19. Mila
19
MILA
I cleaned away the condensation on the mirror above the bathroom sink, taking in my reflection, from my damp hair to my face, free of makeup, to my pale skin.
It had been an hour since the brothers dropped me off at the motel.
I was a little disappointed they hadn’t invited themselves in to stay the night…
Okay, I was a lot disappointed.
Considering they never had any problem crossing my boundaries and pushing themselves in places they weren’t invited to, they now decided to wait for me to ask?
And I would have asked, only the longer I looked at them, the more I lost my nerve, and I didn’t know why that was.
It wasn’t like I had any reason to be shy with them, considering all the things we had done. Perhaps I didn’t ask, not out of shyness, but because I didn’t want to make myself too vulnerable.
Not now, when we were still trying to find our footing, and I needed them to be the ones to take control.
But now, I was regretting it because I was back in the motel room alone and not knowing what to do with myself.
I turned away from the mirror and walked back out to the room, pulling on some sleep clothes. Killian left his clothes behind, so I took his shirt and one of my panties. I brushed my hair, quickly slathered on some moisturizer, and despite not feeling tired or the fact that my hair was still wet, I turned off the light and climbed into bed.
I twisted and turned for the first half hour, trying to fall asleep. Then I was just staring aimlessly up at the ceiling, thinking about all sorts of nonsense. I was feeling too wired.
I wished I could just sleep and not have to think anymore.
It was probably about two hours before I felt my eyes getting heavy. I blinked once, twice, three times. On the fourth blink, I didn’t open my eyes.
I fell into a fitful sleep, unable to remember whether I had dreamed.
Something woke me up.
I didn’t know what it was, but it was something because I could feel myself being pulled away from my subconsciousness.
A shuffling sound, then a shushing sound that sounded like it came from a man.
I frowned.
Was I dreaming?
More shuffling.
No.
I wasn’t dreaming.
Someone was in my room. They were going through my things quietly and didn’t want me to wake up. I swallowed as fear took hold, choking me. Who was in my room?
“Is that everything?” a male voice whispered.
Wait. I know that voice.
“Everything that she needs anyway. The rest can be thrown out,” another familiar voice answered the first one.
What the fuck?
I opened my eyes. The streetlight coming through from the open curtains let in enough light for me to barely make out what was happening. Maverick was standing in front of me, a wicked grin gracing his lips. The light reflected off his face in just the right way, making him look like the boogeyman hiding under my bed.
“Hi, little monster.”
No words could pass through my lips as he bundled the blanket around my body and lifted me up in his arms. My heart raced from being jostled, especially when I had just woken up and still felt disoriented. I tried to move my arms out to hold on to him, but they were firmly trapped inside the blanket.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“What’s going on is we’re done waiting.” This came from Silas. He was holding a duffle bag in his hand. With my things?
“Waiting?”
“Yup. We’re taking the decision out of your hand. You’re coming with us. We’re staying the night at a hotel,” Killian said, moving in my line of sight. He looked around the place with disgust on his face. “You will never stay at a place like this ever again.”
Maverick moved with me in his arms before I could answer.
“So I don’t get a say?” I asked when he walked through the front door that Killian held open for him.
“Nope,” Maverick said casually.
“You know this is kidnapping, right?”
Maverick leaned down until his lips touched my skin. “Add that to a long list of immoral things we’ve done in our life already.”
I shivered from the dark note in his voice.
“Besides,” he continued. “This isn’t the first time we’ve kidnapped you. What’s one more time?”
I shook my head, but I could feel my heart calming. A weight lifted, and it felt like I could finally breathe again. As bad as it sounded to admit, I didn’t want to be left in charge to make all the decisions anymore. I didn’t want to have to second-guess myself, to be the one to tell them what to do with regard to us.
I wanted them to take the decision out of my hands. I let out a small sigh and rested my head on Maverick’s chest. I felt him stutter in his steps, and when I looked up to meet his eyes, he was gazing at me with a knowing expression.
“We should have done this sooner. You’re tired, little monster.”
I didn’t confirm or deny it. I snuggled in closer to him as he approached the car.
Marcus was already there with the door opened for us. Maverick was careful not to hit my head as he climbed in with me still in his arms. I stayed on his lap as Killian and Silas entered, and then we were off.
