16. Mila
16
MILA
It was nearing five o’clock in the evening, and I was in nothing but a bathrobe. My hair was curled, and my makeup applied to perfection. It had been a while since I dressed up like this. I stared at my reflection, loving the way my hazel eyes stood out against the black of my eyelashes, enhanced by mascara, my fair skin, and the hint of blush I had applied.
My blonde hair flowed down to the middle of my back. I felt like a princess.
I took in the expensive makeup, the hair curler, along with a straightener still in the box, and the various gifts Killian had sent over to me.
Both Silas and Killian stayed with me for most of the day, and though we hadn’t done more than kiss after they made me come, it was nice. They left about two hours before, something about some information Killian said he needed to catch Maverick and Silas up on. I didn’t ask for the details, though I had the distinct feeling the discussion was something Killian didn’t want me to know.
I would be seeing Maverick again, and there was a part of me that felt… shy over the aspect. Which was silly, considering all I’d done with him.
I shook my head, took one last glance at myself in the mirror, and walked out to the bed. On top of it was a large box that held a dress I would be wearing tonight. I didn’t really look at it, except for a quick peek inside to know it was red.
But I shouldn’t delay it any longer.
They were picking me up soon.
My heart skipped at the thought, and I opened the lid and shifted through the material. It was silky, soft, and expensive.
I pulled the dress out and took it in. It wasn’t revealing, which didn’t surprise me, but it was… sensual.
Straps about as wide as one of my fingers seamlessly connected down to a sweetheart neckline, dipping in the middle that I was sure would show off my curves in the best way possible, only to flare down at the end. I estimated the dress would end just past my knees. Next to the box was another opened one, which contained matching high heels, about three inches high, and fit just perfectly. Of course he would know what my shoe size was.
I was about to put the dress on when something else in the box caught my attention. I pulled out a red bra in my size and matching panties—a thong . I blushed, taking it in. A rebellious part of me wanted to not put it on—not wear anything at all, but the other part…
I bit my lip.
It wasn’t like this was all that surprising that Killian would purchase these things and send them over to me.
I pulled the bathrobe away from my body and put on the bra and matching thong, the Tiernan tattoo flashing in and out of sight as I moved. It seemed even more noticeable now than before, especially against the red of my underwear.
If this was his way of ensuring I would always be reminded of his… ownership over me, it was working. I was going to be dressed in the clothes he bought me, while the soreness of the new tattoo still remained.
And there was another bigger , more permanent reminder. I pressed my hand down to my belly, where my baby lay, protected from the cruelness of the world.
Maverick said I was powerful because I had him and his brothers in the palm of my hand, but there were moments like this when I questioned it. How powerless would it be if I couldn’t protect my child?
I shook away the depressing thought and pulled the dress over my head.
I smoothed the fabric down as it shifted against my skin before I sat on the bed and put on the high heels, completing the outfit.
I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the long mirror, my breath catching.
I didn’t think I had ever looked so put together before.
For the first time, I didn’t feel like a mismatched puzzle next to the brothers, but somehow… a perfect fit.
A knock came at the door, making me jump in surprise and my heart race.
I walked on shaky legs, pausing and trying to catch my bearings for a quick second before I opened the door to three huge men standing in front of me. They were all looking at me with varying degrees of heat, softness, and possessiveness. I shifted on my feet from the intensity of their gaze, my eyes not knowing who to focus on. They were all so… mouthwatering, take-my-breath-away gorgeous. And the fact that they were all standing there, side by side and looking at me like… like they loved me.
My eyes stopped on Killian. He told me he loved me. He was the only one so far, which was surprising because if I had thought he was capable of love, I would have believed he’d be the last one to fall, to confess.
The usual hardness was on his face, his dark eyes assessing and proud as he took in the red dress he bought for me to wear. His dark brown hair was still messy and chaotic as usual, but it wasn’t unkempt. It made me think about how he looked after we fucked, when I had run my fingers through his hair each time he did something with his lips, his fingers, his… The thought made wetness pool between my legs, and I shifted, causing a slight smirk to form on his face and a knowing look in his eyes, as if he knew just what I was thinking.
For the first time, he was dressed in a black suit sans tie. The jacket clung to his muscular form perfectly. What an imposing sight he made.
