Chapter 31 #3
We roll out of bed, the three of us moving around the room, bumping into each other in that new, easy way we’ve learned to exist—like a tangle of limbs that doesn’t care about rules or morning breath.
Riot tugs his sweats up over his hips, but not before leaning in and catching my lips in a long, dirty kiss.
“When you’re ready,” he murmurs against my mouth, “we can play out any fantasy you’ve got hiding in that beautiful head of yours.” He licks into the kiss, making my knees weak, then leans in to whisper, “Maybe we set Blake up a spot in the woods—let him watch. Give him a proper show.”
A jolt of pure heat shoots through me. I can’t help the way my breath catches, or the way my thighs clench at the thought. Riot grins when he pulls back, eyes glinting, like he knows exactly what he just did to me.
As I get dressed, I realize how happy I am here between them.
How safe they make me feel. I’m not afraid to tell them anything.
Not my dreams or my secrets. Not the way I want both of them in every way my mind can imagine.
They’ve never once judged me for anything I’ve said or done.
Between these two devils, I’m finally free to want, to just be me.
Jasper’s behind me, pulling on a shirt, but I feel his eyes on us—always watching, always wanting. He catches my gaze in the mirror, a dangerous smile tugging at his mouth.
“You two coming?” he asks, voice thick with more than sleep.
I nod, trying to get my heartbeat under control, and follow them downstairs.
The house is unusually quiet, sun streaming through the windows onto the polished wood floors. The scent of coffee and bacon drifts from the kitchen, but there’s no one in sight. The table is already set—eggs, biscuits, fruit, the works—but every chair is empty.
I look around, confused. “Where is everybody?”
Jasper huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “Believe it or not, everyone’s been taking their breakfast to the basement. Eating in front of our prisoner.”
Riot snorts, snatching a piece of bacon from a platter and biting into it. “Macee says it’s like reality TV down there. Ash brought popcorn last night.”
I blink, a little stunned, and then let out a strangled laugh. “So… breakfast with a side of vengeance?”
Jasper’s grin is all teeth. “You could say that. Nobody’s in a hurry to forgive what he did. But I’d rather be up here—with you.”
Riot leans in, bumping my hip with his. “Unless you want a front-row seat to the show. We can always drag you down there and make Blake watch whatever you want.”
The suggestion hits me harder than I care to admit, but I shake my head, heat prickling under my skin.
“For now…” I say, voice a little rough, “I just want coffee. And you.”
Riot winks, sliding a mug toward me. “Your wish, Sin.”
We settle around the kitchen table, just the three of us, plates piled high. Riot shoves half a biscuit in his mouth and grins at me, still shirtless, still looking like every bad decision I want to make.
Jasper pours my coffee, brushes his knuckles down my arm—subtle, grounding. I’m wedged between them, close enough to feel their heat. Outside the window, the world is too bright, too normal for what lives inside this house.
Conversation drifts between bites—quiet at first, then warming up.
“So, Sin—dreamt up any new ideas for us to try out in the woods?” Riot asks, eyes all innocent, but his foot is pressing up my calf under the table.
Jasper rolls his eyes but doesn’t hide the smirk. “Give her a break. She’s only been back a day, you animal.”
I snort, sipping my coffee. “You two need a hobby.”
Jasper leans in, voice low. “Thought you were our hobby.”
Riot winks. “The kind you get addicted to.”
It’s easy for a few minutes—just the scrape of forks, the soft brush of Jasper’s hand on my thigh, Riot’s laugh like a spark in the quiet. And I let myself sink into it—the safe, the warm, the ordinary.
But under the surface, something’s gnawing. That unfinished thread I can’t ignore.
I set my fork down, tracing the rim of my mug. “I think… I want to see Blake today.”
Both their heads turn toward me, the playfulness draining from the air. Jasper’s brows pull together, worry cutting through the softness in his eyes. Riot’s mouth is suddenly a straight line, his jaw tight.
“I want to talk to him,” I say, voice trembling but firm. “But… I want you both with me. I don’t want to go down there alone.”
Jasper leans in, pressing his lips to my temple. “Then you’re not alone. Not for one fucking second.”
Riot stands and cracks his knuckles, eyes glittering with anticipation. “Hell yeah, Sin. We’ll go down there together. You want answers? We’ll make sure you get every answer.” He gives me a crooked grin, but there’s steel underneath it.
Then he drops his voice, just for me—low and dangerous, but gentle at the edges. “And if he tries to mess with your head, say the word and I’ll make sure he never says another. Or,”—his gaze flicks to Jasper, then back to me—“we’ll just let you have the first swing.”
He winks just enough to make my lips twitch. “Besides… what’s the point of being the devil on your shoulder if I don’t get to watch you face your demons?”
Jasper snorts. “Just try not to enjoy it too much.”
Riot only grins wider, mouth close to my ear. “No promises. I’ve been waiting to watch you burn a monster alive.”
And somehow, with both of them there—one calm, one fire—I know I’ll be okay, no matter what happens in that basement.
We’re finishing up breakfast—coffee almost gone, eggs cold from talking too long at the table—when the back door swings open and the others pile in from the basement.
Ash is first, rolling his eyes and tossing his plate into the sink. “He’s still breathing, unfortunately.”
Jace grins, slapping Micah’s shoulder as they file in. “You missed a show, Riot. Guy’s a whiner.”
Macee breezes through, hair damp from a shower, and gives me a reassuring smile. “You ready, girl? Place smells a hell of a lot better up here, by the way.”
Silas lingers in the doorway, the last to come up. His gaze flicks to Jasper and then to me, silent but steady.
Riot stretches, chair tipping back on two legs. “How’s our little prisoner this morning, gentlemen? Still singing the same old tune, or has he found a new reason to cry?”
Ash snorts. “Mostly just complains about the chains. Can’t say I blame him.”
Jace raises an eyebrow. “He’s quieter since Jasper paid him a visit, though.”
Jasper doesn’t even look up from his coffee. “He’ll be quieter still after today.”
A brief, loaded silence settles over the table.
Riot catches my eye, winking before he says, “Ready when you are, Hellcat. Just say the word.”
I nod, heart pounding, knowing they’re all with me.