me about this.”

His groans and wildebeest noises follow me down the hallway as Barrett leads me out of the copy room and to my boss’s office. I know he wants to go back and pummel him, but I’m not going to let him. I lean into my man as we’re walking.

His eyes snap down to mine, filled with shame and anger. I stop in the middle of the hallway, not surprised to look behind us and see Colt stomping this way. I’m sure Barrett called him when I was taking too long.

I look up into Barrett’s eyes and get lost in the sea of green there. I don’t care about Colt crowding me from the side. I tell Barrett firmly, “This was not your fault.”

My big tattooed, man of few words crumples.

CHAPTER 8

BARRETT

How the fuck can this woman, this one woman who has become my entire world, who I revolve around and live to see smile, tell me her being manhandled in her own office is not my fault? I was supposed to be watching her. I should have been at her side. If I were, that Craig asshole would have never tried a thing with her.

Red filled my vision when I walked into the copy room to find Craig doubled over and my woman’s hands linked together, I knew the exact hold she had to get out of. If there are bruises on her arms when I undress her later, if she’ll let me, I will kill that son of a bitch. I’ll kill him and string him up outside the brownstone, so everyone knows the consequences of messing with our woman.

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the thoughts of her being hurt. I’m so damn proud of her, of the way she fought for herself, the way she fought for us by not being ashamed of us. Still, guilt is choking me, a heavy haze around me, making me feel like I can’t take a breath.

I whisper, “I should have been there with you. Then that fucker would have never touched you.”

I can’t take my eyes off my woman, her blue eyes telling me so much, telling me to trust her words. I barely register Colt’s deathly calm voice filled with icy rage, “Who touched her? What happened?”

Ella doesn’t break eye contact with me and keeps her voice low and soft like she’s taming a wild beast; the beast which wants to break free of the confines of my skin. “I told Barrett I needed to go to the copy room.” She arches an eyebrow at me, challenging me to not let the shame and guilt overtake me. “I told him I’d be right back because I usually am. Craig came up to me while I was making copies. He told me I’d be going to see a show and having dinner with him once I no longer have you guys as bodyguards.” She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, anger filling her eyes, but I know it’s not directed at me, even though it should be. “He told me he saw me at Club Sin with the three of you. He told me if I could be a whore for you guys then I could be a whore for him.”

Colt grits out, “I’ll fucking kill him.”

Ella smirks, “No need. He grabbed me.” I can’t hold her eyes anymore, mine slide closed, not able to relive the moment when I was too late, when she had to fend for herself. I feel the small, soft hands of the only woman who has ever held my heart against my cheeks. “Look at me,” it’s not a plea, it’s not a soft caress, it’s a low demand. I snap my eyes open and she’s smiling softly at me. “I was in shock at first, but the moment he touched me, everything you three taught me came back to me and I defended myself.”

My words come out barely a whisper, “I’m so proud of you.”

Her smile grows wider as she pulls me down to her and kisses me deeply, demanding I follow her, demanding I give her my all, just like every other time I’ve kissed her. I love kissing her. Her lips are pillows which welcome me, cradle me, give me comfort, and make emotions rage through my veins I’m unable to even identify.

I was taught at an early age that emotions can be manipulated, broken, and seen as a weakness. I couldn’t escape the abuse for far too long and it broke part of me before I even realized I was whole at one point, or at least I think I was. I learned the meaninglessness of words, the way they could leave you utterly destitute or make you soar. I choose my words carefully because of it, only speaking when I have to, when I need to. If I hadn’t met Landon, if I didn’t have him along with Colt and Owen, I don’t know if I would have survived. I doubt I would have ever said a word again.

With Ella it’s different. I talk to her. I let her in. In the darkness of night, when I’m lucky enough to have her curled into my body, I run my fingers through her brown hair and admire the way the blonde highlights sparkle in the moonlight. I do this while I talk to her, bare my soul, cracked open before her. She doesn’t judge, she listens and probes, she heals and encourages.

Colt clears his throat and when I rip my mouth from my woman’s to look at him, there’s amusement in his gaze. Before Ella came into our life, crashed into it while wearing stilettos, a wicked smile and a sexy as fuck miniskirt, I don’t remember the last time I saw one of my oldest friends have anything other than cold detachment in his eyes. She’s changed him. She’s changed all of us.

I’ll be damned if we give her up.

I let go of her gradually, because my body resists every pull of my muscles, every contraction it takes to do so. “Come on, little lamb, you need to report Craig.”

She nods and then turns, her hips swaying as she walks ahead of me. I turn toward Colt and murmur so only he can hear, “He was still in the copy room the last time I saw him.”

Colt gives me a curt nod before turning on his heel and walking away. I have no doubt he’ll put the fear of the devil himself into Craig. He chose the wrong woman to fuck with. Our woman. I catch up to Ella and am proud as hell of her. She doesn’t go into further detail about anything Craig said about Club Sin, but I’m sure if she’s asked directly then she’ll be honest.

I don’t have to ask Colt how his little meeting with Craig went. He didn’t come back to us covered in blood. So, it must have turned out okay for the stupid fuck who thought calling our woman names and threatening her would be a good idea. I’m sure the conversation wasn’t exactly pleasant, but at least his face isn’t rearranged. He should thank his lucky stars because I don’t know if I could have been so forgiving. Not when I’m the one who had to see the fear flash in Ella’s eyes, even as she kicked Craig’s ass.

I don’t take my eyes off her for the few hours left in her day. I can’t. Guilt and shame ride me hard as I watch the way her hair falls over one of her shoulders when she leans forward a little to write down a message. The way her eyes light up when she looks at me, her cheeks pinking almost immediately. The way she taps her fingers against the receptionist desk when she’s on the phone. Everything she does is captivating.

I don’t relax completely until we’re back in the home I hope Ella will continue to make into something cozy, something peaceful, something which calls to you when you’re away from it for even a few hours. Having her here for the last three weeks has given me something I never thought I’d have, something even deeper than the brotherhood I have with Colt, Owen and even Landon. She’s given me a sense of family; one I never want to let go of.

The moment the door closes to the brownstone, Ella gives Colt and me a big smile before sashaying her curvy hips up the stairs to the master bathroom. I want to follow her, but I can’t. Not yet.

I round on Colt, “Is Craig going to back off or is he going to try and make waves?”

Colt smirks and his eyes flicker with something before he gives a slow shrug. “He’s not in the hospital. He should be thankful.”

I grunt. Colt and I might open up to Ella, but only her. To the rest of the world, I’ll always be the strong, silent one and Colt will always be the cold, emotionless one. I know the man loves her with all his heart. We all do. Owen is like a damn lovesick puppy when he’s around her.

Speak of the devil.

When Owen saunters through the door, I almost punch the wall. Owen being home means we’re going to have to go over it all again instead of me being able to go upstairs and pray at the altar of my woman for her forgiveness, for her absolution. Guilt and failure claw at the inside of my throat and she is the only one who can ease it.

Owen flashes us a bright smile, “How’s our girl?” He shakes his head ruefully as he shucks his coat and hangs it up. “I missed her like crazy. I should beat both of your asses for being with her today.”

He turns and rubs his chest right over his heart as if to ease an ache there. It’s one I feel too when I’m away from her. How the hell are we going to go back to not being around her all the damn time when the threat against Landon is neutralized and Ella is officially safe?

I push the thought away and glare at Owen. He furrows his eyebrows as his hand drops to his side. His entire body goes rigid when he meets Colt’s cool blue eyes. They look like lapis lazuli in color and contain the same unyielding nature. Hard. Set.

