He cackled into the sky before he straightened up. “It beats staying here and thinking of a naked Rayla, all supple and vulnerable beneath her silky sheets.”
He painted such a picture that I began to see it, and before I could stop it, I was excited again. I didn’t want a repeat of the same issue, so I smacked my face, shaking myself out of it. I shoved my finger at him, growling out, “As long as you don’t keep saying shit like that, you can come.”
He giggled at the fucking end. “Oh, can Icome?” I rolled my eyes, turned around, and stalked off. “Wait! I was just fucking with you.” His steps quickened as I kept my stride long and fast. If he couldn’t keep up with me, then he couldn’t come.
It didn’t work, trying to ditch him. When I got into the front seat of the car, he jumped into the back seat before I could take off. When I finally got to the gym, he proved he was a wiley one, always able to keep up with me no matter what I did.
After about an hour of lifting weights, I moved to the ring, wanting to work on some moves, and he surprised me by putting on some punching gloves and climbing into the ring with me. After doing a few drills, I wanted to work on my speed, and I asked him to dodge and weave my hits. His footwork was amazing as his speed increased the more comfortable he became.
“You’ve got some fast feet.”
He smiled as he ducked one of my punches and jumped out of the way from the jab to his gut. “Dancing can teach you a lot about moving at the right speed.”
I nodded as I kept punching, using tricks and fake-outs to try and lay one on him, but I couldn’t touch him, he was too slippery, always getting out at the right time.
I didn’t know if it was all the silence or if I was growing relaxed from all the exercises, but I blurted, “Are you really okay with Ray seeing all of us?”
Avery paused for a second, and I took my shot, trying to hit him square in the face. I was looking forward to the crunching sound his face would make when I socked him, but that didn’t come. At the last second, he ducked, and all I caught was air.
“Yeah, I’m fine with it, as long as it is only you guys.” His answer came out with such ease I tripped over my feet and stumbled before catching myself.
“Aren’t you worried about her falling for someone? Wanting someone more than you? What about how she is going to have sex with other men?” I thought those questions would trip him up, but he shrugged as I sat up.
“I’m more concerned with having her fall for me than being worried about others. As for having her all to myself, of course, I would want that. I would enjoy alone time with her to the fullest, but that doesn’t mean I’m a prude and can’t enjoy sharing if it happens.” He leaned down into my ear. “To be honest, I’m looking forward to the sounds she would make as she was enjoying all of us to the fullest. Multiple orgasms would be easy, and she would be too busy being blissed out between us to think about anyone else.”
My ears burned thinking about it, but if Avery could do it, then so could I. I refused to be outdone by Avery. Plus, he did have a point. Even if I found I wasn’t so angry about them touching her, envisioning someone outside of our little group laying a finger on her immediately drove me to vicious, bloody thoughts.
Avery’s phone rang as mine dinged, signaling a message. We parted in opposite directions, heading for our phones. I had a text from my father informing me that the bosses wanted to have a meeting with the heirs. I was about to tell Avery when I overheard him on the phone.
“Sure. We can pick you up. Just tell me where.” He nodded a few times before he found some chalk and wrote on the mat. “Got it. We will be there shortly.”
He popped up off the mat, took a picture of what he wrote, and turned to me. “Falcon needs us to pick him up. He got stranded since his driver got a flat. Since our fathers wanted to meet, he needed someone to pick him up right away.”
I nodded, taking off the gloves as I thought to myself that while having these guys around disrupted my routine, I found their company to be oddly comforting. Almost like we were in the same annoying boat, all handling it differently, but still handling it.
“Let’s go rescue our damsel in distress,” Avery cooed while making his way out of the ring.
“Okay, but you need to quit saying stuff like that. People are going to think we’re weird.” My eyes shifted around, making sure no one heard him.
He smirked. “You think that they don’t already? Just lean into it, bro, because once they find out we are all dating the only girl heir, we’re going to upgrade from weird to downright crazy.”
I knew he was right; the situation would only get more complicated and have more people gabbing about us, but I wouldn’t give up on the woman my wolf decided was my mate. The more time I spent around her, the more I found her fascinating, alluring. She was strong and commanding. She was a part of the life we led, but she still somehow made it... fun. I didn’t have a single boring day here at the Desmond estate. The longer I stayed, the more I thought my wolf had it right. Rayla would make a great mate, and I was starting to want it, too.
So what if she was dating the other heirs. My wolf didn’t seem to care, and at least it was with men that were at my level, other men worthy of being with her. And in the end, she would need to pick one of us, right? So why wouldn’t she pick her mate above the rest?
My heart pumped faster at the thought. I wondered if she felt it? When Falcon was asking questions about mating, I didn’t pay attention to anyone but Rick’s answer. I was sure she was my mate, but how would she know I was hers? Then he said it had to do with the pull and taste of your blood, and ever since, I had been dreaming about her biting me. I needed to get her to bite me, have her realize quickly that we were meant to be.
I could put up with the others chasing after her, I could show Rayla and the others I was not afraid of a little competition, but I knew I had a leg up, and in the end, she would be mine.
That put a little pep in my step as I realized I didn’t care what people said or the rumors that would fly. I would beat anyone close to death if I heard even a whisper behind my back; a few lessons like that and everyone would learn to keep their mouths shut. Plus, I had the other heirs that would gladly help in that department. After fighting with them in that warehouse, I learned we all had a brutal and vicious side. That was one thing we all had in common.
Seeing Falcon on the side of the road, arms crossed, and tapping his foot with a sour face was funnier than I could’ve imagined. I guess I always thought he was stuffy, a bit stuck-up with his bright-blond hair, high cheekbones, and calculating gaze. He reminded me of a fancy villain, one that always stood and sat straight, reminding you how to speak correctly and insulting your intelligence at every opportunity.
Then I fought with him and realized even if that was how he looked, he was quite useful, him and his big brain. We couldn’t be more different, him and I. He might enjoy things I wouldn’t be caught dead doing or going to, like reading books and spending all day in a lab, but he brought practicality and functionality to the group. He always asked questions I didn’t think of, grasping everything much faster, and came up with inventive gadgets that have helped in a couple situations. He might be quiet, more reserved, but after he wielded his magic gun, skilled and deadly, I knew he was a true Syndicate heir like the rest of us.
I rolled up to the curb as Avery stuck his head out the window. “Hey, baby, how much to bring you home and nail that sweet ass?” I couldn’t help busting up laughing as Falcon’s frown deepened, and his eyes narrowed.
Not a second later, my eyes bugged out of my head and hands tightened on the wheel when he pulled a gun from the back of his pants and leaned in close to Avery. As he placed it underneath his chin, with no change in his normal no-nonsense tone, he said, “Too much for you, faerie boy. But if you give me a ride, I won’t blow your brains out and use your body for my next experiment.”
