Chapter 31
ELLIE
The hot water cascades over me, a welcome contrast to the chill that had settled in my bones.
I lean my head back, letting the spray wash away the remnants of the day, the tension, the fear.
My life has become a whirlwind since Aria…
well, since Aria decided I was hers. I still can’t quite wrap my head around it.
One minute, I was Ellie, just Ellie, and the next, I am… this.
A prisoner.
I close my eyes, letting the steam envelop me.
Downstairs, I know Zane, Dominic, and Beckett are probably huddled in the living room, discussing Aria's next move. They’re always strategizing, planning, trying to anticipate her.
I appreciate their dedication, their protectiveness, but I’m exhausted.
I don’t want to think about Aria right now. I just want a moment of peace.
One goddamn moment.
I love them fiercely, but I… I miss Ryker and Landon. So fucking much. It’s like I can’t suck in a full breath knowing we’re all separated. All I want is for the six of us to be together again, as inseparable as we were before things went to shit.
When I close my eyes, I can picture their faces.
Landon’s strong jawline, dusted with stubble, his brown hair haphazardly pushed away from his face. His silver eyes, winged with molten violet, the most enticing color I’ve ever seen. Maybe they’re actually a shade of light, light blue, but to me, they’ve always been silver. Metallic.
Ryker’s dark face peering up at me from the darkness of his hoodie. That soft, black hair, longer now than it has ever been. Icy blue eyes. Muscled body hewn from solid stone, riven here and there with old scars my fingers yearn to explore.
My hands drift down, tracing the curve of my breasts. They feel fuller, more sensitive than before. A consequence, perhaps, of the constant arousal that seems to be my new normal. I cup them, my thumbs brushing against my nipples, and a shiver runs through me.
Ryker’s strong hands, his possessive grip, the way he worships my body… I sigh, remembering his calloused palms on my skin. He’s a force of nature, a protector, a lover who consumes me with his intensity.
Then there’s Landon. My heart clenches at the thought of him. His gentle touch, his soft words, the way he looks at me with such adoration.
I miss them both so damn much. The ache of their absence is a constant companion. I miss Landon’s warmth, Ryker’s ice gaze, the way they both make me feel safe.
I’m grateful Dominic, Beckett, and Zane are with me, but this isn’t about them. Not right now.
My fingers move lower, finding the slick heat between my legs. I explore, teasing myself, reliving Landon’s fingers on my skin, the way he’d drive me wild with his touch. I imagine his metallic silver eyes, his intense gaze, the way he’d whisper my name as he brought me to the edge.
My breath hitches. The water turns cold, but I don’t care. I’m lost in the memory, in the sensation. I close my eyes, picturing Ryker’s hard body pressed against mine, Landon’s tender kisses, the way they both make me feel so utterly desired.
My body begins to tremble. The pleasure builds, a slow, delicious burn that intensifies with each stroke. I bite my lip, lost in the moment, letting the sensations wash over me. I imagine them both, Ryker and Landon, their hands on me, their mouths on me, their bodies intertwined with mine.
A moan escapes my lips as the climax hits, a wave of pure, unadulterated pleasure that leaves me weak and breathless. I lean against the shower wall, letting the aftershocks ripple through me.
Finally, the tremors subside. I take a deep breath as exhaustion and satisfaction wash over me. I turn off the water, step out of the shower, and wrap myself in a thick, fluffy towel.
I dry myself slowly, savoring the feeling of the soft fabric against my skin. I feel…renewed. Refreshed. Ready, perhaps, to face whatever the day holds, whatever Aria throws at us next.
I walk into the bedroom, the clean scent of the freshly laundered sheets filling my nostrils.
I put on a bra and panties—not wanting to be caught without them in Aria’s home-slash-prison—then reach for a pair of comfortable jeans and a soft, oversized shirt.
As I pull the shirt over my head, I glance toward the window.
And then I see it. A shadow. A tall, familiar silhouette.
Standing in the corner of my room.
Here.
Inside.
Here.
My heart leaps into my throat.
Landon.
He stands there, silhouetted against the fading light, his presence radiating through the room. My breath catches. He’s here. He’s back.
Oh god.
Why is he here?
Is everyone okay?
Oh god.
He’s at my side in two long strides, his hands cupping my face, his touch so real, so warm, it brings tears to my eyes. “Ellie,” he breathes, his voice a ragged whisper.