Owen’s words are slow to form as if his lips are fighting it, “What happened? Is Ella okay?” An edge of panic seeps into his voice, “Where is she?”

Colt sighs, “She’s fine. She’s upstairs.”

I grunt, “Showering probably.”

I give Colt a nod and he proceeds to tell Owen about the events of the day after walking into the living room and sitting down without so much as a ‘follow me’. He simply does it and expects, knows, we’ll be right behind him. When it concerns our girl, we work together as an even better team than we ever have before.

As if our days as SEALs didn’t deepen our bond. As if we haven’t been brothers in every way other than blood for almost our entire life. Working together with our little lamb at the center, her happiness as the goal, is the only mission which matters from now on and for the rest of our lives.

When it’s all out there, Owen runs his hand down his face and takes a deep breath. He looks between us, and I hate to say there is a part of me which flinches, afraid he’s going to blame me. He’d be right to.

Owen heaves a sigh and leans back into the couch. “I’m glad you were both there for her.” He looks at me and smirks, “Even though it sounds like she had it under control.”

I lean forward in the chair I’m sitting in, resting my elbows on my knees. “I failed.”

Owen snorts, “No, you didn’t.” He cocks his head to the side, “I bet Ella told you the same thing.”

Colt’s cool voice slips in, “She did.”

I glare at them, a look which would drive anyone to piss themselves and run the other way. Anyone except for these two fuckers, Ella, and her brother. Owen bites his lip, and I can see he’s trying to not outright laugh at the look I’m giving him. I huff out a breath, roll my eyes and flip them both off.

Before any more words can be spoken, our woman delicately pads down the stairs. Her hair is now curled in large, enticing waves, framing her beautiful face, the ends caressing her full breasts. I can see how hard her nipples are, only a thin, silk robe wrapped around her body, the baby pink color speaking of innocence and sweet charm; corruptible and wholly ours.

I can’t tear my eyes away even if I wanted to, but I don’t want to. Not even a little. I want to feast on her. The moment she’s descended completely, she tears her eyes away from mine, giving soft, sweet smiles to Colt and Owen, who, of course, gives her a big, goofy fucking grin in return.

My eyes bounce between the sway of her hips and the jiggle of her tits as Ella comes around the couch, kissing both Owen and Colt before turning her back on them and looking right at me. I could drown in the clear depths of her eyes willingly. If it meant she’d be safe and happy for the rest of her life, I’d do it without a second thought.

When she’s standing in front of me, so close and yet not in my arms, she whispers a soft command, “Stand up, Barrett.”

I could easily ignore it, but I don’t. I can’t. We might be in charge of her pleasure, control she hands over willingly, but the truth is her command, her presence, her power lies in her will. She could exert it over us at any time, but, instead, she hands it over to us. It is her true strength, unbendable, unbreakable. Not like we would want to do either.

When I’m standing, she makes quick work of undressing me, her hands nimble and steady. Her clear blue eyes are wide and round, taking in my broad shoulders and the dark tattoos which swirl around my arms and torso. Every time our skin is exposed to her, she looks at us, at me, as if it is the first time. It’s intoxicating.

When I’m naked in front of her, she gives me a gentle push and I fall back into the chair, my cock hard and proud, jutting up, weeping for her. Her eyes roam over my body as if touching me and sending electricity coursing through me. When her eyes meet mine, there is a hunger there, but also something deeper. The love I feel for this woman wraps around me, her, all of us, echoed by each, absorbed and amplified.

Ella pulls the end of the tie of her robe; it tugs and slips through causing the fabric to fall open. When she holds her shoulders back, it slips down her delicate arms, graceful and floating as if it didn’t want to leave her any more than I do, wanting to always be wrapped around her.

She is naked before us, before me. Her movements are fluid as she straddles my legs before her lips come crashing down on mine. My hands grip her hips at the same time she rises, the delicate fingers of one of her hands wrapping around my shaft and positioning it at her entrance, coating the crown with her silky wetness.

She pulls back from kissing me and slowly descends, sheathing my length in her tight, wet heat and pulling a groan from me. Her words hold weight, but are spoken gently, “You didn’t fail me or anyone else. You taught me to defend myself and you had my back. I’m safe. You hold no blame here, Barrett.”

CHAPTER 9

COLT

My heart, something I thought died and shriveled up a long time ago, pumps in a new rhythm as I watch Ella take Barrett into her body, absolving him more than anyone else could. Her words are sure, holding no room for any questioning or confusion. They touch my own body and reassure me of not only her safety, but our ability to ensure it.

She will never be in danger as long as there is breath in any of our lungs.

Ella starts to move, Barrett giving control over to her, rising and falling, rising and falling. Her movements are precise, each glide full of pleasure. When she arches her body, her head falling back causing her cascading hair to tickle the top of her ass cheeks, I can feel her give control over to Barrett. She gives him, us, her trust, and we wield her pleasure as if it is our own. Because it is.

The grip he has on her hips tightens as he begins to plant open-mouth kisses across her chest, nipping at the hard buds of her nipples before sucking them into his mouth; one and then the other. I can almost taste her skin from watching my friend, my brother, taste her. Her milky skin still holds evidence of the love, of the pleasure, we’ve shared with her. I can make out the differences in the bite marks littered across her body and identify which ones are mine, Barrett’s, and Owen’s.

As they move faster, chasing, reaching, I stand and quickly undress, barely noticing Owen standing and doing the same next to me. As much as I want to join them, I know this is about Ella easing Barrett’s guilt, showing him how safe she is in his arms and the pleasure he can give her. Any other man would feel jealousy because of this, but I don’t. I know Owen doesn’t either.

All I feel is a deep satisfaction and gratefulness she can give this to Barrett because no one else could.

My time for being buried in our woman, one way or another, will come. I don’t need to rush them. I stroke my cock slowly, watching them build, their movements speeding up as Barrett starts thrusting upward, filling our woman and making her moan. I know they won’t last long; they are chasing something far more important than pleasure.

He murmurs words against her skin, biting her between them, punctuating, but I can’t hear them over the blood rushing through my veins and the sound of their bodies coming together. I watch her ass cheeks jiggle as she comes down and is filled by his cock completely. When she is rising up, his length is coated in her juices, making it glisten. It isn’t him who turns me on, never has been, but there is some sort of satisfaction from seeing the evidence of her arousal coating him, a man I consider my brother.

I see the stutter of his movements before one of his hands releases Ella’s hip and disappears between them, no doubt stroking her clit to ensure she comes with him. As their movements reach a crescendo, I have to release my cock so I don’t come with them on instinct. I have other plans for my cum and it doesn’t involve it being spent across my chest. Ella’s shout of release comes a second before Barrett’s answering roar as he holds her down snug to his lap and fills her with his cum.

Their panting is interrupted by him kissing her, full of lust and love. Owen, always the impatient one, the one who can’t keep his cool and strides into situations without much warning or heed to propriety, stands and closes the distance between him and the pair. The moment Ella and Barrett’s mouths separate, Owen wraps his arms around her and picks her up. I can see a dollop of cum glide down the inside of her thigh before the gasp of surprise from her mouth draws my attention to her face.

Ella lets out a giggle and blows a kiss at Barrett when Owen hauls her back to the couch he was sharing with me just moments before. He places her on the cushion between us, on her knees facing me, causing her blue eyes to meet mine instantly. She gives me a bright smile, one which I answer with a twitch of the corner of my mouth. I’ve never been one to smile, not since I was a child when I was beaten once because of it, but she breaks through the ice and pain of my past. She makes me want to smile.

