“Looks like a pipe bomb,” Alex says, sounding distant. I look over at him to see his normally bright blue eyes dull and haunted. He’s holding Rhys’s pack in one hand, the fabric stained with his blood. There’s a slight quiver in Alex’s shoulders like he’s trying to keep himself together, but he’s fraying at the seams.
I know that feeling well because I’m dealing with it, too.
Without thinking, I move closer to him as we stride down the driveway and toward the main road. “Are you okay?” I ask quietly as I place my hand on his arm.
He glances down at my hand and blows out a breath. “Not really, but there’s not much I can do about it right now.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. “You don’t look okay, either.”
I swallow hard.I killed someone to save Rhys and I don’t regret it, I want to say, but I don’t. Alex is too good, too kind. He won’t understand the guilt I feel at taking another person’s life and not feeling anything but relief that he’s dead and Rhys isn’t. He’ll ask too many questions, probe me until my lack of remorse is bared to him and then he’ll realise just how goddamn broken I truly am. What a monster I am.
Because the truth is, that man isn’t the first person I killed. I also killed my parents.
Sure, they perished in the car accident, but it never would have happened if it wasn’t for me. If I hadn’t started that stupid fucking argument and distracted my dad so he didn’t see the lorry until it was too late. Two lives lost and all because my parents refused to allow me to go to a friend’s birthday party that weekend.
So fucking stupid.
I don’t realise that my thoughts have spiralled until hands are on my shoulders, shaking me violently while a male voice calls my name overand over. I blink and find two men staring down at me, eyes filled with concern as Alex continues to shake me.
“Are you back with us, princess?” Theo asks, peering around Alex’s massive bicep to look at me closely.
I blink again and nod. “Yeah, I’m back.”
They both breathe out in relief.
Shit. How long were they standing there, shaking me and trying to get me out of my spiral? With a grimace, I rub my face and hide my cheeks as they burn with mortification. I haven’t had a freak out like that inyears. I thought I was over blaming myself for my parents’ deaths and my survivor’s guilt, but apparently stabbing someone is enough for my trauma to rear its ugly head.
“Thank fuck for that,” Alex says with a sigh as he squeezes my shoulders before moving them to cup my cheeks.
He leans down and presses his lips to mine before I can even react. He kisses me with fervour, pouring his fear and relief into it as his tongue tangles with mine. My knees threaten to give way beneath me and I clutch at his arms, nails digging into his hard muscles as I press myself against him, wanting more.
His chest rumbles with a groan and deepens the kiss as one hand moves from my cheek to cup the back of my neck, holding me still as he ravages my mouth. The other moves down my back to my ass, squeezing me through my jeans as he pulls me tight against his hard body.
I moan as bolts of pleasure rush through me, going straight to my pussy and my throbbing clit. Fuck. It’s been so long since I’ve fucked someone. I want to climb Alex like a fucking tree and demand that he push me to the dirt and impale me with his massive cock until I scream.
Someone clears their throat.
I yank away with a gasp, remembering that Alex and I aren’t alone, and nervously slide my gaze over to Theo. I expect him to look pissed or uncomfortable, but he doesn’t. He has a huge, shit-eating grin on his face and his grey eyes are sparkling with a heady mixture of heat and amusement. I cast a quick glance over to Rhys, relieved to see that he’s still unconscious. Last thing I need is to have to deal with his anger and disgust again.
“As much as I’d love to watch you two continue, we need to move,” Theo says, shooting me a wink.
Alex whips his head around to glare at Theo. “That wasn’t for you.”
Theo just grins wider and pats him on the back. “Sure it wasn’t, big guy. You totally weren’t marking your territory like the big bear you are. But just remember, sharing is caring.”
Alex shakes his head, his face contorted into a deep scowl. “Not this time.”
“We’ll see about that,” the other man replies before turning on his heels and leading the way once again.
Alex’s hands flex by his side as he shoots daggers at the back of Theo’s back and mutters about how much of a pain in the ass he is. I move back over to Bean, take the reins, and follow Theo, not daring to look at Alex.
This is such a bad idea. I told them both that this won’t work and they still seem hellbent on pursuing me, anyway. Sure, I kissed Alex back, but he started it and when a man kisses you like he’s drowning and you’re his last breath of air, you can’tnotkiss him back.
Theo is convinced he can get Alex and Rhys to share me, but after today, I know that’s not going to happen. Alex has made his stance clear; he’s not sharing me and Rhys isn’t even on the radar, no matter what Theo says.
Which means I’m about to come between men who’ve been friends for over two decades and potentially ruin their relationship. All because I’m a selfish, horny bitch. Maybe I’m not all that different from their ex.
“Ollie, are you okay?” Alex says, coming up behind to walk next to me.
I keep my eyes on the tarmac at my feet. “Fine. Just thinking.” He tries to wrap his arm around my shoulders, but I duck out from under it. Dammit, he’s not getting the message, which means I need to be blunt. “We should stop whatever this is before people get hurt.” I hate the words as soon as they leave my lips, but I have no choice. Whatever this is between us is only going to end in disaster.
