“All along I was trying to contact you, Riley. Once I had plenty of blood in my system our bond intensified. I felt you were south of me. At the airport, I charmed my way onto the plane. I flew to Atlanta. I wanted to see if I could narrow down your location.
“Once in Atlanta, I drew on the bond again and decided to travel south-east. I flew to Dallas. Once there, I felt you directly south. I knew you were at our little house in Alice. I hopped the next plane to the Corpus Christi airport—that’s the one we always used to fly home out of.
“By the time I got to the house in Alice you were gone. I still had a bag of blood, so I drank and took a nap and showered. I saw the money and weapons were gone from the safe.”
“Wait.” Anthony spoke. “You didn’t go to the house before us?”
“No, you’d definitely been there recently. Anyway, once I’d eaten and slept, I focused on the bond again. I felt Riley moving south away from me at a rapid pace. I assumed you were on an airplane, and the only reason you’d go south was to go to Peru. So, I went to Corpus Christi and got on another plane. This one took me to Houston, then Columbia, then finally Peru. With the layovers, it was sixteen hours, but I still made it here before you three. I waited for you to settle in one spot, then started using the bond to find you.
“It’s much easier to use the bond on a large scale. Finding you here in the city was a nightmare. But that’s where I’ve been and that’s how I’m here.”
Chapter 10
We stared at each other, at a loss for words. The silence grew until it was uncomfortable. My gaze shifted from the love of my life to the pair that had the potential to unlock more passion—and potentially more love—than I ever imagined. I would give that up, of course, to continue life with Michael, but I couldn’t pretend it wouldn’t hurt to see them walk out of my love life. Michael sat down beside me on the bed. He held my hand and looked from me to Elias.
“I missed you so much.” His voice broke. “Where do we go from here?” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Any problems we face are inconsequential in the light of what we’ve been through.”
Relief washed over me like a warm shower on a freezing day.We’re going to get through this.We would find our way out of this insanity and home to our children. I would accept whatever fate threw my way, whether it be as a Supay or a human. Nothing else mattered! My family was alive and healthy.
Elias put his arms around me and whispered into my hair. “Do you want Anthony and me to give you two some privacy tonight?” I nodded. “All right. But after tonight I need you, Riles. I love you.”
I grabbed his arms and squeezed, nodding my head again. They headed downstairs to book another room for the night. The click of the door created a feeling of loss in me. They’d been a constant presence over the past week, and Elias had been my best friend for four years. Confronting Michael alone was overwhelming.
Try as I might, I couldn’t think of what I should say to him. I was also distracted by how much I missed Elias and Anthony and how fast affections could develop and change.
“Riley,” Michael murmured behind me. Turning, I found him standing beside the bed with his arms open. “Come hug me, Baby. I’ve craved your touch.”
Tears threatened to spill again as I walked to him. He placed his hands gently on my waist and my hands went to his neck. His cheekbones were more pronounced above the unfamiliar hair on his jaw. I traced his lips and nose with the tips of my fingers, graced over his forehead. My heart swelled with joy, but my mind still resisted the fact that he stood in front of me.
“Michael, I was so broken. I had to change to survive. If I didn’t train, fight…I would’ve given up.” I slipped my arms around him and hugged him, relishing the press of his strong chest and lean waist. “If I hadn’t met Elias, there’s no telling what might have happened to me. I wouldn’t be here now, hugging you.” His hands flexed at my belly, squeezing me.
“Then I’m glad you met him. I don’t know what’s going on or has happened between the three of you, but if it kept you safe, I’ll thank them for whatever it was, be it friendship or sex. I love you, Riley. And I love them. I might need a little time to wrap my mind around our relationship maybe being a little different than it was before, but I’ll get there.”
“Michael, I’m not totally sure I want to start some polyamorous thing between the four of us, but I care deeply for them both. We’ll have to get through our time in Peru and see what our next steps are.”
He bent his body and placed soft kisses on my neck. At only five and a half feet tall, his six-foot height towered over me. I’d always hopped onto the bottom step at home so we could hug more comfortably.
My hands drifted up his back, inside his shirt, and skimmed his muscles there. Moisture gathered between my legs. A newly rediscovered warm tingle spread across my abdomen. I wiggled my butt a little, fighting against the desire.
“Baby, can we? Can I, I mean, I’ve missed you so much.” Michael pulled me tight against his body, clearly showing me how much he’d missed me. I was nervous, I’d slept with someone else—um, two someones, Miss Slutty Pants—while he was being tortured.
“I feel guilty, Michael.” I buried my face in his hard chest.
“Don’t, Riley. Did you sleep with them?” I nodded. “Did you sleep with both of them?” Another nod. He took in a deep breath. “Did you sleep with both of them together?” One more nod.
Michael let out the breath. “It’s okay, Baby. When did this happen?
“Three days ago,” I whispered.
“Did you sleep with anyone when you thought I might be alive?” His voice was hopeful. Hopeful I’d been loyal to him.
“No. Until I had a definite answer, I couldn't let go. When I was told you were dead, I was also told about the Supay, the Unseen, and our children, and I was given no time to grieve. Since I was told you were definitely dead, it’s been a scary whirlwind.” I took a deep breath and steadied myself for the next part. “I got overwhelmed the other night, and…I asked to forget. I’ve not handled this well. I wanted to lose myself for a little while.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Did you lose yourself?”
