Heartless Legacy (Heartless Heirs of Canyon Falls #4)

103. Thea

Chapter 103

Thea

I gnaw on my bottom lip as I stare through the peek hole at the guy in the hallway. How did he find me? The doorbell rings again, earning me a questioning look from Wolfe. “You gonna get that?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Another ring of the bell and a knock spurs me into action. If he keeps this up, the neighbors are gonna come out to investigate the disturbance. I swing the door open, taking a step back, as Finn walks in, dragging a rolling duffle bag behind him. “What’s all this?” I ask, pointing to the luggage.

“My stuff.”

“What kind of stuff? Knife stuff?”

“That, and my clothes, and shoes. The important stuff. I didn’t bring a bunch of towels or linen. I figured you’d already have some and if not, I can just buy new ones.” He looks around the living room. “I’m ready for a new vibe, anyway. I’ll make sure whatever I get matches this motif you already have going on.”

I look to Wolfe for help, but he just shrugs at me and goes back to chopping cucumbers for the salad, leaving me to get to the bottom of things. “Finn, why are you bringing your stuff here?”

“I don’t trust the dorm. I think it’s bugged. Holden says it’s not, but passive transmitters are so sophisticated these days that he might not be picking them up on his sweep, so I’m relocating.”

The dorm is definitely probably bugged. “You’re relocating. Where? Here?” I look at Wolfe again, waiting for him to jump in. “As in moving in? Here?”

“That’s right, Pet. I know you still need your space, so I’m just gonna put everything in one of the spare bedrooms.” He kisses me on the cheek, then walks down the hall to pick a room.

I call out after him, “How do you know I have a spare room? Shit, how did you even know where I live?”

“The same way I know everything else about you. I pay attention.”

“It’s called stalking, Number Three.” When he’s out of earshot I say, “Finley Jefferson Rhodes, the Third just waltzed his ass into what’s supposed to be a secure building and is moving himself in. Somebody downstairs is asleep on the job.”

Wolfe wipes his hands on the bar rag and picks up his phone. “Unauthorized access has been in unit twenty-three.” He pauses, before asking, “On whose authority? Authorization code? Got it.”

“Well?” I ask, when he hangs up and goes back to meal prepping.

“Kendall is aware of Finn’s arrival. He gave the front desk permission to let him enter the premises.”

“Why the fuck would he do that?” Wolfe gives me a look that is doing a poor job of hiding his amusement. “Are you going to tell me what he said or not?”

“He told them to let Finn up because he’s your boyfriend.”

“No, he’s not.”

“He’s as close to wearing that label as I am.”

“ You are my boyfriend. Finn’s just some guy I fuck sometimes.”

“The two of you do more than that, and everyone here is well versed in your history. They lowered his threat level to a one, since we’ve established he had nothing to do with your detainment, and he’s been trying to help you find answers about your mother and clues for the bloodline challenge.”

“Shouldn’t threat level assessment go through me? Like, wouldn’t it make more sense if someone asked me if I feel threatened?”

“Do you?”

“By Finn?” Shaking my head, I admit that I’m not. “Finn’s far from harmless, but I don’t think he’s out to get me anything other than naked. I might be interested in letting that happen, but part of the magic is that I can leave him in bed when I’m done.”

Wolfe barks out a laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“The look on your face. Thea, is it so horrible to live with someone?”

“What are you talking about? I lived with you for six weeks.” I gesture towards the kitchen. “We’re practically living together now.”

“Out of necessity. Pax dragged you to a remote cabin and we know the campus isn’t secure. Someone’s watching you, The Trium, or both. This allows us to control who has access to you.”

“A job that the people in charge are failing at, since Finn just rocked up in here with a suitcase.”

Wolfe nods. “That brings me back to us. You didn’t ask me to move in with you.”

“I didn’t ask you to move out, either.”

His hands stop moving and he looks at me. “Do you want me to?”

“ Nah , you can stay. I kinda like having you around to cook for me.”

He drops the knife, walks over to me, getting all up in my space, forcing me to tilt my head up to look at him. “Is that the only reason you want me around, Thea?”

“I want you around because I care about you.” Patting his chest, I say, “The shirtless cooking is a perk.”

“Care about me? Is that the extent of what you feel? Am I just another guy you like to fuck and would be fine with leaving in bed after it’s over?”

My voice drops to a whisper. “I more than care.”

“Tell me,” he says, lifting me in the air.

I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. “Tell you what?”

“Tell me you love me. Tell me you love me half as much as I love you.”

“I can’t say that because it would be a lie.”

Wolfe stiffens beneath me and not in a good way. “I see.”

I wrap myself tighter around him when he tries to put me down. “I can’t say that I love you half as much, because it’s not half as much. I love you twice as much as you love me.”

His eyes close as he says, “That’s a lot of love, Sweetness.” He turns and walks over to the stove, shutting it off, before carrying me to the couch.

“You change your mind about cooking dinner?”

“I’m still gonna cook, but first, I’m gonna have dessert.” He lifts my arms, slipping my shirt over my head.

“What do you have a taste for?” I rasp as his lips skim the length of my arm.