“Landon,” I choke out, my hands flying to his wrists, holding on like he’s my only anchor to the world. “What are you doing here? Is everyone okay? Is Ryker okay? Did anyone see you? Oh god, if you were seen—”
“Shh,” he murmurs, his thumb stroking my cheek.
He’s thinner, the lines around his eyes deeper, but his gaze is as intense as ever.
“Everyone is okay. Ryker’s perfectly fine—even if he is a surly psycho.
No one saw me. I was careful. I had to see you.
I couldn’t… I couldn’t stay away another day, knowing you were in here.
” He leans his forehead against mine, and I close my eyes, breathing him in.
He smells of leather, cold night air, and the faint, clean scent of him that’s been haunting my dreams.
“Okay,” I whisper, a fragile sense of safety wrapping around me, even in this dangerous place. “Okay.”
He pulls back just enough to look at me, his expression darkening.
“I know why she’s keeping you, Ellie. I know why Aria is so desperate to have you.
” His voice drops lower, laced with a grim satisfaction.
“Fischer isn’t her biological son. We found a birth certificate.
Fischer is the son of your mom and a one-night stand.
He has no blood ties to Aria. And—get this—Aria is Jane’s sister.
Your little friends showed up at the hotel, and…
fuck. It’s a lot, I know. I need to explain it all, but I can’t… It’s so fucking good to see you.”
His words hit me like a slap.
Fischer isn’t related to Aria by blood? He isn’t related to me by blood? Jane is Aria’s sister? Does that mean she’s, like, my aunt? Oh god.
But… I don’t want to hear that. Any of that.
I don’t want to think about Fischer, about Jane, about Aria and her twisted games and suffocating obsession.
All I want is this. Him. This one, stolen moment.
It may be selfish of me, but all I can focus on is Landon.
He’s here. God, he’s here, and I missed him terribly, and it finally feels like I can breathe.
It’s always like this when one of them is near me. They become the center of my universe. It’s not as if I forget the others—how could I?—but at this moment, they don’t matter. No one does but the man I’m with.
I push all thoughts away. I’ll focus on them—and the revelations that my brain still can’t entirely process—later. But for now…
“No,” I say, shaking my head, my voice trembling. “Landon, don’t. Please, don’t talk about them. Not here. Not now.”
He looks at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. “But, Ellie, this is important. It means we know why—”
“I don’t care about that,” I interrupt, my voice stronger than I expect as I grab the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, needing him to understand.
“I don’t care about Fischer or Aria or any of our sick family drama.
I’ve had weeks of nothing but that in my head.
I’ve spent every single moment in this room thinking about them, wondering what Aria wants from me.
” My gaze locks with his, pleading. “You’re here now.
For just a few minutes, you’re here. Please.
Let’s not waste it on them. Let it be about us. Just for a minute.”
The hard, determined lines of his face soften. The urgency in his eyes melts away, replaced by a deep, aching tenderness. He sees it. He understands. He lets out a slow breath, his body relaxing.
“Okay,” he whispers, his hands moving from my face to thread through my hair. “Okay. You’re right. No them. Just us.”
He leans in and kisses me. It’s not a kiss of frantic passion or desperate need.
It’s slow, deep, and impossibly gentle. It’s a kiss that says I’m here.
It’s a kiss that says I miss you. It’s a kiss that promises I will get you out of here.
My whole body sighs into it, the days of fear and loneliness dissolving under the warmth of his lips.
He breaks the kiss, resting his cheek against my temple. “I miss you so fucking much,” he murmurs into my hair. “Every second.”
“I miss you too,” I whisper, my eyes closed, memorizing the feel of his body against mine, the sound of his voice.
I wrap my arms around him, holding on as tight as I can, trying to absorb his strength, his warmth, his love.
In this cold, suffocating room, with danger lurking outside the door, Landon is my entire world.
And for these few precious, stolen moments, that’s all that matters.
My body hums with an electric current.
“Fuck, El,” he growls, his voice a low rumble against my ear. His lips find the sensitive skin just below it, and I shudder, my hands flying up to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck. It’s longer than I remember. “I’ve been thinking about this. About you. About this perfect little body.”
His words are a brand, hot and possessive. One of his hands slides from my waist down to cup my ass, squeezing hard enough to make me gasp. He uses the grip to grind me against him, letting me feel how hard he already is, the thick ridge of his cock pressing into my belly through our jeans.