13. Maggie
Chapter 13
Maggie
I’m alone in Theo’s bed when I wake, wrapped in a blanket. Memories bombard me, and my cheeks catch fire. I’ve been intimate with three different men.
Tanner, intense and passionate, his blue eyes burning into mine as he made me a woman in every sense of the word.
Noah, tender and selfless, whispering words of love in Spanish as he gifted me with his virginity.
Theo, loving and naughty as he brought me to new heights with his dirty words and even dirtier tongue.
Three extraordinary men who all made me feel safe, nurtured, and loved.
Just like I love them. Happiness swells in my stomach and warms my chest from the inside out. Could this be the beginning of something wonderful for all of us? God, I hope so! I want this more than anything, for us to be together, loving and supporting each other.
After a quick shower, I pull on clean jeans and a t-shirt, padding downstairs barefoot. I smile as I hear voices and follow them toward the kitchen.
“…stops here and now. We can’t have her appearing out of nowhere, telling us what to do and how to do it.”
My smile dies, and I come to a shuddering halt as Tanner’s voice reaches me.
“How the fuck did she get through security in the first place? Why the hell are we paying for security that doesn’t keep us secure?” Noah demands.
My blood runs cold. Are they talking about me?
“So, what do we do?” Theo’s voice.
“We confront her. Tell her to leave us alone, once and for all, or we get the cops involved.” Tanner again.
“And the money?” Theo asks.
“She’s not getting a fucking penny. God knows why she thought she could in the first place. She’s not the only one whose childhood was fucked up,” Tanner growls.
My heartbeat swooshes loudly in my ears. Everything tilts around me, and I feel sick to my stomach.
They’re talking about me. Was this all a game to them? Fuck me, make me fall for them, and then toss me to one side? Were they all just faking it? Are they that cruel? I mean nothing to them. They want rid of me.
I clap a hand over my mouth to stifle a sob, turning and heading back upstairs to my room. I scramble around frantically, throwing clothes into my bag and scooping up my purse. My keys are still inside—I just hope my car is where I left it. I haven’t even given it a thought since I got here. It could’ve been towed for all I know.
Dear God, what was I thinking? That three famous, gorgeous men would want me? Me? A nobody?
No, not a nobody! I’m better than this. Stronger. I’m a survivor.
Shoving my feet into my sneakers, I throw my bag over my shoulder and creep back downstairs. I don’t hear voices from the kitchen anymore, so I have no idea where the guys have gone. I creep silently to the front door, open it and slip out quietly.
Walking briskly, I head for the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. A huge ball of pain is lodged in my chest, a burning ache that no amount of conventional medicine can fix. I feel like an idiot. A stupid, na?ve, gullible fool.
The doors slide open into the large foyer, and I spy the security guard who accidentally punched me—was it only three days ago?
I keep my head down as I make my way past the security office, allowing my hair to swing in front of my face. I reach the exit and tug on the door. It doesn’t budge. I pull it again, making it rattle in the quiet of the foyer.
“Excuse me, madam, but all guests need to sign out.”
Ah, shit! I turn to face the security guard as he approaches.
“Oh, it’s you!” he says, his eyes immediately moving to the fading bruise on my cheek.
“Yes, it’s me, um, Brad, was it?” I reply, forcing a cheerfulness I don’t feel.
“Brent. And I’m so sorry about what happened. It was an accident. I swear I’ve never laid a finger on a woman,” he says earnestly.
“It’s fine,” I wave off his apology, just wanting to make my escape. “If you can just show me where to sign out.”
He grabs a clipboard from the small security office. “Here.” He hands it to me with a pen, and I scribble my signature in the space provided on the sheet of paper.
“Okay, so can you buzz me out now, please?” I ask, looking at him expectantly.
“If you’re looking for your car, Mr. Lock had us move it to the underground parking lot,” he says, referring to Tanner.
“Of course he did,” I mutter under my breath.
It seems like breaking out of this building is a damned sight harder than breaking in . All I want to do is climb into my car and drive away from this place so I can lick my wounds in private.
I’m so caught up in feeling sorry for myself that I don’t notice Brent moving away to the security office until I hear him speaking on the phone.
“…she’s down in the foyer with me, Mr. Lang. I was just about to escort her to her car.”
“No!” I hiss, shaking my head like a castrated chicken and waving my hands in his face. “I don’t want to see them!”
“Yes, she seems a little…upset, sir,” Brent says, eyeing me warily.
Great! So much for slipping out unnoticed. I cast my eyes around, looking for an escape route. I spy the sign for the stairs leading down to the parking lot and make a beeline for the door.
“Miss! Wait!”
I ignore him and keep walking, pushing the door open as I hear the ding of the elevator behind me. The staircase down to the parking lot looms in front of me, and I take a step forward.
“Mags!”
I can’t help myself. I turn at the sound of Theo’s voice, coming to a sudden halt just as Brent comes flying through the door behind me. He barrels into me, knocking me off balance. My arms cartwheel as I teeter on the top stair, and I feel myself falling backward. Then, everything goes black…
My brain feels like it’s been put through a spin cycle. Or maybe Thor’s been throwing his mighty hammer around in here like a lunatic.
“Maggie?”
“Did she say something about Thor?”
“Shit! Maybe she’s got brain damage. We should get the doc back in here.”
My heart flutters in my chest. I’d recognize those voices anywhere. I crack my eyes open, groaning as the light bounces off my optic nerves. I blink and try to focus.