“I’m craving being inside you and feeling how much you love me.”

“Here? Now? With company in the next room?”

“If Finn’s gonna live here, he’ll need to get used to me taking you whenever and wherever I want.”

He grabs the back of my neck, pulling me in for a kiss that leaves my nipples aching and my pussy clenching. I make quick work of getting my shorts off while he pulls himself out of his pants. I sit on him like he asks, taking him with nothing between us. The feel of him bare inside me takes my breath away.

Melding our bodies together like this shows my utter and complete trust in him, but I give him the words, too. “I love you, Deacon.”

“I know, Sweetness, but it’s nice to finally hear you say it.”

Our movements are slow. We’re sharing the same breath until a hand on my back drags me back from the intensity of the moment. “This is the type of house warming gift I can get behind.” Finn purrs against my ear.

“Go away, Finn.”

“I would, but Deacon’s giving me the stay and play look.”

I arch a brow at my boyfriend. Does he want to play? He nods at me and says, “Let’s see what contributions Finn’s going to bring to our little family unit.”

I don’t know how Finn’s going to contribute anything with the way we’re sitting. But Wolfe shifts, so he’s lying on the couch, never breaking our connection. Finn crawls onto his knees behind us and asks, “You’re not squeamish about me touching your dick, are you?”

“With your hand?” Wolfe questions.

“With my dick.”

“I guess I’m about to find out.” He grunts, spreading me wider.

I’ve only done this once, and that was with Finn and Holden. My anxiety creeps up. I’ll be boxed in. “You don’t want to take turns?”

“We can, but the sooner we figure out if Deacon is truly the sharing kind, the better.” Finn kisses my shoulder and says, “Relax, Pet. You just lay there and I’ll work it in.”

Wolfe strokes my back and Finn goes slowly, working his length inside me to settle on top of Wolfe’s. It’s uncomfortable, but soon Wolfe’s fingers dance across my clit, helping me to relax and eventually rock back to help Finn slide in a little further. “There you are, Pet. I’m in. You ready?”

I don’t know, but I focus on the man below me and nod, anyway. Wolfe moves, then hisses, grabbing my hips. “This might’ve been a bad idea.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

I shift to climb off, but he holds me closer. “It’s not a complaint, Thea. I just wasn’t prepared for the feeling of a tingly ribbed condom rubbing against me.”

“Tingly? Is that what I’m feeling? I thought it was just the stretch.”

“It’s not, just that.” Finn chuckles.

“Oh. Oh-kay.” I stutter over the word because just as soon as Finn pushes in, Wolfe pulls halfway out. It doesn’t take them long to sync up like they did that night on the beach. I truly am just along for the ride.

“Is this too much?” Wolfe asks.

I shake my head, unable to form words.

“You like being stuffed with two dicks?”

More wordless communication. I cum when Wolfe whispers in my ear. “Double stuffed pussy is growing on me. I guess we’ll have to buy you some toys, so your other two holes don’t get jealous.”

Neither of them can move from how tightly I clench around them. Wolfe lets out a half-hearted warning. “Rhodes, I’m bare in here, so if you don’t want any backsplash, pull out.”

“Fuck, Pet you letting him raw dog you? How do I get in on this?”

Wolfe sounds anything but sorry when he says, “Sorry, kid. It’s a privilege only given to her boyfriend.”

Finn counters with, “I’m the best boyfriend.”

“Are you? Because the last time we did this, you passed out before her sixth orgasm, and you couldn’t even make her squirt.”

Finn takes that as the challenge I’m sure Wolfe meant it to be. He matches his thrusts to Wolfe’s. Soon, I’m hurtling towards another orgasm. When I finally force words out, I ask, “Is this really. The t-time. To be. Competing ?”

“There is no better time.” Finn insists, reaching around to rub my clit. “He’s challenging my sexual prowess, and I need him to admit that I know your body just as thoroughly as he does.”

“Oh god.” I gasp when Wolfe’s mouth closes around my nipple, tugging it between his teeth. “He won’t do that.” I pant. “There’s always room for improvement. With him.”

Wolfe pulls out, rearranging me on my hands and knees, as he leans against the armrest. “Too much talking. Not enough screaming my name.”

“Our name.” Finn adds, pushing in deep now that it’s just him inside me. I bite my lip to keep from saying anything at all, because his name definitely almost slipped out on that stroke.

Wolfe taps my lips with the head of his thick cock. “Open wide.”

I do, greedily taking him into my mouth. That’s about as much active participation as I can manage. The two of them take over, using me as their puppet. Pulling me to them, and pushing me away. At some point, Finn fingers my ass, leaving no part of my body unfilled. They both take breaks, pulling out, using their hands and mouths to pleasure me. I lose track of time, and the number of times I cum, before they give in. As if by some unspoken agreement, neither of them finishes inside me, choosing to coat my back and front in their release.

Then I’m being carried into the shower, scrubbed clean and put to bed. I’m too tired and satiated to remind Wolfe that he didn’t finish dinner.

I bite into my breakfast burrito, humming in contentment as the cheese slides across my tongue. I’m famished. Between last night and this morning’s workout, my body’s craving carbs to replenish all the calories I burned. I don’t know who won the battle of the sex gods. They were both very committed to giving me those orgasms.