I didn’t speak on the drive. My gaze stayed on the window, watching as the scenery changed, as the place got more crowded, and as the darkness disappeared, replaced by the city lights shining through.
Finally, we pulled up to a hotel. There weren't a lot of people around, considering the time of night, but it was bright, and it reminded me a lot of the hotel the brothers had stayed at back in New Orleans.
“We’ll be here for the night to give you some time to rest before we head home,” Maverick said when he noticed me staring.
My heart did a little flip-flop when we said the word home . I never had a home before.
The clubhouse I grew up in didn’t count. Not when I had spent so many years wishing I could just leave. The Tiernan mansion hadn’t felt like home before because I had been there against my will. But things were different now, weren’t they?
They still didn’t know I was pregnant.
“I don’t need to rest,” I muttered as we entered the hotel. My words probably lost some of their hold when I yawned right after I said it. Maverick shot me a look, and I felt a small blush on my cheeks.
I still had the blanket wrapped around me, and Maverick was carrying me in his arms. We garnered some strange looks from the few people in the lobby. I blushed harder and looked away from them.
“Right, little monster. We’re staying, and you’re going to sleep right away.”
“I had been sleeping when I was so rudely woken up,” I said.
Maverick’s lips twitched. “And now you’ll get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.”
“Just sleep?” I asked. And I meant for the words to come out normal, but there was a breathless quality to my voice that was undeniable.
Maverick looked amused. “Just sleep.”
He laughed when I pouted as we got to the elevator. I looked around for Silas and Killian.
“Killian is making arrangements to ensure we won’t be interrupted tomorrow, and Silas is taking care of our bags,” Maverick said. “They’ll be up soon, but for now, it’s just you and me.”
I nodded, barely paying attention to all that went on around me just as the elevator closed on us. Somehow, Maverick managed to press the button for our floor with me still in his arms. I buried my face in his neck and kissed him there.
He tensed. “Mila.”
There was a warning in his voice that I ignored. “What?”
“Don’t act innocent with me, sweetheart.”
I kissed him again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You smell good.”
He always smelled good, like the outdoors mixed with warmth.
His arm tightened around me. “You’re testing my control. And you need your sleep.”
“I’m not that tired.”
“Those bags under your eyes would beg to differ.”
“Are you saying I look bad?” I asked, resisting the urge to hide my face back in his neck.
He shot me a look. “Sweetheart, you’re beautiful. You’re always beautiful, no matter what.”
A frown marred his face. “What?” I whispered.
“You seemed… more exhausted than normal.”
I tried to keep my expression neutral. “Just an exhausting week.”
“Because you were on your own,” he said as the elevator opened. He walked out into the dimly lit hallway. “Don’t worry. You won’t ever be alone again.”
“Sounds ominous.”
He smiled mildly. “I’m going to put you down now.”
I nodded mutely. He gently set me down until I was standing, keeping his arms around me for a moment to make sure I was steady before letting go. I missed his touch instantly. My hands balled into fists, and I fought against the urge to move back to him until we were touching once more. I must have made a small sound because he looked at me strangely as he unlocked the door to the darkened room.
He turned on the light and picked me back up in his arms. I let out a sigh of relief and melted into him, briefly taking in the large suite as he made his way to one of the doors. He pushed it open with his foot and walked over to the bed, placing me on it. He pulled the blanket from the motel away, wrinkled his nose at the sight, and threw it somewhere in the corner.
I grabbed his arms when it looked like he was about to walk away. “Stay.”
I didn’t care anymore that saying it might make me vulnerable. I just didn’t fucking care.
“Please.”
“You never have to ask, little monster. Just let me get ready for bed real quick.”
I nodded and watched him walk away to the connected bathroom, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying anything else.
I listened as the water turned on, listened to the mundane sound of him getting ready, and then he was out, his hair and skin slightly damp and smelling like soap and toothpaste. He was shirtless, his tattoos on full display. My eyes focused on the Chicago skyscraper on his rib.
The boxer briefs he had on clung to his muscular form like a second skin, the bulge in them noticeable. I was both tired and turned on.
He shot me a knowing smile as he climbed into the bed, pulling me back into his arms as the blanket went over us.