My eyes moved over to Maverick, who was standing in the middle, a softness in his blue eyes that I was quickly becoming used to. He was in his standard black suit that was undoubtedly tailored to him. His red tie matched my dress, drawing my eyes to it briefly before I looked back up at his face. His beard was neatly trimmed, and though only one day had passed since I’d last seen him, I was hit with a yearning so strong, it was amazing I could stay standing like this.
I wondered if he could see the longing in my eyes. I tried not to let it show. The last thing I needed was to make myself any more vulnerable to them than I already had.
Lastly, my eyes moved to Silas.
The playful smile was already on his face, his honey-brown eyes shining from the light coming out of my motel room. His black midnight hair was styled with the top to be a little messy. Like his brothers, he wore a suit, the dark gray color making his golden tan skin stand out.
“Angel,” Silas said, breaking the silence first as he pushed his way into my room and wrapped his arms around me. He lifted me up in his arms until my feet no longer touched the ground. I grinned, pressing my hands down on his shoulders.
“You look absolutely ravishing, don’t you, baby?”
I shrugged. “It’s just the makeup.”
Silas shook his head. “It’s the girl.”
He brought me down to his waiting lips and kissed me sweetly. I felt lightheaded when he pulled away, and then Maverick was there, pulling me away from Silas and holding me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he glided his lips down the side of my face, his beard tickling me a bit.
“I missed you, little monster,” he whispered close to my ears.
“I missed you too,” I said, not caring how vulnerable that might make me sound. My grip tightened around him. “So much.”
“Good to know,” he said quietly, making me pull back. I took in his impassive face, almost as if he was trying not to show me how he was feeling. Did he not think I would miss him too?
I blinked. I hadn’t realized I could have the power to make them feel vulnerable.
“I really did miss you,” I whispered, leaning over and kissing his lips briefly. His arms tightened around me marginally before he pulled away from the kiss and set me down.
Killian came up and wrapped his arms around me from behind as soon as my feet touched the ground, his lips latching onto the skin on my shoulder.
I shivered against him, trying hard not to give into the feeling, give into the temptation of asking him to move his lips, either north or south of me, I didn’t care. I just… wanted more.
“Should we go?” I asked, my voice breathless.
I felt Killian smile against my skin. “Not yet. Are you wearing the panties I bought you? The bra?”
I sucked in a shuddering breath and looked over at Maverick and Silas, not knowing what to say.
Silas’ grin was as wicked as the devil himself. “Answer him, angel.”
I nodded my head slightly and felt Killian’s arms tighten around me. “Fucking hell. Show me, firecracker.”
“Now?” I asked, a tinge of panic mixed in with the arousal in my voice. Did they…?
I shook my head. Killian pressed another kiss on my shoulder, fucking with my mind even more than it was already fucked.
“Show me,” Killian said softly, sensually. So different from the man I knew him to be. “Show us.”
Slowly, I moved my shaky hands down to the dress. Two pairs of eyes took me in intently while Killian continued to kiss my skin, as if he couldn’t get enough of me.
Cool air teased my skin as I dragged the fabric up. My face burned, and I knew my skin was as red as my dress when I stopped around my waist.
Killian let out a sharp exhale, his fingers skimming over the silky softness of my panties. “Fucking hell, baby girl. I imagined how you would look in this since the fucking moment I saw it, but nothing compares to the actual sight.”
I gasped when he cupped my pussy, pulling me back in closer to him until I could feel his hard-on against the small of my back. I looked at Maverick and Silas, but I doubted they would be any help, considering they appeared how I imagined Killian looked.
With dark desire, I wasn’t sure it wouldn't scare me.
“Didn’t you say there was a matching bra?” Silas said, his eyes glinting.
I glared at him as Maverick smirked. “Yes, that’s right. I remember Killian saying something like that.”
Before I could protest or tell them we might be late to wherever they had planned, I heard the unmistakable sound of the zipper being pulled down, followed by the loosening of my dress fabric. The dress was pushed down off my shoulders and landed in a small heap around my feet.
“I should have just answered the door like this,” I said, trying to sound unaffected, all the while fighting against the urge to cover myself with my arms. I stayed still while all three brothers took me in.
Killian grabbed the string of my thong and pulled it back, making the fabric pull against my pussy. I squirmed slightly on my feet. “Fuck me, but this really doesn’t cover anything, does it? Lucky for you, this is meant for our eyes only, got me?”
