Iwake up slowly to the rumble of two deep voices. Lying on my side, my head is pillowed in one lap while my legs are stretched carefully across another. Memories of the last few hours trickle in, but the familiar panic doesn’t come.
I told them about my captivity. I gave up a piece of my past to two men I barely know.
The last part of that thought doesn’t feel true anymore. I feel like I know these guys. Maybe not their favorite foods or pet peeves, but their morals—those I feel like I’ve got a decent grasp of already. Why else would I feel so light after sharing a secret that’s haunted my every breath for the better part of a decade?
Maybe they won’t betray me. Maybe I don't have to carry this burden alone. After bearing the weight for so long, laying it down is intoxicating. Do I dare trust them with the truth about my abilities? The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up as fear rolls in, overwhelming me with its familiar intensity.
Bitterness follows in its wake.Nice try, Sheena.Maybe I can adaptsomeof my rules to fit this new reality, but my promises to myself... No, those I have to keep. I should have known better.
“Callum, I swear to the gods, I’ll kill them. One by one, crushing their hope for survival. Once I’ve butchered the last one, I’ll scatter the pieces along the mountainside for the vultures to fight over. No one will find them. No one will remember their names.”
Good LORD.
I open my eyes just enough to see Gideon deliver the tail end of what’s got to be the longest, most deranged collection of words I’ve ever heard him string together. Gone are the dimples and teasing smiles. Logic tells me I should be terrified, but his brutal talk of revenge on my behalf makes my blood pump instead. Shit, I’m probably deranged too.
Callum groans, and the sound makes my skin pebble.
“Yes, they will all die. Lots of regret, pain, agony, blah blah blah.” Callum raises his voice to talk over Gideon’s growl. “They’ll get what’s coming to them. I swear it, Gideon, but not before we get answers and make sure this can't happen to anyone else. Promise me you won't be so blinded by this psycho revenge boner you’re rocking right now that you lose sight of the goal.”
Gideon huffs, his massive arms crossed over his chest as he glares at his best friend. Callum seems both amused and irritated, and I get the feeling I’ve missed the first few rounds of this argument while I napped.
“I fucking heard you the first three times, dude.”
“Okay, wonderful. What did I say then?”
“Godsdammit,” Gideon hisses. “No murder until we follow all the leads. I got it. Now, let me fantasize about revenge.”
I snort, then freeze. Gideon’s impatience and Callum’s exasperation made me forget I was pretending to still be asleep.
“We've got a little spy on our hands, Gideon,” Callum says. I clench my eyes shut tightly, making it even more obvious I'm awake and listening in.
“Hmm, her eyes are closed, though. How can we know she's really awake?” Gideon asks. Fingers clamp down on my ankle, and then someone tickles the arch of my foot. I lose it. My eyes fly open, and I kick my other leg up, desperate to escape. My shin narrowly misses Callum’s stupidly perfect nose. He dodges back with a wide grin of triumph.
“Our little spy is ticklish. We'll keep that in mind for the next time we need answers.” Callum stops tormenting my foot, but his dark eyes are still sparkling with laughter.
Gideon's pained groan makes us both turn to look at him.
“Dude, the next time you decide to tickle her, can you at least warn me so I can prepare to have her bouncing around in my lap?”
I blink a few times as I process what he just said. With dawning horror, I figure out his meaning when I notice something hard poking the back of my head. I sit up so fast my muscles aren’t ready to keep me upright, and I fall back down like one of those weird inflatable tube things you see waving in the wind outside used car dealerships.
Callum pulls me back up, but something intense is dueling with the amusement in his eyes now. I don’t dare try to identify it.
Gideon places a throw pillow on his lap, hiding the evidence with a dimpled grin. I’m mortified. I’m blushing so hard I can feel my heartbeat pulsing in my face. Meanwhile, Gideon looks like he doesn't mind at all.
Where should I even look?
I settle on the TV, which is still playing some mindless comedy. I try to focus, but the laugh track seems forced; and Ican't stop thinking about the fact that Gideon is sitting right next to me—huge, handsome, and horny.
Just minutes ago, I woke to him describing how he wanted to dismember my captors and spread their body parts across a mountain range. It shouldn’t be hot. So why does my skin feel so tight?
I lean forward to give myself a little space, but I can't stop thinking about how good it would feel to erase it instead. I’m sure neither of the men on this couch would have any problem making me feel wanted.
Clenching my thighs together, I suck in a deep breath as someone curses. I’m too focused on getting my body and brain under control to figure out who. When a big hand trails up my back, rubbing softly, I shudder. It’s probably supposed to be soothing, but I’m too worked up.
“Sheena, if you want something—anything at all—it’s yours.” Callum purrs directly into my ear. Another shiver rocks me. “Gideon would be happy to take care of any needs you may have.”
The hand on my back slides slowly up each bump of my spine, ending its journey with a slow, sensual caress along the back of my neck.