He spooned me from behind, and I looked out to the window, taking in the city lights.
“Sleep, little monster. I’ll be here, keeping everything bad away,” he whispered, his hot breath teasing the top of my head.
I nodded. I believed him.
He would keep everything bad away from me.
So I went to sleep.
And I didn’t dream.
It was probably late morning by the time I woke up.
I didn’t know. I was basing it on the way the sun shone down through the window. I felt rested. And I was alone.
I turned around to take in the empty space next to me on the bed, feeling the cool bed sheets. Wherever Maverick had gone, he had been gone for a while now. I tried to listen in for any voices outside the room, but it seemed I might be alone in the hotel suite.
I looked around and located my duffle bag. I grabbed a shirt and a pair of black joggers, placed them on the bed, and looked out the window. It was silent for once. The motel, though deserted, was often polluted with noise. Whether it was someone playing their music too loud or kids yelling and playing by my window.
But it was silent here. Peaceful.
Safe.
I was about to pull the clothes on when I was hit with a bout of morning sickness. I covered my mouth and hurried to the bathroom, expelling all that I had eaten the night before.
Fuck. My eyes watered, and I tried to ride it out.
I distinctly heard the door opening from a distance. I didn’t care to check. And then someone was sitting behind me, pulling my hair back and holding it with one hand while the other rubbed circles around my back.
“Ah, angel. It’s okay,” Silas said softly.
No, it wasn’t. I was fucking miserable. When would this be over?
After I was done, and I was dry-heaving air into the toilet, I pulled away. Silas flushed the toilet for me and helped me up.
“Toothbrush,” I managed to get out. Silas left the bathroom. He wasn’t gone long. Not even a minute, and then he was pushing my toothbrush into my hand. I grabbed the tube of toothpaste near the sink and set about brushing my teeth to get the taste out of my mouth. Silas leaned against the wall and watched me silently. I met his eyes briefly in the mirror before looking away, wondering if he would ask me.
Did he know enough about pregnancy to guess? To ask me?
Or would he think I was sick? But what would he think then if I didn’t look or act sick after this, which was usually the case?
Once I was done, I stayed where I was standing, looking down at the sink. I saw Silas slowly approach me from the corner of my eye, and then he was standing close to me. He wrapped his arms around my middle and pressed his lips against my temple.
“Come on. Let’s get back in the bedroom.”
I nodded, letting him lead me there. He sat me down on the bed, grasping my shoulders with both hands and bending down until we were eye to eye.
“Okay?” he asked me.
Again, I nodded.
He smiled. “Good. Let’s get you ready for the day. I have breakfast waiting.”
He straightened and grabbed the shirt I had set out on the bed. Before I could say anything else, he pulled my sleep shirt over my head. I shivered, my nipples tightening from both the cool air and his intense gaze.
Silas let out a small groan and cupped one of my breasts, squeezing it. “Fuck me, but look at you. We didn’t get the chance to play yesterday, but believe me when I say that it will soon be rectified.”
I whimpered when he tugged on my nipple, plucking it until it turned hard, and the pain was almost too much to bear.
“Silas.”
“Baby, how can I resist you? Just a taste,” he muttered, almost as if to himself. Before I knew what was happening, he was pushing me back until I was lying on the bed. He spread my legs and crawled in between them just as his lips latched onto my nipple, sucking it into his mouth. He rolled the hardened nub around between his teeth. I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side, taking in the sensation.
His fingers plucked at my other nipple. I writhed beneath him as slight tremors wracked my body.
“Silas.”
“That’s right, angel. Say my name. Do you like what I’m doing to you?”
I could only nod.
I felt him smile against my skin before he brought my nipple back into his mouth, sucking even harder than before. My back bowed, and I felt the pressure down to my clit. I pushed my hips up, rotating it against him until I could feel the friction.
My moans got louder.
“Nuh-uh, naughty girl. Did I give you permission to move?”
“Silas. Please don’t tease me.”
He kissed his way up my body, his fingers clasping around my nipple roughly and holding it there.
Fuck.
“But I fucking love teasing you,” he said when he got to my chin. He kissed me there before moving up to my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck just as he took my lips in his, pushing them open and deepening the kiss, almost as if his life depended on it.