In the weeks she’s been here with us, I’ve felt pieces of my past melt away, sometimes in chunks and sometimes gradually, sliding down the edges of my subconscious and becoming nothing more than a wake behind me. Nothing, no one, has ever made me feel like I could be more and move past a time when beatings, heartbreak and emotional detachment are the only things I know.

Except for Landon and the friendship I’ve forged with Barrett and Owen. Landon is the only thing keeping me from telling Ella how much I love her. The question has plagued me almost from the moment I saw her—is she worth losing Landon over?

Right now, looking in her eyes as Owen positions himself behind her, his cock running along the slit of her messy cunt, I know the answer.

She’ll always be worth it. She’s worth losing Landon as a friend and brother. She’s worth burning down the whole fucking world. She’s worth killing to protect, in her name, and even for her pleasure, if she was ever a woman to derive pleasure from the pain of another, from the loss of their life.

Ella’s hands come up and cup my jaw, her fingers rubbing along my beard. “Colt,” she whispers my name, her eyes full of innocence, asking for so much without a word. “Kiss me.”

I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her forward, meeting her lips and falling prey to her siren song. I’ll always give her what she wants. She gasps into my mouth, and I take full advantage, plunging my tongue in to play with hers. When I pull back, kissing her lips chastely before staring into her eyes, Owen is biting along her shoulder, nipping at her flesh, sinking his teeth in deeper, never letting her know what is going to happen next, all of it wrapping a lust filled balloon around us.

Owen pulls his hips back and I know he’s going to be balls deep inside our woman in a moment. I gently glide Ella’s head toward my aching dick, needing to feel her lips wrapped around me, so soft and swollen from the kisses. She braces her hands on my thigh before swirling the tip of her tongue around the head of my cock. The sensation pulls a low growl from the back of my throat.

My teeth ache to dig into her, to nip at her, to leave more of my marks behind, tainting her, marring her, making it known to anyone who looks at her who she belongs to. Her skin sings to me, screams for me, to cover it, dig in, and never let go. But I can’t do any of it in this position, so I settle for the feel of her tongue against my shaft.

Ella lets out a loud moan and I look over to find Owen wearing a look of concentration while biting his lip and looking down at where his cock is buried inside her wet heat. The bliss in his eyes tells me everything I need to know. I glance over at Barrett, his eyes enraptured with our woman, love shining there.

“Suck my cock, little lamb,” my voice is gruff and nowhere near as detached as it was a few weeks ago.

Before I can take a breath, Ella’s open mouth is taking me inside her. So wet. So hot. The tip of her tongue teases the throbbing vein running up my shaft and my fingers tighten in her hair in response. Such a fucking tease. Our tease.

Owen’s hands grip Ella’s hips as he starts moving in and out of her at a measured pace, one designed to tease her right back. She hollows her cheeks as she takes me to the back of her throat and swallows, just kissing the tip with the muscles there. I groan and press down on the back of her head slightly, forcing her to take just a little bit more. I can feel the vibrations of a moan against me, and I almost lose it right then and there.

Owen bends over her back, biting into her shoulder as he starts pumping into her faster. I ease up to allow Ella to come back up and her light blue eyes find mine, filled with dark desires. I hold her eyes as I start to push her back down, making her swallow just a little bit more while her nails dig into my thighs.

I hiss, “That’s right, Ella, swallow my cock while Owen fucks you. You like that don’t you? Him biting your flesh and reminding you who you belong to, whose marks are all over you?”

She pulls off my cock completely and I let her, a loud moan soaring out of her. She whimpers when Owen pounds into her, giving her what she’s been craving, what we all have been craving. “Yes,” she gasps when Owen’s pace increases in power and speed. “Please,” she begs.

I press her head back down and she swallows me again eagerly. So. Fucking. Eagerly. Her eyes close and the look on her face is pure pleasure and ecstasy. I love seeing it there. I can feel her taking breaths through her nose when she can as I start to raise my hips while also controlling the up and down of her head.

I know we’re all close. I can tell in the way Owen’s grunting with every thrust, trying to regain some control. The way Ella’s body is shaking. The way my entire body is buzzing with the approach of something so big. It doesn’t take much, a few more strokes, a little more stimulation.

A few more heartbeats.

Then we’re all hurtling over the edge together. Ella swallows every rope of cum I feed her. Owen grips her hips hard as he plants deep inside her and lets go while roaring her name. The small bruises he leaves behind will only be more evidence of the way this woman, our woman, makes us lose control. I know Ella will wear them with pride, the same way she does our teeth marks all over her body.

I start petting her hair the moment my balls are empty. Ella seals her lips around my shaft and slowly pulls back up, cleaning me as she goes. When she opens her eyes, the satisfaction I see there, the embers of the heat which exists between us still glowing, has me leaning in and kissing her forehead. She trembles, the aftershocks of our shared release flowing through her body and weaving along her skin.

Owen’s head is tipped back, his eyes closed as air saws in and out of his lungs. He seems to shake it away, his head coming back down and looking at the expanse of our woman’s back with adoration. Wrapping his arms around her torso, he pulls her up against his chest. When she looks over her shoulder at him, he kisses her softly, gently, a thank you and a promise.

Owen’s hands start petting over her body, bringing her down, connecting. I watch as Ella’s eyes glaze over again, not in a frenzy of lust, but in something deeper. Something I want to see on her face for the rest of my life, our lives.

The words I know she needs to hear, the ones which would set us free from the illusion there is an end to playing house, because none of us want it to end and all of us want to make it permanent, are right on the tip of my tongue. Before I can get them out, there’s a knock on the door. I share a glance with Owen and Barrett, but both look as surprised as I feel, well, Owen most of all because he doesn’t even try to hide his emotions unless he needs to.

Ella jumps up, her legs a little shaky when she does, causing me to reach out and steady her as I stand up. She gives me a small, grateful smile before grabbing her robe. While she’s getting it back in place, the three of us quickly get dressed as well. I have no idea who it is, but something in my gut twists. A warning. A call for caution, maybe even fear.

I always listen to my instincts.

Since Ella is done first, she starts to make her way toward the door when a second, impatient, knock sounds. My voice is cool, “There is no way you are answering the door like this, little lamb.” I lean in and nip at her earlobe before whispering, “It looks like you’ve been thoroughly fucked.”

A blush steals up her neck and across her cheeks, making her even more beautiful.

I head toward the door as Owen takes Ella by the shoulders and turns her to the stairs. His voice is amiable, “Go upstairs and get dressed, little lamb.”

The moment I open the door, I realize I fucked up, still a little trapped in an orgasmic haze because I didn’t look to see who it was. Some former fucking SEAL I am. And with our woman at home.

Fuck.

Landon is all smiles when I open the door, but his keen eyes, which are stormy where his sister’s are clear, flit over my shoulder and the smile falls. I know exactly what he’s seeing. I can only hope his eyesight isn’t good enough to see the cum which has to be leaking from Ella’s perfectly pink pussy right now.

Landon barks out, “What the fuck is going on here?”

I look over my shoulder to find Ella frozen on the stairs, not even halfway up. She slowly turns, a look of fear and horror on her face. With that one look, my heart freezes all over again, then it plummets to the ground, smashing into a million pieces upon impact.