“Maggie?” Noah asks, leaning over me. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, Noah, I know who you are,” I croak. What’s wrong with my voice? My lips are dry, and my mouth feels like a cesspit.
“Thank God!” he says, leaning down to kiss my forehead.
“Hey, Slugger. You gave us a scare,” Theo says softly, moving into my line of vision.
“Where am I?” I make the mistake of lifting my head to look around and then groan as the room wobbles and spins. I glance down at my hand, clasped firmly in a large male one, and trace it up to Tanner’s handsome face.
“Just lie still, baby. You’re in the hospital,” he says, lifting my hand to his mouth and placing a kiss on my knuckles.
“What happened?” I whisper, looking between all three of them. “I remember Barry knocking me off balance and then…nothing.”
“Brent,” Tanner corrects, almost growling the security officer’s name.
“The only reason his ass isn’t fired is that he saved you from falling all the way down the stairs,” Noah explains, his expression grimmer than I’ve ever seen it. “But you still smacked your head hard on the top step. The doc says you have a mild concussion. They want to keep you overnight, just to make sure there are no complications.”
Oh, crap! The memory of their conversation floods back.
“I can’t stay here!” I gasp, trying to sit up. I moan, clutching my head and swallowing down nausea.
Theo pushes me gently back onto the pillows. “What the hell were you doing? Leaving us?” he asks, his hazel eyes full of confusion.
“Of course, I was leaving!” I huff, feeling tears prick at the back of my eyes.
Tanner’s mouth thins. “Why?”
The hurt in his eyes is palpable. I frown. They’re not acting like they don’t care. They got me here to the hospital, didn’t they? I woke up with them by my side. I didn’t imagine the relief in their eyes when I regained consciousness. Did I read the situation all wrong?
“I—I heard you. In the kitchen, I mean. I came downstairs to find you, to tell you all that—never mind, it doesn’t matter now,” I sigh, closing my eyes wearily.
Noah frowns. “Why didn’t you come in? We were waiting for you to wake up. Had homemade hamburgers all ready for you.”
“Why did you leave?” Tanner asks again, steering the conversation back on course.
“I overheard your conversation. You were talking about me, debating how I got through security. How I appeared out of nowhere. How you planned to confront me, tell me to leave you alone, or you’d get the cops involved. Oh, and that I’m not getting a fucking penny, that I’m not the only one who had a fucked-up childhood.”
They all stare at me with their mouths open.
“I don’t want your fucking money! Keep it! I hope you choke on it because I’m the best thing that ever happened to you! All of you!” I snap, glaring at them. “I gave you everything, My body, my heart, my soul, and you trampled all over them like they meant nothing!”
I finish my tirade, chest heaving, proud at having delivered a piece of my mind. My throat aches with the effort of holding back tears, but I’m done with putting everyone else first.
Noah speaks first. “Can you rewind a little?”
I look at him blankly. “What?”
“To the part about giving us your heart,” he replies.
“I—I—” My mouth snaps shut.
“You love us!” Theo announces.
“I never?—”
“We’re in love with you, too,” Tanner says quietly, his blue eyes deadly serious.
“But—I—You said?—”
“We weren’t talking about you, Slugger,” Theo says softly. “We were talking about a woman who’s been stalking us for the last three years.”
It’s my turn to gape at them. “What?”
Noah nods. “She got through security at one of our gigs. Made it into our dressing room. She said she was in love with all of us and that if we didn’t love her back, she’d kill herself. The police wanted to arrest her, but we asked them not to press charges. It was obvious she had mental health issues. We asked our management company to arrange counseling for her, but I guess it never happened.”
“Would this be the same management company that I submitted my lyrics to? The one that the other artist sued?” I ask.
Tanner nods. “It was. Turns out, they never reached out to help her. She tried to break into our hotel room when we were touring in Germany last year. Then she started asking for money. She said she had pictures of us in compromising situations that she’d leak to the press if we didn’t pay up.”
“That’s what you were talking about when you said she wouldn’t get a penny,” I whisper.
Theo nods. “We reached out to her again and offered to get her help, but she wasn’t interested. She doesn’t have anything on us. I’m not saying we’ve been angels, well, apart from Noah,” he says with a grin, “but we’ve always been discreet, and it’s always been consensual. We made a deal with each other that we wouldn’t get caught up in the sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll scene. Not after what we went through as kids.”
I nod. “I know. You’re good guys. All of you. You’ve made something of yourselves and done so much good with your money.”
“I’m sorry you overheard that conversation. I can imagine how it must’ve sounded,” Tanner says with a grimace. “But the truth is, Maggie, we’re all fucking crazy about you. We’ve been talking about ways to keep you with us and stop you from going back to Maryland. We’ve never met anyone like you. You’re amazing. Kind, loving, generous, strong. Your self-esteem could do with a little work, but we plan to spend the next sixty-odd years telling you how beautiful you are. That’s if you’ll have us. If it’s what you want, too?”
The tears I’ve been holding in check suddenly break loose, pouring down my cheeks. I don’t just cry—I ugly cry, complete with snot and possibly a little drool. But my men don’t care. I’m gathered up in strong arms, wrapped in their love. And they do love me. I can feel it in their tender touch, their soothing words. Just the fact that they’re here with me, taking care of me, is proof of their feelings.
I’m not perfect, and neither are they, but when the four of us are together like this, it feels like we’re pretty damn close to perfect.