I tightened my arms around him with every passing of his tongue against mine. I couldn’t get enough of it. Of him. I wanted more. I kissed him harder, pressing more of myself into him, finding it almost impossible to leave even a minuscule amount of space between us.
“More, Silas,” I said against his lips.
He let out a low rumble in the back of his throat that sounded a hell of a lot like a growl before he kissed me harder, the fingers around my nipple tightening.
Fuck.
I tried to push him away when the pain became almost too much, only to pull him back closer to me in the next breath, unable to stand the idea of him not being pressed up against me like this.
I pulled away from the kiss. “Silas.”
“Fucking hell,” he groaned out, pushing his weight up and looking over at me. “You drive me fucking insane.”
“Ditto,” I said breathlessly.
He smiled mildly, his gaze getting more intense.
I could feel my face heating and my heart racing the longer he took me in with that look in his eyes, almost as if…
I shook my head.
He smiled a little and got off me. He grabbed my hand and helped me sit up on the bed, his eyes moving up and down my body, from my naked chest down to the pink panties I had on that suddenly felt so flimsy, I might as well not have anything on.
Silas licked his lips.
“Later,” he said, almost regretfully, just as he helped me dress.
I reached inside the duffle bag for a hair tie and put my hair up into a low ponytail before Silas pulled me out of the room.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“Taking care of a few things before we go home in a couple of hours.”
“So soon?”
Silas turned back and looked at me. “Yes. Are you okay with that?”
The question was so out of the norm for him that a small giggle burst out of my throat. He looked at me questioningly.
“What would you do if I said no?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything for a beat. Then he shrugged, looking so much like the Silas I met in New Orleans that I was hit with the urge to kiss him.
“It wouldn’t matter. You belong to me. To us. And back home is where you belong. Not in shitty motels, hiding away from us.”
For a moment, I could only stare at him. Then, “You really hate the fact that I stayed in the motel, don’t you?”
He pulled me in closer with his arms. “Don’t fucking remind me of that place. It is taking everything in me not to go over there and burn the shit place to the ground.”
My eyebrows raised in surprise. Before I could say anything to that, he was kissing my neck. I let out a small sigh and leaned my head to the side, giving him better access.
Then my stomach grumbled, ruining the moment.
I felt him shaking against me as he laughed.
He pulled away. “Breakfast, angel.”
Leading me to what looked like a communal area in the suite, I could see a cart of food nearby. I sat down on the couch and Silas grabbed a plate, placing it on the coffee table in front of me. He pulled the cover off and revealed a plate of avocado toast with scrambled eggs on the side, along with some mixed berries and a small cup of yogurt.
“Your breakfast, m’lady,” he said, adopting a British accent.
I giggled, clapping my hands. Silas’ smile widened.
“It looks amazing.”
“I thought you might like that,” he said, grabbing a plate for himself and sitting beside me. I smiled shyly at him before digging in. We ate in silence, mostly because I was too busy focusing on the food.
After throwing up last night's dinner, I was hungry. I ate more than I usually did, and I finished my meal before Silas. He eyed me, looking impressed.
“All done?” he asked.
I nodded. He pulled the glass of orange juice closer to me. I smiled my thanks, slowly taking a sip of my drink while he worked on his food. The door clicked open, and Maverick and Killian walked in—Maverick in his usual black suit that molded to his huge form perfectly, and Killian in his usual dark jeans and fitted dark shirt and equally dark expression.
He softened slightly when he spotted me on the couch with Silas, and I smiled at him. He didn’t smile back at me, but I wasn’t offended. I was learning that was his usual look, and that was okay because he loved me.
Maverick was staring at me with that intense look in his eyes, as usual. Silas leaned closer to me and said softly, “Do you see it now?”
“See what?” I asked.
“How you’ve got my brothers and me in a fucking chokehold. How there is nothing you can do that would ever make our obsession with you go away. Do you see?”
I nodded, moisture entering my eyes. Yeah, I was beginning to see that.
I swallowed loudly.
“Good.” Silas pushed his plate and stood up, drawing everyone’s attention. “Is everything all set?”
Maverick nodded.
Silas smiled. “Good, ’cause I am so fucking ready to go home.” He turned to me. “And then me and you, angel. We have unfinished business.”