CHAPTER 10

ELLA

Have you ever smelt ozone and felt the way the air changes right when a massive storm is rolling through and the sky is lit up by lightning? Well, I’m experiencing it right fucking now. I was feeling such a high, felt so connected to my men, but now it feels like devastation is a hair’s breadth away and my fingers can’t quite grab hold of anything.

I feel like I can’t breathe as I look into Landon’s eyes, pure rage and disgust in his blue depths which are similar, but still different than my own. His eyes are a turmoil of dark clouds and rainstorms, lightening and rolling waves. I don’t know why there’s a glint of surprise in my chest at the look on his face. I knew he would be less than pleased to find out I’ve been fucking my bodyguards, who just so happen to be his best friends and guys I’ve known since I was a child.

I don’t know how I could have forgotten the depth of the tangle I’ve gotten myself into. How could I have forgotten my brother is overprotective to the point I’ve had to distance myself from him physically and emotionally and put my foot down on his ridiculousness more than once? How could I have forgotten it was just a matter of time until he found out?

You didn’t forget, you ignored it. Now look where you are.

Landon starts to take a step toward me, but Colt steps in front of him and I see the rage only grow in Landon’s eyes. He doesn’t look at Colt and see his friend. Not anymore. I start to come back down the stairs, there is no way I’m going to let Landon come into our house and judge us. Hell no.

Before I can step off the last step, Owen is standing in front of me. He pitches his voice low, uncertainty in his gaze, “Go upstairs and put some clothes on first, Ella.”

My heart stutters when he doesn’t call me little lamb, but when I look down at myself, I realize he’s right to stop me. My robe leaves little to the imagination and there are more than one very visible bite marks on display, including on my legs. I grimace at the thought of Landon seeing me like this.

Looking into Owen’s eyes, I see a sadness and hurt there which has me bounding up the stairs, cleaning up and pulling clothes on quickly. I don’t want to leave them for long with Landon and I want to make it clear to Owen my grimace had nothing to do with me being ashamed of my men. Nothing at all.

It feels like a few seconds and a million years when I come downstairs to see Landon holding Colt by his throat, his arm pulled back and both Owen and Barrett trying to pull him away. I gasp and almost trip coming down the last of the stairs, my feet and my mind moving faster than they should be.

“No,” I shout. “Let go of him right now!”

Stomping right up to Landon, I push him back, causing both him, Owen, and Barrett to stumble. I look at Colt and wonder why he wasn’t putting up any resistance to Landon manhandling him like that. I know him and if he had a mind to, I have no doubt he could take Landon down. The three of them together? Landon wouldn’t stand a chance.

Maybe they don’t want to fight for me as much as I’m willing to fight for them?

I shake the thought off while I turn my back on my raging brother and two of his oldest friends to face Colt. He looks at me with a coldness in his eyes which makes me take a step back. Still, I can’t help but ask, “Are you okay? Were you just going to let him hit you?”

“Yes,” the word might as well be an artic breeze. “I saw the horror on your face at getting,” he swallows hard and looks away as if he’s ashamed of me, “caught.”

I narrow my eyes at him, anger I’ve never known before making me brave. Brave or stupid, I’m not sure which. I close the distance between us and get as much in his face as I can, which is nowhere close considering he’s so much taller than me.

“Yes, I was horrified my brother saw me in such a state of undress, but if you’d prefer me to go back up and put my robe back on, I’d be happy to.” I stare into his gorgeous blue eyes, the navy darkening, but I’m not sure if it’s from desire or anger with the way he holds his body rigid. His silence is like a knife to my gut, but I push it away. I lower my voice, “Did you think I was ashamed of you? Of what I have with you, Owen and Barrett?”

Colt’s eyes harden and it’s all the answer I need. I shake my head at him and let the hurt in my heart bleed into my eyes. His blue eyes widen for a moment before he walls his emotions back up.

If he’s going to say something, he doesn’t get the chance because Landon’s voice, filled with anger, whips around the room, “The fuck you have anything with the three of them, Ella.”

I murmur lowly to Colt, “I guess you’ll have your chance to watch me fight for you.” I hold his gaze, the challenge and the disappointment clear. “Too bad I’m not sure the opposite is true.” Colt’s eyes soften as he reaches for me, but I whirl around and am out of reach before his fingers can even graze me. I narrow my eyes at Landon and point an accusing finger at him, “Don’t you dare, Landon.”

“Don’t I dare? Don’t I dare? How dare them,” Landon’s voice is getting louder with every word, the sound booming in the room. “Their job was to watch you and make sure you were safe not to,” a look of rage overtakes his face, and he lets the sentence drop.

The next thing I know he’s turned toward Barrett and Owen. Barrett acts first, stepping in front of Owen without any hesitation, glancing at me as he does. There’s no doubt in Barrett’s eyes, no worry; I grab hold of it, letting him ground me.

Barrett’s voice is low, the warning clear. “Watch yourself, Sullivan. I know Ella is your sister, but you will not come into her home and be disrespectful.”

My heart flutters with Barrett calling it my home, but I’m also filled with fear. Fear the vein in my brother’s forehead is about to burst because it is throbbing.

“Her home? This is your home. This sure as fuck isn’t her home,” Landon seethes, his teeth grinding together, and his fists clenched.

My voice rings out, “Enough.”

Landon turns and looks at me, his eyes narrowed. “Are you fucking serious, Ella?” He waves his arms around. “They’ve corrupted you, turned you into this,” he spits out the last word.

I pull my head back like he’s slapped me, but it only slows me down for a second. “This? What?” I walk right up to him and snarl, “Say what you want to say.” He opens his mouth, but I cut him off, my words clipped from the anger coursing through me, but sincere, “You should know some things before you say anything. They haven’t corrupted me at all. They’ve given me something I have been searching for. They’ve given me a place to belong, a place I feel safe.”

Landon rubs his hand down his face. “This is bullshit.”

I shake my head, “I’m not done yet.” I can tell he’s almost at the end of his rope, but I need to say this next part. I have to. I look at Barret, then Owen and lastly Colt. I take a deep breath and then let the truth out. “I used to have the biggest crush on them, but that was so long ago, and this has nothing to do with the past. This, being with them, has to do with the future.” I look Landon right in the eye. “I love them. I love them for who they are, together, and for different reasons, individually.”

Landon scoffs, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I shake my head slowly, staring my big brother down. “Don’t try and tell me I don’t know how I feel. They treat me better than anyone I’ve ever been around, let alone been with. They’re protective, passionate, loving, thoughtful, so similar and yet different. They make me feel like I can achieve anything and I’m not going to give them up. Not for you, not for anyone. So, if you want to call me names, if you want to storm out of here, if you want to rage,” I shrug, “then you go right ahead, but know it’s not going to change a damn thing. Not for me.”

Hands grab my shoulders and I know it’s Colt the moment his hands connect. He turns me slowly toward him. When I look up into his eyes, none of the frigid countenance I saw there moments ago exists any longer. He looks down at me with a warmth in his eyes I didn’t even know he was capable of.

His voice is so soft, vulnerable in a way I didn’t know he could be. “You love me?” His brow furrows, “Us?”

I nod, “I love you Colt.” He lets out a breath slowly and it feels like something lets go inside of him. He kisses my lips softly but doesn’t deepen it.

“No,” shouts Landon. I can hear the sneer in his voice without even looking at him. “There is no way you love all three of them.” He makes a sound of disbelief. “There is no way they love you.”

