Chapter 58
Playing with Fire
Olivia
When Alex and Rhys return, they close up the hidden exit and escort Theo and me to the medical centre to get checked out.
It takes a while to be seen since there are others who are in a more critical condition compared to us, but eventually, we’re given some painkillers and sent on our way to rest. Unfortunately, rest doesn’t come easily to me, and my nights are plagued with memories of what I did to Luke as well as the usual nightmares I suffer from.
No matter what the guys try—including distracting me with mind-blowing orgasms—my sleep is almost nonexistent.
At least during the day I can keep myself busy helping to clean up the mess left in the battle's wake.
In total, we lost fourteen people: nine security guys, the two security traitors, and three civilians who ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many more were injured, some with serious injuries that have irreparably changed their lives.
Our enemies lost nearly a hundred men, their bodies strewn across the forest and road in front of Haven’s wall.
Some of whom are now groaning, shuffling undead, mindless for their next meal.
In the light of day, they’re easy to take down, and once the small horde has been eliminated, we drag their bodies onto a pyre to burn them.
The gang members we captured, including Mark, are executed and burned soon after. It’s brutal and messy to watch, especially since we have to resort to knives to end their lives since we’re almost out of bullets. But we couldn’t allow them to live, not after everything they’ve done.
The only exception to this is Colin.
He was never a willing participant in Mark’s plans and actively put his life in danger to help us after he discovered the traitors in our security team.
Thanks to his quick thinking, he was able to reach Anthony, and the two came up with the plan to fool the traitors into believing the rest of our gang prisoners had been executed before they could be released.
Of course, their plan backfired a little when those traitors took Anthony at knifepoint and shared our plan with Luke and Mark. But it all worked out in the end, and now he’s free to live his life how he wants behind the safety of Haven’s wall.
The same can’t be said for residents who betrayed us.
They’re escorted out of Haven with nothing but whatever meagre supplies they can grab from their homes.
We give their families the option to stay or go with them.
Most opt to stay. Some traitors beg to be forgiven and allowed to stay, sobbing as they’re shoved outside the gates at gun and knife point, but they’re shown no empathy.
Because of them, good people were hurt and killed.
The next thing we focus on is repairing the damage the wall and gate suffered under the assault, which takes nearly a week of constant work.
Rhys eagerly jumps into helping with the repairs, making sure that the work is done to his exacting specifications while Theo, Alex and I focus on helping life in Haven return to normal.
It’s hard, gruelling work that saps all of us of what little energy we have, but little by little, things return to how they used to be. Mercifully, my nightmares settle with it.
But not everything is easy sailing.
With Elsa’s and the others’ betrayal, a lot of the residents of Haven are understandably pissed.
To where they demand to elect a new council to run Haven.
Many people put their names forward, including my brother, and some residents even ask Rhys, Alex and Theo to step forward to run the place.
But the guys aren’t interested, thank fuck.
So, two weeks after everything went down, the entire adult population of Haven shuffle into the communal dining hall to cast votes on their new councillors.
Theo, Alex and Rhys all stand beside the small stage erected at the front of the room where a large box filled with scraps of paper sits.
Behind the box are the previous councillors and people who’ve put themselves forward as candidates.
The only person I recognise up there is my brother, who is surprisingly popular with the community and a shoo-in to be elected.
I lean against the wall on the far side of the room, Rachel by my side and her partner, Tamsin, on her other side.
Sitting beside Tamsin is Andy, who’s mostly recovered from his infection and subsequent coma, although he’s still on the weaker side.
He was going to put himself up for election, but Rachel nixed that before he could, telling him he needs to take it easy while he’s still recovering. Reluctantly, he agreed.
Rachel and Tamsin are whispering to one another about something while Andy talks with Anthony, but I’m not paying attention to their conversation. My focus is on my three men.
They’re looking edible, with their T-shirts tight against their muscular chests.
Alex and Theo are wearing jeans—which are particularly sinful on Alex’s thick thighs and Theo’s tight ass—while Rhys wears combat trousers that, when paired with his black T-shirt and his scars, make him appear rugged and dangerous.
Fuck. Maybe I can ask him to wear that when we next scene together.
Just the thought of him looking like that while ordering me to my knees has my core clenching.
I lick my lips. We’ve had little alone time since everything happened.
Mostly because there’s so much to do that we all end up collapsing into our bed at the end of the day, too tired to do anything but cuddle or touch each other.
Doesn’t help that for most of that time, I’ve been suffering from nightmares, making us even more exhausted.
It’s a pity because both Rhys and Theo are mostly healed from their injuries, meaning sex is definitely on the table again.
Fuck. Maybe I could ask one of them to fuck me on the table…
“Why don’t you just get a room already?” Rachel teases, interrupting my thoughts.
“Huh?” I tear my gaze away from my guys to see both Rachel and Tamsin grinning knowingly at me. Andy is still deep in conversation, not paying attention to us.
“Girl, you’ve been practically eye-fucking those guys for the past five minutes and I’m pretty sure…” She glances over to the stage and nods. “Yep, they’re eye-fucking you right back.”
Unbidden, my eyes drift back over to them. All three of them staring back at me, their eyes smouldering with heat that has my stomach flipping. Yeah, she’s not wrong.
I swallow hard. “We haven’t really had the chance to do anything since we’re all busy trying to stop Haven from imploding.”
Tamsin makes a sympathetic noise. “I get it, especially with two of them being injured before.”
Rachel huffs. “Honestly, fuck Haven and these assholes. These people are adults, they can figure their shit out by themselves.”
“Rachel…” Tamsin warns. “It’s not our place. If they want to help, then they’re allowed to help.”