I blushed. The way he said it and the tone of his voice told me exactly what he meant by unfinished business . Hell.
Maverick laughed. “You are going to be sore for a while, little monster.”
I turned to Maverick, a shiver working its way up my spine at the dark look in his eyes. Killian was watching me with that exact same look. I could only imagine all the plans they had for me.
I squirmed. Hell.
Killian looked away from me then, frowning as he pulled out his phone. He must have it on vibrate because I didn’t hear it ring. I watched as he read the text, his expression changing in a nano of a second. A dark cloud moved over his eyes. Maverick and Silas noticed his expression as well because they tensed.
The air in the room shifted, and Killian looked at me briefly before looking away. But that one small moment told me enough. Whatever it was on Killian’s phone, it was about me. And he didn’t want me to know.
I stood up slowly. “What’s going on?”
Silas pulled me in closer to him. “Nothing. Just stay here and wait for us to come back. And don’t open the door for anyone, got me?”
I shook my head. “This doesn’t feel like nothing.”
“Mila.”
“Silas.”
Frustration tinged his eyes before he turned to his brothers. Then back to me. “I don’t want to make you mad at me. I don’t want to have to lock you in the room, but I will do it. So listen to me, angel. Stay here.”
My lips pulled back into a sneer. “This has something to do with me, doesn’t it? Why can’t you tell me?”
“Don’t,” Killian said sternly, stepping forward.
Silas closed in on my back. “Killian,” he said sharply, the warning clear in his voice.
Killian turned his scowl to Silas. “Oh, leave it, Silas. You know I am just as incapable of hurting her as you are.”
“There are ways to hurt without it being physical,” Silas said.
Killian didn’t say anything to that. His eyes turned back to me.
“You promised me you’d always tell me the truth,” I said, my lips trembling.
Killian’s eyes turned regretful. “Telling the truth doesn’t mean telling you everything. You know how ugly this world can be. We’re trying to protect you.”
“But this has something to do with me.”
The silence that followed told me enough.
“Mila,” Maverick said, speaking up for the first time. “Stay here. And once we’re back, we’re heading home. Then we’ll tell you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to go back home until you tell me.”
I didn’t want to be heading back with this hanging over our heads. I just couldn’t.
Maverick nodded. “So we’ll tell you once we get back. And then you are going home with us and staying right by our side, right where you belong.”
I nodded, unable to form any more words. I might just break down otherwise.
Silas turned me to him and pressed a quick, hard kiss to my lips. Killian took his place as soon as he pulled away, and he kissed me with the same passion as Silas.
“I’m still mad at you,” I whispered. He nodded as if he already knew that was going to be the case. He pressed another kiss to my lips before joining Silas by the door.
Maverick was standing in front of me then. He cupped both of my cheeks in his huge hands and pulled me toward him. His kiss was slower, softer than the kisses his brothers gave me, but just as devastating as it was passionate. I clung to him.
I didn’t want to let him go. He had to pull my hands away before he went to his brothers. Then they closed the door behind me, leaving me alone in the room with my dark thoughts.
I cupped my hand over my belly. Not completely alone, yet that fact didn’t bring me any comfort.
I sat back down on the sofa when it didn’t feel like my legs could support me any longer. I didn’t know how long I sat there, just staring off into space. A minute? An hour? An eternity?
I didn’t know, but then I heard some shuffling sounds, followed by a muffled one. I shot out of the couch and moved to the door, looking through the peephole without a thought.
My breath caught when I saw Maverick, Killian, and Silas standing outside, along with Marcus and a man I didn’t know. A man who had a bloody gash on his forehead. A man who was bound and gagged. Marcus flung the man up onto his shoulders as Silas opened the door to the room across the hall, and they all went inside. Silas looked over to the door I was standing behind. I held my breath when it felt like he was looking directly at me.
I thought he might come back to stay with me, but then he shook his head, his expression unreadable, just before he closed the door behind him. Then, I was just staring at an empty hallway, feeling my heart wanting to hollow out my chest.
This was just like how it was back at the mansion when I saw Silas take a whip to that man.
My head told me to stay where I was. They were going to come back to me. I believed that.
What was seen couldn’t be unseen, but this time was different. I wasn’t the same girl they took from a motel in New Orleans. I didn’t have any hope of escaping—I didn’t want to. And I didn’t look at them through rose-colored glasses. I knew exactly the kind of men they were.