I spin around and face him about to shower him in vitriol, but Barrett’s rich timbre cuts me off, “Don’t make assumptions Landon.” He looks at me, his green eyes sparkling. “I love you, little lamb.”

Owen’s voice is thick with emotion, “I love you too, Ella.”

I feel tears well up in my eyes and one slips down my face, happy tears, as a smile stretches across my lips. They love me. I want to be surrounded by them, wrapped up in all their arms, but now is not the time for it.

Landon is looking at us with disbelief and scorn. Colt presses his front to my back and my other two men stride over and flank me. I look up at Owen, “I love you.” The smile on his face is worth losing my brother, if he won’t accept me, accept us, then it’s his choice. I look at Barrett, my voice soft, so proud of him for not doubting this, us, for a second, “I love you.”

Barrett kisses my forehead, the corner of his mouth ticking up, “I know.”

I shake my head, chuckling, and he winks at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this man wink before. It makes heat fill me. So. Sexy.

“You’re,” Landon takes a deep breath, but I can still see the rage in his eyes. He shakes his head and closes his eyes, breathing deep. When he opens his eyes, he looks right at me, not sparing a glance at the men who he has considered brothers for most of his life. “You’re serious about this.”

“I am,” there’s no hesitation because I know the truth in my heart. “They are mine, Landon.” I give him a small smile and hope, sending just a little wish out into the universe, he can see through to understand. “I’m theirs. It’s the way it is.”

Landon gives a curt nod before he looks between the men surrounding me. His voice is calm, even, “Is she worth losing your jobs over? Our friendship? Everything?”

Owen scoffs and shakes his head admonishingly at Landon. “You don’t get it man, she is everything.”

Colt’s voice is hard, “I would lay my life down for her.”

Barrett, “She’s it.”

Landon’s jaw clenches. “I don’t know if I can ever accept this.”

I sigh, “You don’t have to.”

He looks at me, really looks at me, something I don’t think he’s done in a long fucking time. If he would have maybe he would have seen I wasn’t a little girl anymore. Maybe we could have been closer because of it. He was gone for so long when I was growing up. I was eight when he joined up and I’m not that girl anymore. I don’t blame him for finding his own path, but he can’t blame me for missing so much of my life because of it. He’s trying to preserve something which only exists in his memories.

Colt clears his throat before his calm, even voice asks, “Why did you come over?”

Landon finally breaks eye contact, but I have no idea what he’s thinking. He straightens his spine and his professional demeanor shutters over his face. “I came to tell you the threat has been neutralized. I figured since I had forced Ella to uproot her life by being here that I should have the conversation face-to-face.”

I huff, “Well, that’s anticlimactic.”

Colt chuckles silently behind me, the movement of his chest against my back the only thing cueing me in. I glance over my shoulder and his eyes are alight with amusement. My knees buckle a little from seeing this side of him which I don’t think he was even aware of. Looking at Barrett and Owen, both have grins on their faces.

Landon clears his throat, pulling my attention, I’m a little surprised he has amusement in his eyes as well. I can see he still isn’t exactly accepting though. I’ll take it. He doesn’t get to have a say in my life, in our lives. It’s possible he only wants me to be happy, if so, then he’ll do the right thing here.

He huffs out a breath, “I suppose it is a little.” He shakes his head looking between us, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accept this, but I don’t want to lose any of you.” He meets my eyes. “I’ll try.”

Relief fills me. Landon’s not exactly giving his blessing, but this is a damn good start and much better than it could have been. I walk straight up to my brother and wrap my arms around his waist. He only hesitates for a moment before he’s hugging me back. I’m just glad he doesn’t push me away.

After a terse goodbye, I walk him to the door. I can feel the eyes of my men on me as I close and lock it. I rest my forehead against it for a moment, fear filling me. I don’t even know why. Landon coming over and ‘catching’ us was not how I planned for him to find out, not like I really had a plan for telling him. Adrenaline is coursing through my body without an outlet.

I turn to find eyes studying me; a pair of green, a pair of blue, a pair of brown. I take a shuddering breath, barely able to meet any of their gazes. My voice is small, “I know we hadn’t talked about how to tell him, if we were ever going to, or what happens once I don’t need protection.” I lick my lips while hooking my fingers together anxiously. “If this isn’t what you really want,” I swallow and pause, trying to get my thoughts together.

Before I can say another word, I’m crowded against the door, surrounded by my men. Owen tips my chin up. “We meant what we said. We love you, little lamb. You’re ours. You’re staying. You are what we want.”

Tension drains out of my body causing me to go limp, but my men are there to catch me. I know they always will be.

CHAPTER 11

ELLA

It’s been five weeks since the day Landon found out about my relationship with Owen, Barrett, and Colt. Last time I talked to him, he wasn’t over the moon about it still, but he didn’t fire the guys so I suppose it could be worse. He could have called me all sorts of names, ones which would have gotten his ass beat no doubt. He could have shunned me. He could have told me what we’re doing, what we share is disgusting.

Instead, it seems like he’s trying to make our relationship better, stronger. Don’t get me wrong, he does not want to talk about what is going on between my men and I, it’s the elephant in the room and the one topic he avoids like the plague. I can’t say I blame him, but it does sting.

At least he’s not trying to talk me out of anything. Not like it would make a damn bit of difference. Someone is going to have to pry my men from my cold dead hands. It’s the only thing which would make me part with them.

The night Landon found out about us, Colt and Owen showed me just how much they appreciated me sticking up for them and how sorry they were for allowing even a whisp of doubt to settle into their minds about me and my commitment to being with them. When I woke up the next day, my legs still feeling like jelly and a lot of fresh marks on my skin, forgiveness had already been given long before.

Since then, Colt has warmed up to me more and more. He’s practically the fucking Caribbean, all gentle breezes and lazy days next to the water with fruity cocktails in hand. But, somehow, I know it’s only for me. I’m the only one who gets to see the other side of him, the one he kept behind his walls for his own protection.

Barrett is practically a font of opinions and feelings; we’ve shared more conversations in such a short time than I’m pretty sure he’s had his whole life. I would never tell him to shut up. I love the rough whiskey quality of his voice and he’s damn smart, especially when it comes to me and my emotions. I guess when you’re quiet and spend a lot of time watching people, you learn a lot about them.

Then there’s Owen, he was never the one to shy away from being a goofball or have an easy smile, not the entire time I’ve known him. What he’s surprised me with is letting me behind the veil and into the real him. The front he puts up falls away when he’s with me and I can see him relax into his skin, much more serious than many people would give him credit for.

We may have come together under the guise of them protecting me after so many years apart of not seeing each other, but how it happened doesn’t matter to any of us, we’re simply glad it did. I never got much information from them about the threat, but they did tell me it was backlash from one of Landon and Sullivan Protection’s first cases. It took a lot of persuading, but I found out the guy mentioned things which made my men believe he knew about me going to Club Sin. It’s a good thing I could care less if anyone knows about my time behind the doors of the club. How could I when it’s the same place which gave me my men?

They have made me so happy, and I feel their love all the time, even when they aren’t close to me physically. It wraps around me and holds me tight. The only reason I went back to my apartment was to pack it up, officially moving into the brownstone a week after the confrontation with Landon. I fall asleep in their arms, usually exhausted, but oh so satisfied, and I wake up the same way.

With all they’ve given me, with all they’ve shared, I feel like I’ve been holding something back from them. I try and play it off, but the longer I take to tell them what my real dreams are in life, what I truly and deeply want, the louder it becomes in my head. I don’t even know what holds me back. Maybe because I was raised to be independent and because I fought so hard for the freedom I acquired when Landon kept trying to wrap me in bubble wrap.

