Reaching over the table, pushing her ass high into the air, she pushesa button on the wall I didn’t notice. The whirring of a door opening reaches my ears, although I can’t see it from this angle, until a man appears a moment later. I recognise him instantly as Top Knot.
For the love of fuck, what have I just walked into? And how many secret tunnels does this mansion have? I, for one, will not be sleeping soundly anymore.
He doesn’t spare me a glance, his eyes trained on Sharon like a lovesick puppy. His fingers deftly slide off his jacket and reach for his belt. Underneath his slacks, he’s wearing a tiny pair of purple briefs. My eyes nearly explode in my head, seeing that he’s already half-hard and reaching for the oils. Sharon holds out her hand for me, leaning her body against the massage table in a way I’m sure she considers to be sexy. I’m too busy trying not to vomit at the audacity of it all.
“You really are a vile creature, aren’t you?” Her practiced smile falters. Top Knot swings his eyes to me now, a look of disappointment swimming in his features. Was this all some ploy, and I’m supposed to be the prized pig? No, thank you.
Jogging up the stairs, I shake off the vile desperation clinging to my skin. I can’t stop shuddering, tripping over myself multiple times until I finally make it back to the staircase. Locating Avery’s room, I burst in, ignoring the scene before me. Avery is curled up on the bed, staring at Wyatt pacing across the room, deep in thought.
“Hux, you okay?” Avery asks, just shifting her legs aside before I drop heavily on the mattress. She looks as relieved as I am to see each other. Her fingers instantly sink into my hair, massaging my head. Wyatt hovers on the edge of my vision, standing over the bed with a frown. A tremor rolls through my back, my stomach twisted in knots as I lean my head further into Avery’s lap.
“I told Dax that he’s not allowed to leave you alone in this house.” I swallow hard. “I’ve changed my mind. I think I’m the one who needs protecting.” And while Avery laughs into her shoulder, I retell the last hour of my life in vivid detail.
Chapter Eighteen
“I’ve never been concerned about my anal virginity before,” Huxley shudders as the door opens. Dax becomes the newest addition to the mattress.
“I seriously doubt that. You’ve lived with Garrett long enough,” Dax chuckles under his breath. Finally, the glimmer of worry leaves Hux’s chocolate brown eyes, and he concedes with a small smile. His blonde waves slip through my fingers as he twists to see Dax.
“How are they?”
Dax’s arm slips around my body, cradling me close. “Axel’s the same. Garrett is being insufferable. Made me spoon feed him so he didn’t have to let go of Axel’s hand.” Dax leans against my shoulder.
“We should be with them,” I decide, trying to move. Dax keeps me rooted in place, slowly shaking his head.
“Garrett thinks it’s best that we’re not all crowding Axel when he comes around. Not here.”
Hux snorts and returns to stare at the ceiling. “And all it took was major surgery for Gare to finally start putting Axel first.” I scowl, jerking my thighs beneath his head.
“Hey, they’ve come really far lately. Just because Garrett isn’t professing his love from the rooftops doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.” A stilted silence follows where we clearly agree to disagree, a joined heavy exhale bringing the three of us back into a relaxed huddle.
Like the rest of the morning since Wyatt permitted himself entry into the bedroom, he has returned to pacing, lost in thought. He doesn’t seem to want anything other than to keep me in his sights. Maybe he has visions of me tying together bedsheets and abseiling out of the window after my moment of weakness last night.
“Wyatt,” I call out, ceasing his steps. He flashes his green eyes my way, the mask of indifference firmly in place. “Are you going to talk to us today, or are you just going to wear track marks into the carpet?” I’m not sure he will actually listen to me, but I’ve decided there’s no point tiptoeing around. I might as well see if he’s going to continue opening up or revert back into himself again. Dax and Huxley go perfectly still, watching our newfound dynamic play out.