I swallowed thickly and moved without thinking. I opened the door and walked out into the empty hallway. The door to the room closed behind me. It was too late to turn back now, since I didn’t even have the key to get back in the room again. It didn’t matter. I walked over to the door my men had disappeared through, raised my hand up, knocking loudly three times. It took a moment, but then the door opened, revealing Marcus.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw me. “Ma’am?—”
I shook my head, cutting him off. “Let me through.”
“I can’t do that.”
I eyed him. He was bigger than me, stronger than me. I wouldn't get past him if he chose to fight.
“You won’t touch me,” I stated. And the way his face blanched told me that was the truth. I pushed forward, and Marcus got out of my way.
Just as I was about to walk to one of the closed doors, Marcus said, “You’ll have to live with it.”
I stopped and turned toward him.
“Whatever you see, you’ll have to accept it and live with it. Because I might not know everything about your relationship with them, but I do know they’ve been going crazy these past weeks trying to get you back. They won’t ever let you go, not even if you see something you don’t like.”
I took a deep breath. “I know.”
Fuck, but I knew it. I turned and continued on my way. Marcus muttered something under his breath but didn’t try to touch me.
I rushed away before he could change his mind or try to get ahead of me.
It wasn’t hard to figure out which room they were in. I could hear the man’s cry along with the low, calm voices of my men. Their voices got louder and clearer the closer I got.
My breathing grew more erratic, and I could feel sweat clinging to my skin. I licked my parched lips, placing my hands on the door. The time it took to get from one door to the other wasn’t long, but it felt like it.
I pushed the door open to an unlit room. The curtains were pulled closed, and I could hear voices coming from the connected bathroom.
Maverick spoke. “You’re going to tell me what I want to know. Who else knows about Mila Hayes’ inheritance?”
Inheritance ?
I came further inside the room, Marcus close on my heel. He made a small sound, drawing the brothers' attention. They turned, surprise evident in their eyes when they saw me standing there. Silas tried to cover the man from my gaze, but it was too late. I had already seen him.
The man was battered and bruised, much more so than he had been when they brought him to the hotel room. On the sink was an array of knives and pointy-looking weapons that I didn’t know the names of, nor did I want to.
“What the fuck is she doing in here?” Killian asked.
Marcus looked down.
“It’s not his fault. I barged in,” I defended.
Killian turned to me. “And he can’t keep you away?”
“Would you let him touch me? Because that’s the only way he could have restrained me. I would have fought back.”
Killian didn’t say anything. He looked away, his jaw clenched. I looked back to the man, who was now partially shielded by Silas.
Silas let out a string of curse words, pushing away and walking toward me. I reminded myself that he wouldn’t hurt me.
He lifted me up into his arms and walked us out of there.
I couldn’t look away from the man.
How many times had Dad brought traitors back to the clubhouse to do some “questioning”?
My lullaby often consisted of the torturous screams of other men. And I fell in love with men in the same line of work.
But this was different, wasn’t it? They weren’t my father. And I loved them.
Fuck, but I loved them.
So goddamn much. And loving them meant loving every aspect of them.
“Don’t you fucking dare pull back from me after this,” Silas said, his voice gruff. “I don’t fucking care if this is hard to accept. You will accept it. Accept me. You understand me?”
Had I not heard the underlying desperation in his voice, I might have been mad over the command.
“I won’t pull away from you,” I said softly. It had been my decision to come looking.
I felt more than heard him let out a sigh of relief. I moved my hand to his back, rubbing around in circles, trying to comfort him. He quickened his pace and walked us back to the room, Maverick and Killian close on his heels. The door slammed shut behind us, and Silas deposited me on the sofa.
He looked down at me. I stared back up at him, neither one of us saying anything.
He let out another curse, pacing back and forth. I wanted to reach out and touch him, though I doubted this was what he needed from me. I glanced over at Maverick and Killian. They were watching the scene unfold with varying degrees of unease on their faces. The man’s bloody face flashed in and out of my mind, and I worked hard to push it out, focusing on what was important.
“What inheritance am I set to receive?” I asked.
I knew it was something big when the brothers all shared a look.