I really want to quit my job. I really want to start a family.

I would want both of those things, but I feel like I’m getting extra pressure from work to make it something I do sooner rather than later. Craig hasn’t said a word to me, even after receiving disciplinary action, but the looks he gives me really creep me the fuck out. Then there are the whispers. I have no doubt he’s spread around things about me, like seeing me at Club Sin. I would call them rumors, but they are true. It’s not even a secret because I’m not ashamed of it, but some things are personal and should stay that way.

I try and push those thoughts from my head as I walk through the doors of Club Sin. We haven’t come all that often since we’ve gotten together, but the few times we have has been fucking transcendent. I don’t know if it’s the dominance in the room, the thrill of being surrounded by others searching to fulfil their fantasies, but when we do come and indulge it seems like my predators relish in hunting down their prey. Me. Their willing little lamb.

Tonight, after I check my coat, the Grecian style dress I have on moves with me as I move into the lounge. I’m meeting the guys here, which is not how we usually do things, but I was given clear instructions and I’m right on time. I have a feeling Colt was the one who picked out the dress, as much as he loves to see me in all my Club Sin glory, he also can’t stand the thought of any other man looking at me. Well, that’s true for all of them, but Colt takes it to a whole other level. One night when we all went out to dinner, I thought he was going to chop the hand off a waiter whose fingers accidently brushed my hand when serving us.

I head straight to the bar, feeling eyes on me. Yeah, there’s some eyes in general on me, but I can feel the heavy, heated stairs of my men. If I had to guess, they’re in the same exact spot they were the night I first found them here. When I get my drink, I immediately suck down half of it. The way they’re looking at me makes me feel like they know I’m holding something back; it makes me jittery.

Before I can finish my drink, I feel a heated palm at the small of my back and I know it’s Colt without even looking. His voice is a low rasp, “You look beautiful tonight, little lamb. Just,” he nips at my shoulder, “delectable.”

I look up at him and smile before waving a hand down my body, “Did you pick it out?”

Colt smirks at me and I know it’s the only answer I’m going to get. He glides his hand over my hip and starts leading me toward the entrance to the back rooms, my drink abandoned at the bar. I hear the pleasure in his voice, “I can feel you followed our instructions, Ella.”

“Of course,” I try and hide my smirk by biting my lip, but the chuckle he lets out under his breath tells me I didn’t pull anything past him.

Barrett and Owen flank us and I give both a smile as they lead me to our favorite room. Room Three. A wave of nostalgia hits me when the door opens, and we walk in. I know it wasn’t a long time ago, but the first night we spent together in this room is an experience I hold dear.

Colt steps away as Owen comes up behind me, his warm hands heavy on my shoulders before gliding down my arms. He leans into my body and nips at my earlobe, “I think you get more gorgeous every time I see you, Ella.”

I shiver under his praise and his touch. I’m already soaking wet, my thighs gliding against each other because being bare under this dress, at their instruction, isn’t helping contain any of my arousal. Owen’s nips are slow and sensual, without a hint of the normal feral nature they love to show me in this room, one I crave.

Barrett steps in front of me, taking up the entirety of my vision before he rumbles one word, “Stunning.”

I can see so much more now in his green depths when he looks at me, the expanse of the words he’s granted me with over the last two months stretched out behind me. I understand him more than I ever thought I’d have the opportunity to. He’s let me into his past, the trauma which has molded him because he trusts me with it.

Guilt and shame fill me. Why haven’t I done the same?

Barrett cocks his head to the side, and I can see the questions brimming, but before any can spill out, Owen is gathering my dress and pulling it up and off. The whisper of the fabric meeting the floor is the only sound as my men take in my body, bared for them. Only for them.

Barrett kisses my forehead before he steps away and walks to the other side of the bed as Owen guides me to the edge of it. He picks me up and places me in the center, stretching first my arm and then my leg toward the corners. Barrett does the same on the other side and with precision they restrain me with leather cuffs.

My breath stalls for a moment. We’ve done a lot in this room, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely, but we haven’t used restraints before. I’m not afraid of them, but there is a small sliver of fear which courses through me at the thought of not being able to move my limbs.

Colt tsks me from the foot of the bed and when I meet his eyes, there is a hint of disappointment there, but they’re not cold like they were before. “You’ve been hiding things from us, Ella.”

I shake my head rapidly. “No, I haven’t.”

Barrett grasps my chin and turns my head toward him and I take in his now naked body in all its glory. My eyes drink him up and swallow him down. I’ve traced his dark tattoos with my tongue, explored them with my fingertips, committed them to memory, but it will never be enough. One look at him and I want to do it all over again.

“Liar,” Barrett whispers gently and I breathe a sigh of relief to find no anger there.

Owen stretches out next to me, his fingertips starting to trail over my skin. “Ella,” he has his very rare Mr. No-nonsense tone on, “this only works if you talk to us. Communicate.”

Barrett lets out a grunt of agreement before Colt steals my focus as he starts to crawl toward me from the bottom of the bed. He nips at the flesh of my legs, never quite giving me the bite I want. Teasing. Coaxing.

I feel Colt’s question against my skin, “Have you been having problems at work? That asshole been harassing you?”

I shake my head and close my eyes, arching my back because of the way Barrett and Owen are teasing my breasts, almost touching my nipples, but not quite, their mouths tasting me, but their teeth don’t sink in the way I want them to. They freeze until I settle back onto the bed after trying to tug on my restraints. As if it would do me any good.

“No. No problems at work,” my voice is breathy. When Colt blows a hot breath across my dripping slit, I keen, “Please.”

Barrett whispers in my ear, his beard rubbing against my skin, “You can make the torture stop. All we want is the truth, the thing you’ve been keeping from us. We don’t know if it’s a dream, a hope, a shame, a secret, but,” he runs the tip of his tongue along the edge of my ear when he would normally bite it, “we want to know.”

I try to hold in the whimpers as they continue to play with my body, bringing me pleasure but nothing near what I know they are capable of. They’ve made me pass out from the intensity of my orgasm, their rough play something which speaks to the most primal, evolutionarily stunted part of my brain. This is not it.

I don’t know how long I let it continue, a rolling gentle wave of feeling good when I want the tsunami of off the charts passion. It feels like hours and my mind is screaming at me to just tell them, the words being formed over and over in my consciousness, but not making their way past my lips. They are everywhere, exploring, worshiping, but it only keeps my body humming, not singing.

I gasp, “Fine.” Everything stops around me, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I let the words rush out of me, “I want to quit my job. Not because there is anything wrong with it or because anyone is bothering me. I’ve had to force myself to be this independent woman, which I mean, really I am, but I pushed my real dream aside because it simply wasn’t a possibility. I didn’t have,” I take in a shuddering breath and shake my head before starting again, “I was single and didn’t want to be under my parent’s thumb or my brother’s control so going to college and getting a job was what I had to do.”

It’s Barrett who asks the question I can feel coming from them combined, “What is your dream, little lamb?”

I can feel tears welling up in my eyes and I try not to let them fall. I don’t even know why. I guess because for the first time in my life it feels like I could really have everything I’ve always wanted, but it hinges on these three men. It’s so close and I’m afraid to really reach for it, to really say it because I’ll be crushed if I can’t have it.