He let go of the string, letting it slap down against my crease. I puffed out a breath of air from the slight pain and the sensation. I turned back and shot him a dirty look. What the hell did he think I was going to do? Go out and find someone to sleep with?
He grinned and winked at me. I felt the wink all the way down to my clit.
Fingers ran along my ribs, and I turned to find Maverick standing close to me, a dark look on his face. “This is new.” His blue eyes found Killian from behind as he traced the tattoo over and over again. “Your doing, I’m guessing.”
“You’re welcome,” Killian answered him. I resisted the urge to turn back around and kick him in the shin. Maverick chuckled. I resisted the urge to kick Maverick too.
I looked over at Silas, who was grinning at me. He promised to help me take revenge on Killian, and I had already decided what I wanted to do about it. And I knew Silas could see that from my face. His grin widened, and a devilish glint entered his eyes. My lips twitched.
Maverick brought my attention back to him when he placed two fingers beneath my chin and turned my face to him. His gaze roamed over my features, and I worked hard to keep my thoughts from showing. I probably didn’t do such a good job because he turned back, looked at Silas, then at me.
He let out a small laugh and shook his head, bending his face down until his lips grazed the side of my face. “Oh, you are just trouble, aren’t you, sweetheart?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and if you guys have had enough, I would like to get dressed and leave.”
His chuckle deepened, causing his chest to rumble against me. I closed my eyes briefly and took in the sensation, my hands coming up and gripping his shoulders. He moved in closer to me.
“Let’s go, little monster.”
I felt Killian shift behind me before the dress was pulled up around my body once more. Maverick stepped back as Killian draped the straps over my shoulders, his lips following behind as he zipped me up. I took a deep breath as Killian joined his brothers until all three stood before me.
“How do I look?” I asked, my fingers running through my hair. They hadn’t touched it, but there was a part of me that couldn’t help but fidget.
“Beautiful,” Maverick said possessively.
“Ravishing,” Killian answered darkly.
“Fucking hot,” Silas said, a wicked smirk curving around his lips before he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around me. “I can’t fucking wait to show you off, angel.”
Before I could respond to that, he was already leading me out the front door, Maverick and Killian following close behind.
I barely heard the door closing behind us. I was too giddy taking in the expensive, sleek black car parked out in front. It stood out among all the crappy cars around the motel and had already garnered attention from some of the motel’s guests. A familiar man stood by the car. I remembered him as the one who usually drove Maverick around. His name escaped me now.
It wasn’t like I was really focused on him. My attention was on the group of men standing a small distance away, whispering among themselves as they took in the car. In the middle of the men was Billy. He was still at the motel. I had thought he left when I didn’t see him in my comings and goings.
He was still here. My heart rate sped at the sight of him as I thought back to when he had me cornered.
“Angel?”
I turned to Silas. He frowned down at me before turning his gaze to the group of men I had my eyes on.
When he turned back to look at me, there was something dark on his face.
“Which one?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head, not knowing how to answer him. If I did, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t kill Billy, but was what Billy had done really something he deserved to die for?
I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to play the role of judge, jury, and executioner. I wasn’t like the brothers. Even if being more like them would help me better adapt to the world.
I shook my head.
Frustration tinged around Silas’ eyes. “Mila.”
“I—”
Billy laughed then, causing me to tense. A reaction Silas didn’t miss. He nodded, almost to himself. I grabbed his wrist with both hands. “Just let it go.”
“Did the fucker touch you?”
I could have lied to him then, but somehow, I thought he would be able to see right through me. So I said nothing.
His fist clenched.
Maverick and Killian came up close to us.
“What’s going on?” Maverick asked. I didn’t know how to answer him. I looked away from the brothers, but my eyes ended up clashing with Billy’s. I implored him to run away. Fuck, just run away. His laughter slowly died on his lips, as if he finally sensed the danger aimed at him. A quick glance back told me all three brothers were staring him down. And even if he was on something, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he could sense danger, especially when it came from three predators.
I could see him swallow and take a step back.
Killian pressed his lips on the skin of my shoulder. “Get in the car, little firecracker.”
I nodded, letting him lead me away just as Billy turned and ran out of there.
I sat between Silas and Killian in the car while Maverick sat across from us. The car was spacious enough that the two back seats faced each other. My hands came down to the posh black leather seat, trying to get Billy out of my mind. Hopefully, he escaped before the brothers decided to hunt him down.
