Our girl. It’s such a simple statement, but it feels so right. Ollie is ours and we’re hers and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do to change that.
Playing with Fire
Olivia
When Alex and Rhysreturn, they close up the hidden exit and escort Theo and me to the medical centre to get checked out.
It takes a while to be seen since there are others who are in a more critical condition compared to us, but eventually, we’re given some painkillers and sent on our way to rest. Unfortunately, rest doesn’t come easily to me, and my nights are plagued with memories of what I did to Luke as well as the usual nightmares I suffer from. No matter what the guys try—including distracting me with mind-blowing orgasms—my sleep is almost nonexistent.
At least during the day I can keep myself busy helping to clean up the mess left in the battle's wake.
In total, we lost fourteen people: nine security guys, the two security traitors, and three civilians who ended up being in the wrong place atthe wrong time. Many more were injured, some with serious injuries that have irreparably changed their lives.
Our enemies lost nearly a hundred men, their bodies strewn across the forest and road in front of Haven’s wall. Some of whom are now groaning, shuffling undead, mindless for their next meal. In the light of day, they’re easy to take down, and once the small horde has been eliminated, we drag their bodies onto a pyre to burn them.
The gang members we captured, including Mark, are executed and burned soon after. It’s brutal and messy to watch, especially since we have to resort to knives to end their lives since we’re almost out of bullets. But we couldn’t allow them to live, not after everything they’ve done.
The only exception to this is Colin.
He was never a willing participant in Mark’s plans and actively put his life in danger to help us after he discovered the traitors in our security team. Thanks to his quick thinking, he was able to reach Anthony, and the two came up with the plan to fool the traitors into believing the rest of our gang prisoners had been executed before they could be released.
Of course, their plan backfired a little when those traitors took Anthony at knifepoint and shared our plan with Luke and Mark. But it all worked out in the end, and now he’s free to live his life how he wants behind the safety of Haven’s wall.
The same can’t be said for residents who betrayed us.
They’re escorted out of Haven with nothing but whatever meagre supplies they can grab from their homes. We give their families the option to stay or go with them. Most opt to stay. Some traitors beg to be forgiven and allowed to stay, sobbing as they’re shoved outside the gates at gun and knife point, but they’re shown no empathy. Because of them, good people were hurt and killed.
The next thing we focus on is repairing the damage the wall and gate suffered under the assault, which takes nearly a week of constant work. Rhys eagerly jumps into helping with the repairs, making sure that thework is done to his exacting specifications while Theo, Alex and I focus on helping life in Haven return to normal.
It’s hard, gruelling work that saps all of us of what little energy we have, but little by little, things return to how they used to be. Mercifully, my nightmares settle with it.
But not everything is easy sailing.
With Elsa’s and the others’ betrayal, a lot of the residents of Haven are understandably pissed. To where they demand to elect a new council to run Haven. Many people put their names forward, including my brother, and some residents even ask Rhys, Alex and Theo to step forward to run the place. But the guys aren’t interested, thank fuck.
So, two weeks after everything went down, the entire adult population of Haven shuffle into the communal dining hall to cast votes on their new councillors.
Theo, Alex and Rhys all stand beside the small stage erected at the front of the room where a large box filled with scraps of paper sits. Behind the box are the previous councillors and people who’ve put themselves forward as candidates. The only person I recognise up there is my brother, who is surprisingly popular with the community and a shoo-in to be elected.
I lean against the wall on the far side of the room, Rachel by my side and her partner, Tamsin, on her other side. Sitting beside Tamsin is Andy, who’s mostly recovered from his infection and subsequent coma, although he’s still on the weaker side. He was going to put himself up for election, but Rachel nixed that before he could, telling him he needs to take it easy while he’s still recovering. Reluctantly, he agreed.
Rachel and Tamsin are whispering to one another about something while Andy talks with Anthony, but I’m not paying attention to their conversation. My focus is on my three men.
They’re looking edible, with their T-shirts tight against their muscular chests. Alex and Theo are wearing jeans—which are particularly sinful on Alex’s thick thighs and Theo’s tight ass—while Rhys wears combattrousers that, when paired with his black T-shirt and his scars, make him appear rugged and dangerous.
Fuck.Maybe I can ask him to wear that when we next scene together.
Just the thought of him looking likethatwhile ordering me to my knees has my core clenching.
I lick my lips. We’ve had little alone time since everything happened. Mostly because there’s so much to do that we all end up collapsing into our bed at the end of the day, too tired to do anything but cuddle or touch each other. Doesn’t help that for most of that time, I’ve been suffering from nightmares, making us even more exhausted. It’s a pity because both Rhys and Theo are mostly healed from their injuries, meaning sex isdefinitelyon the table again.
Fuck. Maybe I could ask one of them to fuck me on the table…
“Why don’t you just get a room already?” Rachel teases, interrupting my thoughts.
“Huh?” I tear my gaze away from my guys to see both Rachel and Tamsin grinning knowingly at me. Andy is still deep in conversation, not paying attention to us.
“Girl, you’ve been practically eye-fucking those guys for the past five minutes and I’m pretty sure…” She glances over to the stage and nods. “Yep, they’re eye-fucking you right back.”