I feel steadying hands on my body, six of them. This touch isn’t teasing, it’s grounding. I swallow hard past the lump in my throat, past the fear. “I want to be a wife. I want to be a mom. I want to take care of you, to be there for you, to devote my life to you and our family.”

I feel the bed shift slightly and a tear escapes. This is where they leave me. How ridiculous of a dream did I just expose to these men? I should have kept my mouth shut.

Something slips onto my finger, the movement making me jerk my hand away, not like I’m successful considering I’m still restrained. Colt’s hands are running up and down my legs and right now, in this moment, I feel more vulnerable than I ever have in my life.

Owen’s warm hands cup my cheeks, and he gently turns my head and whispers, “Open your eyes, Ella.” When I shake my head, he lets out a low chuckle. “Come on, little lamb. Please?” It’s the please which gets me. I open my eyes and am immediately met with a look of love and devotion in Owen’s brown eyes. “Is that what you really want?”

I bite my lip and nod, a few more tears escaping against my will. I croak out, “Yes.”

Barrett shifts so he’s sitting at my side and looking down at me, Owen turning my head so I’m looking into Barrett’s green eyes to find them sparkling with joy. I scrunch my eyebrows together, but he reaches up and smooths his thumb over them, my body and mind relaxing with his touch.

“We want nothing more than for you to be our wife, the mother of our children,” Barrett tells me gently.

I gasp and search his eyes, looking for confirmation his words are true. There’s no lie there, only a future where I get exactly what I’ve always longed for. I look down my body at Colt, he’s propped up above my hips, his eyes studying my face. One moment I don’t know what he’s thinking and then I’m granted with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on him.

My heart is beating so damn fast in my chest, and I start panting. “Really?”

Colt chuckles, the sound zinging through my body, up and then back down to settle in my clit. Holy hotness, it’s a damn good thing he wasn’t much for laughter before, or I’d be beating women back with a stick. “Yeah, little lamb. Really.” He nods toward my hand closest to Barrett. “We can prove it too.”

I crane my neck and look at my hand to find a gorgeous engagement ring with three gemstones, a different color for each of them: blue, green, and yellow. I almost laugh, I guess brown for Owen’s eyes wouldn’t have been as attractive as the citrine. The stones aren’t huge individually, but together they make a ring which perfectly symbolizes my men. I gasp and then my wide eyes are looking at each of them in turn. I don’t need the question and they don’t need the answer.

I give it to them anyway, shouting out, “Yes.”

My men chuckle in harmony, in relief, in peace. Before my heart can slow down, before my breathing returns to normal, I feel it. Colt sinks his teeth into the tender flesh of my thigh, Barrett into the soft spot on my neck and Owen at the top curve of my breast. Simultaneously.

I feel their claiming. I heed their call, their demand for loyalty and love, one I can easily answer because they give it right back to me and so much more.

I walked into Club Sin over a year ago looking for something, a way to satisfy something I didn’t even understand. I didn’t know I would find it with three men, let alone these three men, but I have. Now our future lays in front of us. I know we will all fight for it, baring our teeth at those who want to tear us down.

EPILOGUE

TEN MONTHS LATER

ELLA

One year. I think about my life a year and a day ago and can’t believe where I am now. It’s amazing, really. I now have everything I’ve ever wanted and more than I thought I could dream of.

I wake up every morning in the arms of the men who love me. I wish it were always all three of them, but sometimes they do have to go out on assignments. Still, they never go out of town at the same time or work on the same cases.

When Landon tried to send them upstate to run down a lead a few weeks after I became their fiancé, Barrett was the one who put his foot down. He told Landon, “There is no way all of us are leaving our girl. I’ll go this time along with Hale and Blaze.”

Apparently, Landon was a little pissed, but more about his leadership being questioned than anything else. He narrowed his eyes and snarled, “Your girl?”

Colt spoke up next, “Yes. Our girl. Your sister. The woman we’re going to marry.”

The way it was told to me, Landon deflated and swallowed down whatever other bullshit he was going to spew. He hasn’t tried to send my guys out on an assignment together since. Now, my relationship with my brother is better than it ever was before. Time and understanding helped smooth out some of the edges between us.

Getting married two months ago was a big help too. Landon didn’t exactly give his blessing, but none of us asked for it either. Even though we had a ceremony for the four of us, I married Colt officially. We all changed our names to match Owen’s since he’s the only one out of the three who have parents worth honoring. On the day Colt and I got married, he presented some very detailed legal papers to ensure Barrett and Owen are legally tied to us without any question.

We also agreed Barrett would be listed on the birth certificate of our first child.

Even more than the wedding, telling Landon I was pregnant, now in my seventh month, was the biggest piece of the bridge between us. I think he realized if he didn’t accept what was right in front of him, what was never going to change, then he wasn’t going to be in the life of his niece of nephew. Either he realized it, or my guys threatened him, not like they’d tell me if they did.

The bad blood between Landon and I, no matter my bravado, stressed me out and made me sad. I tried to ignore it and I never let it come between me and my men, but it still hummed in the recesses of my mind. His overprotectiveness always came from a place of love, I knew it, but that doesn’t make it easier to swallow.

Now I’ve traded one brother for three jealous, protective, and possessive men. They figured out early on how to handle me. I won’t deny it, the orgasms they give me buy quite a lot of currency when it comes to what I’m willing to take from them. I thought they couldn’t keep their hands off me before, but now that I’m pregnant their attraction to me is magnified. They love my pregnant belly and the way my breasts have grown.

I got my birth control implant out almost immediately after my men slipped a ring on my finger. The same day I quit my job. It was so cathartic. There are times when I’ve felt like a fraud in my life, as if I’m not doing the thing I should be doing because I’m not at work. It’s not like I sit around all day, I’ve been making our house into a home and making sure my guys have everything they need, but is it enough?

My men seem to have a sixth sense about when I’m doubting myself, my role in our lives and my contribution. They don’t let the doubts fester and they show me just why I’m so important to them. It’s not always sex either because I know my men aren’t with me only for my body. Though, I will admit, they’ve used their bodies, their delicious bodies, more than once to prove their point. They don’t have to take me to Club Sin to do it either.

As much as it was part of the way we met, since I’ve been showing we haven’t been back. It’s part of the possessive thing they have going on, but I’m okay with it. When we can walk back through those doors and play after our son arrives, it’ll be something special again.

The first thing I realize when I wake up is how warm I am, followed very quickly by how much I need to use the bathroom. The little boy I’m growing gives a nice big kick and my eyes snap open.

I don’t care who is wrapped around me, not when things are about to become dire. I kick out my legs and let out a groan as I try to lever myself up and to the edge of the bed. If it’s this difficult now, how am I going to get through the rest of this pregnancy? I swear there is no more room for this baby.

Colt is behind me and jackknifes up, his hands reaching out for me. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” When I grunt in response, the man who had an ice cube for a heart actually pleads, “Ella?”

I look down and realize I can’t get out of bed because Owen is like a human speedbump in front of me. Not good. Barrett strides out of the bathroom and takes one look at me before striding over, scooping me up and carrying me to the bathroom. Colt is hot on his heels and mumbling about not knowing what’s going on and if I’m okay.

I purse my lips before I whisper shout at him with aggravation, “I’m fine, Colt. Your son is simply using my bladder as a trampoline. I was groggy and was having a problem getting over Owen.”

A huge exhale of relief leaves Colt. I would roll my eyes at it, but I can’t. I cherish all the little ways he shows how he is no longer the man I knew with an artic personality and sky-high, insurmountable walls.