I took my time taking in each of their faces. Silas pressed his finger on my lips, stopping the words that were about to escape.
“Let’s not think about things that don't matter.”
He meant Billy. He meant… another life. I pulled away, but Killian had me turning toward him, pressing his lips against mine in an electric kiss that fried all of my good senses away.
His tongue pushed in for a quick play before he pulled away from me, leaving me feeling out of breath.
I took in a sharp inhale, and he smirked at me, his hand coming up and cupping my cheek. A thumb pressed down on my bottom lip, which I was sure was swollen. I blinked, my attention shifting slightly when Maverick grabbed my feet, pulling my heels off and placing them on his lap. He massaged my ankles, frowning a bit. I tried not to react so strongly, but my legs had been sore lately. My head fell back against the cushion as a small moan escaped.
“Do these look a little swollen?” Maverick asked, toying a bit with the anklet around my left ankle. Killian had put it on me the same night he tattooed me. I didn’t ask him why, and a part of me didn’t want to know. Especially since earlier, I realized it wasn’t easy to take off.
I shrugged, not answering him. God, if he could do this for the rest of the drive, I wouldn’t mind. Not one bit.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“We’re going to show you off. We’re heading to one of our restaurants downtown,” Killian answered.
“Yours?” I asked. He nodded. “How many businesses do you own?”
My father had owned various businesses while I was growing up. He never kept them for more than a few years at a time, and I knew it was because he used them as an avenue to launder his illegal money. In the last few years before his… impending death, he filed bankruptcy on a lot of them.
“Quite a few,” Silas answered me. “Mostly downtown. And we own several buildings around there, renting out to other businesses as well.”
“Mostly restaurants?” I asked.
“As well as bars and nightclubs,” Silas said quietly, and I knew he was thinking back to when they brought me to their bar. And I ran.
“My dad used to own a few businesses. I don’t think they’re still standing,” I said, trying to change the subject.
Maverick confirmed it when he nodded. “Daniel had been getting himself into all sorts of debt these past years. On record, he had nothing to his name.”
A speculative look entered his eyes. I nodded, confirming what he was thinking. “My dad was a paranoid man. I have no doubt he hid his money all over the world. I took fifty grand from his safe when I ran.”
“We know, little monster.”
Of course they did. They took it when they took me from New Orleans. I didn’t know what they had done with that money, and I couldn’t really bring myself to care anymore.
“Before I forget,” Maverick said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the familiar oval pendant necklace. My eyes widened in surprise. I didn’t think I would ever see this again. It was the same one I had pawned when I ran away. I had no doubt he also had the bracelet, earrings, and matching anklet.
Sure enough, Silas pulled out another box and opened it for me, showing off the earrings with the flat, heart-shaped gold face. Killian helped me with the necklace as Silas handed the earrings over to me.
“You got them back from the pawnshop,” I said softly, taking in the earrings.
Silas scoffed. “The fucker skimped you on their worth. Yeah, we got them back for the exact price he paid you.”
I nodded. The words I wanted to say stayed lodged in my throat. It might be the pregnancy affecting me.
I looked down, avoiding their gaze as I put the earrings on. Taking a deep breath, I finally looked up and took them in, from Maverick's intense expression to Silas’ possessive one and finally to Killian’s serious one.
I smiled, and it felt like the entire car had taken one huge exhale after holding its breath for so long.
I leaned back against the seat as Silas wrapped his arms around me. We made the rest of the ride in a comfortable silence.
I shouldn’t have been so comfortable with the brothers. But something had changed between us since I ran. I had thought they would force me back to their place as soon as they found me. I had thought if I gave them enough time, enough incentive, they would give me a reason to hate them.
But that wasn’t the case.
Our dynamic was different, and for the first time all night, I was sorely tempted to tell them about the pregnancy.
It had been their fucking goal since the beginning. I knew that now. So they couldn’t be angry over the fact that it was the result.
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.
I could feel Silas’ eyes on me, and I looked up to find a thoughtful expression on his face. He moved his hand down from my shoulder and over my stomach, keeping it there. I didn’t think he realized what he was doing, but there was something comforting about it all the same.
I closed my mouth and leaned further into him.
I didn’t have to tell them now. And I didn’t have to worry about it so much, so I decided not to.
I took in a deep breath, determined to just enjoy the ride.