The boys might not have solved every single problem I have, but if there's one thing they're good at, it's distractions.
22
SANDRA
When I wake up,I'm utterly confused. Where am I?
Oh right. Beast's bed. I glance to my right, finding his massive body, naked and asleep. His face looks peaceful, his breathing slow and steady. It's weird to describe someone his size as cute, but I think maybe everyone can be when they're sleeping.
I push myself up, leaning on my elbows and taking in the scene. Piston and Beast on either side of me, and Zero stretched over the couch, his arm and feet hanging off. All three of them are naked, and I don't mind that one bit. It’s a sexy smorgasbord of ripped abs, tight asses and broad shoulders, but it’s also a side of them that feels more real and vulnerable.
Piston is snoring softly, but Zero is looking right at me, with a cocky smile. "Morning," he says quietly.
That's when I remember that I'm also completely naked. Instinctively, I cross my arms over my chest, but they’ve all seen it a few times now and I wasn't shy about showing them last night. So if he likes to look, I suppose I'll let him. I certainly like looking at him.
I glance at the others, but they keep sleeping. "Morning," I whisper back, then try to scoot my way off the bed between Piston and Beast without waking them.
I sneak a T-shirt out of Beast’s dresser and slip into the bathroom. Things got messy last night, and by the time we were all done, I didn't have any energy to wash all over again, so I take a quick shower. The hot water feels luxurious after what turned into a very long night with very little sleep.
Natalie is going to freak.
I need to send her a message before she shows up with all her men in tow. Or should I call? Maybe I should figure out what I'm doing first. Besides the three men outside the bathroom door.
This time it’s Zero who has coffee going by the time I’m out of the shower. I could get used to this. He has his jeans back on, but is standing in Beast’s little kitchenette barefoot and shirtless. When I get close enough, he puts a hand around my waist and pulls me to his side, pressing a kiss to my messy hair.
“How’re you feeling?” he asks softly.
“I’m okay.”
“If you aren’t, that’s alright, too. You know that, right? I was pissed when we got there, but you were tough as balls yesterday. I want you to know that.”
“I didn’t feel it,” I admit. “I guess you guys were right. I should’ve let you babysit me.”
Zero leans back against the counter, coffee in hand and looking so effortlessly amazing it hurts. “The truth is, we were both right. Our instinct is always going to be to wrap you up and keep you safe. Yesterday it would’ve helped, but sometimes shit happensand realistically we can’t be there for the rest of your fucking life. You were at work, you did work related shit, and even if you were bitchy about it, you updated us on what you were doing.”
“I wasn’t bitchy,” I mumble.
“Murder house?”
“Okay a little.”
“When I was seventeen, I made the biggest fucking mistake of my life. It wasn’t drugs or shitty women. It was thinking I was always the smartest fucker in the room. Nobody could pull one over on me, you know?”
“Seventeen is kinda like that.” I pour myself a cup of coffee.
“Yeah, but I was out to prove it. I grew up in the foster system. It sucked, but looking back I know it could’ve sucked a lot more. I bounced from place to place. Had a couple almosts, but I stopped caring about finding a home and focused on nothing but working out and my grades. I even finished early, and you know what it got me?” He laughs, but it’s not a happy sound. “A military recruiter had scouted me maybe a year before and we kept in touch. He passed me on to a buddy of his. I thought I was getting fast tracked into some black ops shit. Instead I found myself waist deep in a swamp a year later, realizing I wasn’t working for the government, just whoever paid us. It took me three years to buy out my contract, and officially? I’m dead.”
“What?”
“It was part of the job. It’s a great way of getting rid of a pesky body, actually. We take out some poor schmuck, and presto, it’s me dead at the bottom of a cliff after a hiking accident and his family will never know what happened. I have new papers I’venever used.” He must see the horror on my face. “Shit, I’m fine. My point was that the three of us? We’ve all made our share of bad calls, especially early on. That’s how we learn. I was so fucking proud of you yesterday when that asshole had you and you signaled me.”
“Really?” I like to think that I don’t have mommy or daddy issues, but maybe I do, because a little part of me glows at his praise.
“Fucking really. You were scared as fuck but you kept your head each step of the way. I’d rather have someone at my back who can lock it down and focus when shit goes sideways, than someone who overthinks and falls apart.”
“King Mercenary Badass McBackstory is right,” Beast grunts sleepily from the bed.
Once everyone is awake, it doesn’t take long before we have eggs and bacon to go along with the second pot of coffee. Beast's place isn't big enough for a real dining area, so we're all sitting around his table, except Piston, who's holding his plate and leaning against the kitchen counter.