Barrett sets me down and then ushers Colt out of the bathroom, closing the door behind them. My silent gentleman with the tattoos which makes you think he’d be scary, but it’s just barbed wire protection. And sexy, the tattoos are damn sexy.

When I make my way out of the bathroom, Colt is pacing outside the room. When he sees me, the dark blue of his eyes light up and he wraps his body around mine. He nuzzles into my neck and whispers against my skin, “Good morning, wife. How are you feeling today?” He lets out a low growl. “I should kick Owen’s ass for being in your way.”

I pull back and look into his face, wondering if he’s joking, but from the set of his jaw and the look in his eyes, he is completely serious. I can’t help it, I start laughing. Colt looks at me in horror, as if I’ve lost my mind. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility either. Have you ever had pregnancy hormones to contend with? It can make you feel like you’re losing touch with who you are, your feelings, your body, your entire life.

I was not expecting it and having three men in my life with three personalities comes in handy just as much as it makes things more difficult. Not like I would change a damn thing, but still.

Owen groans from the bed and grunts, “What’s going on?”

Barrett comes out of the closet, which was an adjacent room before they had this master bedroom created when they first moved in. Knowing they planned, always wanted one woman between them and how much effort they put in before knowing it would ever happen, makes my heart soar. To get to be that woman, that queen? It makes tears well up in my eyes.

Barrett strides to the bed and smacks Owen on the back of the head. “You were in our little lamb’s way.”

Owen’s eyes widen and he looks to the middle of the bed and them himself before his eyes roam the room to find mine. “It doesn’t look like it,” his sleep laden voice is filled with confusion.

Barrett rolls his eyes and lets out a huff. I try and blink the tears in my eyes away, but Colt turns and looks at me, a look of terror and worry on his face. Colt cups my cheeks, looking deep in my eyes for a few moments before he gives me a crooked grin and pulls me into his arms.

Colt coos, something I didn’t know he was capable of, his fingers running through my hair, “You’re so beautiful, Ella. I love you so much.”

I pull back and look at him, one of his hands coming down on my belly. I whisper, “I love you, Colt.”

His large hand caresses my belly, contentment weaving through our legs and twining around our bodies. Barrett comes up next to us, putting a hand on my belly as well. I don’t fight the stirring of emotions, I give into them and let the few happy tears streak down my cheeks.

Not one to be left out, Owen bounds over and crowds my empty side, his hand rubbing my belly as well. He kisses my temple and breathes against my skin, “Sorry I was in your way, little lamb.”

I sigh and lean into him, my heart overflowing with love. I shake my head, “It’s okay.” I look at each of my men, “I love you all, with everything I am and then some.”

My men give me soft smiles, my words one of the lines from my vows. I know they’re thinking of that day, the day I tied myself to them, not like we needed it for me to be theirs. I feel the love they have for me surround me and suffuse itself into our baby.

We’ll never know who the biological father is, and we’ll never need to know.

We’re a family, this baby is ours. Just like my men are mine and I’m theirs.

Barrett kisses my neck, giving it a little nip and lighting my body on fire. There’s a promise in the way his teeth tease my skin. A promise of passion, of pleasure, of love.

Barrett growls against my skin, “Happy anniversary, little lamb.”

Want more Ella, Colt, Owen and Barrett?

Get Room Three’s Bonus Epilogue

Want more Landon Sullivan?

Meet him in Securing His Family (Higgins Security Book 1)

See what fantasies are being fulfilled next in

Room Four: Playing With the Big Boys by Matilda Martel

Club Sin Series

Fantasies are meant to come true and the men of Club Sin will see to your every kinky desire. This November, 22 of your favorite steamy romance authors take you inside Club Sin, a forbidden place where you’ll find love and pleasure with multiple hot men in these Reverse Harem novellas. Can you handle the heat?

22 rooms, 22 fantasies…Which door will you step through?

Room One by Penelope Wylde

Room Two by Barbra Campbell

Room Three by Ember Davis

Room Four by Matilda Martel

Room Five by Ines Michelle

Room Eight by Violet Rae

Room Nine by Ines Johnson

Room Ten by Cassie Mint

Room Twelve by Rebecca Gallo

Room Fifteen by Brynn Paulin

Room Sixteen by Gia Bailey

Room Seventeen by Kameron Claire

Room Eighteen by Ja’Nese Dixon

Room Nineteen by AJ Alexander

Room Twenty by Shae Sullivan

Room Twenty-two by Layne Daniels

Room Twenty-three by Jenna Thalia

Room Twenty-four by Eve London

Room Twenty-five by Autumn Seave

Room Twenty-six by Vanessa Booke

Room Twenty-nine by Katharine O’Neill

Room Thirty by M.K. Moore

Get carried away with the entire series here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ember Davis loves alpha heroes with a range of emotions, but a strong sense of how to take care of their women. She loves her heroines from all walks of life, just like her heroes, and she wants them to be real and relatable. Her heroines tend to be sassy, opinionated and smart.

Ember is a stay at home mom of two who recently refound her love of books and all things romance and is so glad that she did. She’s always been creative but writing and creating stories that she would love to read satisfies dreams she had as a little girl. She loves butterflies, the color purple and enjoying time with her family.

Pssst…it’s totally a pen name, but everything above is 100% true.

If you enjoyed this book, or even if you didn’t, I’d really appreciate you leaving a review and/or a star rating on Amazon! This is a whole new world for me so any feedback you’re open to giving, I’d love to have.

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OTHER BOOKS BY EMBER

On Campus Series:

On Stage

Banks Ink. Series:

Protecting His Home (Banks Ink. Book 1)

Accepting His Home (Banks Ink. Book 2)

Yearning for His Home (Banks Ink. Book 3)

Picturing Their Home (Banks Ink. Book 4)

Healing Her Home (Banks Ink. Book 5)

His Halloween Angel (Halloween Steam Series)*

A Very Pierced Christmas (12 Days of Kissmas)*

Built Dad Bod Tough (Dad Bod Series - Men Built For Comfort)*

Suburban Outcasts Series:

Once Upon His Star (Suburban Outcasts Book 1)

Catching His Falling Star (Suburban Outcasts Book 2)

Finding His Shooting Star (Suburban Outcasts Book 3)

Following His North Star (Suburban Outcasts Book 4)

Girl Dad’s a Rising Star (Girl Dad Series)*

When We Woke Up (After I Do Series)*

Higgins Security Series:

Securing His Family (Higgins Security Book 1)

Claiming His Family (Higgins Security Book 2)

Earning His Family (Higgins Security Book 3)

Forever His Family (Higgins Security Book 4)

Sweetwater Valley Series:

Unexpected Love (Sweetwater Valley Book 1)

Measured Love (Sweetwater Valley Book 2)

Wanderlust Series:

Lost Lust (Wanderlust Book 1)

Ellie’s Stranger Shoot Series:

Off Limits (Stranger Shoot Book 1)

First Look (Stranger Shoot Book 2)

Hate to Love You (Stranger Shoot Book 3)

Blast From the Past (Stranger Shoot Book 4)

Timeless Connection (Stranger Shoot Book 5)

Less Than Strangers (Stranger Shoot Book 6)

Series Collection (Novellas 1-6)

Grating on the Boss (The Boss Series)*

Sullivan Protection Series:

Room Three: They Like to Bite (Club Sin Series)*

*Not part of series, but contains a character introduced within the series. Book part of a multi-author series.