Wyatt exhales slowly, the tension in his shoulders giving way as he leans back against the window frame. His gaze drifts to the glass, his reflection distorted by the pale light filtering through. “I’m… struggling,” he admits at last, the words heavy, as if dragged out of him. His posture sags, the usual air of command slipping away like smoke. “Normally, I can step back, remove myself from the situation, and see it clearly. But this time, I’m stuck. I don’t know how to protect you from Fredrick if he changes his mind, or how to protect Axel from his mom, or if we’ll ever truly get either Axel or Garrett back. I just don’t know what to do.”
My chest tightens at the sight of him like this. Uncertain, vulnerable. It’s a side of Wyatt I’ve never seen before, and judging by the way Dax’s and Hux’s brows shoot up, they haven’t either.
“Where do we go from here?” Wyatt’s question hangs in the air, not directed at anyone, but it’s a question that demands an answer. The room is silent, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on all of us. No one speaks because no one knows what to say. We’re all grappling with the same truth. We’re out of our depth. But sitting here, wallowing in uncertainty, isn’t going to help anyone. I take a deep breath and set my jaw.
“Let me get dressed.” I pat Huxley’s shoulder to shift his head from my thighs. “We can’t make any decisions until we know what we’re working with.” He shifts up onto his elbows with his lips slightly parted.
“You want me to go back out there?” There’s a slight hitch in his voice, and I feel Dax twist away to hide his sniggering. As hilarious asI’m sure it is to watch this ‘Top Knot’ come onto Hux, it’s not going to help me navigate the mansion until Axel is able to leave.
“I’d like it if you came with, but I’m not going to force you.” His brown eyes search mine for a moment, his hesitation clear in the way he swallows. I lean in and press a light kiss to his cheek. “I won’t let anything happen to your anal virginity. There’s strength in numbers,” I wink. Hux leans his face into mine, breathing in my skin and strength.
I clamber over Dax, rooting through the pile of clothes Wyatt left heaped on the bedroom floor. I would have folded them, but Dax appearing in the doorway last night, dripping with water droplets and giving me those ‘fuck me’ eyes took president. As if he knew I needed the distraction, his mouth and his good hand worshipped every inch of my skin until I was panting and begging for him to fill me.
Licking my lips at the memory, I pull out some sweatpants and socks, helping myself to Dax’s duffle to fill in the rest. First matter of business, washing or acquiring fresh clothes. He kneels beside me, handing over a pair of brightly colored boxers and a sweatshirt. My heart stutters when I turn the material over in my hands, revealing the lacrosse team’s logo for Hollowbrook.Meg’s.
“I thought wherever we found you, you might want it.” He smiles faintly, a small curve of his lips, and I can feel his presence beside me, steady and grounding. My fingers tighten around the soft fabric, and I force myself to swallow the lump rising in my throat. Dax doesn’t push. He just lets me sit with it for a moment before he stands and moves toward Huxley, who’s groaning as he swings his legs off the mattress. I gather the clothes and excuse myself to the bathroom to quickly shower and dress.
When I return, the three of them are waiting, hungry eyes dragging over my body as if I’m not wearing the baggiest of clothes and my hair is thrown up messily. I never did manage to slip into the heiress role. Wyatt breaks eye contact first, pushing off the window frame. Dax reaches for my hand, Huxley’s arm rounds my shoulders, and Wyatt trails behind as we move around the mansion, cataloguing each open room. Upstairs doesn’t present anything other than guest bedrooms, lavish bathrooms, and a few unused offices that I presume were Axel’s dads.
As we reach the lower level, the noise increases. Conversations, laughter, movement, all coming from the left of the grand foyer. Wehead right first. This side of the mansion is untouched, seemingly for appearances only. The formal living room is purely white with gold accents, each piece of furniture perfectly angled towards large bay windows facing the back gardens.
Beyond this, we find a library, an elegant dining room, a ballroom that Wyatt hastily moves us away from, and the entrance to an underground wine cellar gleaming with vintage wine bottles. Before long, we’ve arrived back at the foyer and face what I have decided are the living quarters.