“Yeah, but not at the expense of their happiness or relationships.”
Tamsin shoots me a worried glance, as if she’s expecting me to argue back, but honestly, Rachel’s right. We’ve been busting our asses for these people for so long and I’m just… done.
While Haven isn’t a bad place and it’s hell of an upgrade over where I lived before, a lot of the people are far too demanding.
It’s like they’ve forgotten that they are just as responsible for how things run as their leaders are.
That they’re adults capable of running this place without all this help.
“You’re right,” I say with a firm nod. “And I’m going to take your advice.”
Rachel’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. “What advice?”
My lips curve into a smile. “I’m getting a room.”
She cackles with delight as I march away from her and towards my men. Along the way, I catch Jerri’s eye and she shoots me a knowing look.
While I definitely hated her during those few weeks on the road, ever since the night we saved each other’s lives, I’ve come to realise she’s not all that bad.
She helps out a lot at Haven and doesn’t take anyone’s shit, which is helpful when some people try to weasel their way out of work.
Her time as a captive of the Scourge and the journey home has changed her for the better.
Although she’s still an overdramatic bitch, and I can tell she still holds disdain for my guys, but she keeps her mouth shut around them.
I smirk at her before turning my attention back to my guys.
They straighten at my advance, although only Theo has the reaction I want, as his eyes hood and he licks his lower lip.
Rhys frowns before flicking his gaze behind me to where Rachel and Tamsin still lean against the wall while Alex furrows his brow with concern.
“Sweetheart? Are you okay?” he asks as he reaches out for me.
“What’s wrong?” Rhys demands as he looks me over, almost like he’s looking for some imaginary injury.
Theo snorts and shakes his head. “Useless,” he mutters before stepping up to me to grab the back of my head. “You need something, baby?” he teases with a wicked grin.
“Yes,” I say, my voice breathy as goosebumps explode across my skin from his touch. “I’m tired of us being used as work mules. Let’s go find somewhere private. There’s more than enough people here to have this running smoothly.”
“Fuck, yes.” Theo leans down to slam his lips against mine to kiss me hard, drinking in my answering moan.
I hear a curse and a sharp intake of breath from behind him as Rhys and Alex finally realise why I came over here. My lips curve into a smile, and I kiss Theo back with as much hunger as I can summon. However, he pulls back far too quickly, leaving me panting and dazed.
“Let’s move before someone tries to stop us.”
“Agreed,” Rhys growls as he grabs my arm and practically drags me towards the side door.
Rachel gives me a thumbs-up as we hurry past. “I’d have ice ready for you if we had working freezers,” she says with a wink.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her afterwards,” Theo says with a chuckle before we exit the building.
As soon as we’re outside, Rhys stops, turns, and before I know it, I’m thrown over his shoulder. I yelp as my head smacks on his hard as steel ass.
“What the fuck, Rhys?” I grumble as I place my hands on said ass to hold my head up. Goddamn, I can feel the muscles of his glutes clench and bulge beneath my palms, distracting me a little.
“You weren’t moving fast enough,” is his answer. “Now be a good girl and keep your mouth shut.”
My eyes narrow. I’m suddenly feeling a lot less like a good girl right now, and while he said to stay quiet, he said nothing about staying still. And since my hands are already on his delicious ass, it would be a shame if I didn’t show my appreciation, right?
A devious smirk stretches across my lips, and with as much force as I can manage, I squeeze his cheeks. He practically jumps into the air, and something between a growl and a yelp escapes from his lips.
Alex and Theo, who are striding behind him, burst into laughter at his expense.
“You’re asking to get spanked, princess,” Rhys says, his voice taking on that low, dangerous quality that sends a shiver of twisted pleasure skating down my spine.
Yes. I’m absolutely asking to get spanked. Although, since Rhys hasn’t said I can talk yet and I’m being such a good girl, I give those buns of steel another hard squeeze.
“And apparently edging, too,” he grumbles as he tries and fails to get my hands off his ass. “You keep this up, princess, and I’ll have you sobbing and begging to come.”
Don’t threaten me with a good time. I give him a hard slap just to be sure that he gets the message.
“Sweetheart, you’re playing with fire,” Alex says with a chuckle.
Oh, I know. I’m more than ready to get burned. I lift my head and shoot them both a cheeky smile, much to their amusement.
Rhys picks up his pace until he’s almost jogging with me still slung over his shoulder.
Before too long, he’s stepping through the front door to our cabin, ignoring an excited Harlow and striding straight up the stairs to my room.
Once inside, he throws me onto the bed and levels me with his signature stern expression as he towers above me.
“Strip,” he barks as Theo and Alex file into the room and shut the door behind them.
A part of me wants to delay, to see how far I can push him before he cracks.
The more sensible side of me—the one that actually wants to come in the next decade—is the side that wins, and in a blink, I’m tugging my clothes off.
As each piece of clothing is removed, the tension thickens in the air and the eyes of my three men darken with desire.
No one moves or speaks until the last scrap of my clothing is gone, leaving me completely bare to their heated stares.
“Good to know you can sometimes follow orders, princess,” Rhys murmurs as he strides closer. “Do you remember your safe words?”
“Yes, sir. Red, yellow and green.” I don’t dare fuck around with safe words, not when it’s a surefire way for Rhys to end playtime.
He made that very clear during our many conversations about boundaries and limits.
He takes my safety very seriously, which is surprisingly sweet considering how much of a hardass he is.
“Good girl,” he says, his lips curling into a dark, sadistic smile that has my pussy clenching and me wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. “Let’s begin.”