Wolfe and I talked before about me having someone other than him in my bed, but we haven’t really addressed it since I came back to school, because I didn’t think it was possible. I truly never expected to get seriously involved with Finn or Holden again. With Finn moving in, even on a temporary basis, I think the conversation needs to be revisited, but first I want him to know that he and I are solid and that I’m not interested in replacing him with anyone.

“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Wolfe asks.

“You.” He smiles and turns his attention back to the paperwork on his desk. “Wolfe, what are your plans for ten years from now?” I stare down at my lap, waiting to hear his answer.

“My plans for ten years from now are the same plans I have today.”

“Working?”

“When I’m not deep in your pussy, making you scream my name.” I glance up at him to see if he’s joking. He’s not. Of course he’s not. “Thea, any plans I make for the future include you. I thought we were clear on this.” He cants his head to the side as he studies me, trying to work out why I’m asking. “Do you need me to give you a ring to prove it?”

I shake my head, even as I watch him reach into the drawer, and pull a box out of it. He comes over to my side of the desk, sitting it in front of me.

“You’re my forever Thea. You’re my future.” He opens the lid and shows me the ring. “You can wear it, or not, but this is yours and my promise to you. But so is this.” He removes the pillow the ring sits on and pulls out a folded slip of paper, which he hands to me. My mouth drops open at the sight of the Phoenix drawing. Inside the whip of its tail is the wolf logo from the gym.

The ring is pretty, but the drawing really solidifies his words. My words come out in a whisper of emotion. “It’s us?”

“Our families were always supposed to be intertwined. Now that truth will be permanently inked on my skin.”

“I love it.” I swallow around the next words that want to lodge in my throat. I’ve said them once, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier now. My skin prickles and I feel my face flushing. I want to be able to express myself this way to him. I have to say it, because with everything going on, there’s no guarantee what’s going to happen to me tomorrow, the next day, or the day after that. I can be snatched off the street at any second, and I want him to know. The words rush out of me in a run-on sentence fueled by one breath. “I love you Wolfe. I want forever with you. I’m gonna suck your dick now.”

“Is that so?” He quirks his eyebrow, spreading his legs wide as I sink to my knees.

I nod, pulling him out and licking a strip up his length, and sucking the head of his cock until he gets hard, then I take him as far down my throat as I can. His head falls back as he says, “That’s a good girl.”

Holden

The address on the label plate on the bottom of the desk was to a dilapidated property in the Red Cliffs, previously owned by Meredith Juniper, a television and stage actress, and eventually a director for an Off-Broadway Theater company. The property sits abandoned, all assets taken control of by the state since she had no family. I can’t imagine being on this planet for a century and outliving everyone I know.

Following the transfer of ownership for her house has brought me to Hurst Bank, in Arizona of all places, where I am doing something that will definitely get me arrested if I’m caught, and will probably jeopardize my father’s career with the bureau.

I do not know how a woman, which all evidence suggests was struggling to make ends meet, could afford to rent a safe deposit box here. Hurst Bank houses one of the most secure vaults on the west coast. It’s a class three vault with walls and doors so thick you can’t cut through them. There’s also a dual biometric scanner and randomized time locks on the door.

The vault is only accessible by the bank manager and assistant manager during normal business hours. Hacking it is impossible, and robbing it is out of the question. The only way to get eyes on the safe deposit box is to be inside the vault, and only people with an account and a box of their own can access the vault. I submitted my paperwork last week, and now I’m here to store my valuables.

The bank manager lets me into the vault and slides the guard key into the lock. I retrieve my key from my pocket to do the same, just as the alarm sounds and the warning lights inside the vault flash. The manager rushes to the door. I turn to follow, but I trip, landing on my knees. Scrambling to my feet, I hurry to the door. “Mr-”

The bank manger’s voice cuts off as the door swings shut, and the tumblers spin, locking me inside. I wait two minutes for the camera inside of the vault to turn off, then go over to box number 27638. I move the guard key to the box and use my rusty lock picking skills to access it. It takes a few tries, but the lock finally springs free. I slide the box from its housing and set it on the table, quickly rifling through its contents.

There’s a lot of random stuff in here. Some old pictures, a deed to a parcel of land in Alaska, a grade school report card from sixty years ago, expired Home of the Stars Tour Bus tickets, and a blank business card with a phone number on it.

I take a picture of the items, then return the box to its place on the wall. The alarm is finally silenced and I go to stand by the door, waiting for the bank manager to let me out. The tumblers spin four times before the heavy door swings open. He stands in the entrance apologizing profusely for locking me in and assuring me the security system has never malfunctioned this way before.

I accept his apologies, using his distraction to slip the guard key back into the lock on my box, and go through the motions of putting my items in the box I’ve rented. There’s an old watch, one of the first computer codes I ever worked on, and a certificate of deposit that won’t mature for another twenty years.

The box is put back in place and I follow the manager out of the vault and back upstairs to the lobby, agreeing that one month of free storage is more than adequate for the inconvenience of being locked in a vault.