~Chapter 28~
I t’s been four weeks since Beatrice’s accident. Four weeks since we spent the most incredible, and terrifying night with her.
Four weeks.
Danny, Stu, and Even have all made great strides in their relationships with Beatrice. They sit on the couch almost every night and giggle, flirt, eye-fuck each other.
And, I’m here.
The outside man.
And, I’m not totally sure if I should try or not. I mean, she seems happy enough. She has three of them. So, what do I bring to the table?
A fear of being touched.
Intimacy issues that rival hers.
Paralyzing flashbacks of Cammy every time I see a bathtub. I mean, I tore out the tub in my ensuite the moment I moved in. I couldn’t stand to see it.
And, every time she has needed help in the bathroom while I was there, I struggled with not dropping her and running out of there.
She’s better off with just them. I’d just be something to pull her down. The others don’t have the hangups I do. They’re good for her. Yup.
I scrub my hand across my gritty face. I really need to shave, but, we have our first big mission as a team tonight, and I just can’t be bothered to.
Bea’s healing well, but she still has both casts, so she’s staying behind to be our eyes and ears. Stu’s been working non-stop while showing Bea how to access and run programs and making sure all of the security feeds inside, and outside of the bakery are up and ready for her.
I swallow the lump in my throat as I think about leaving her here unguarded, but, we need to get this guy, and there are so many blind spots that it’s better to take a full team than leave Stu behind like we usually do.
Still, I wish Bea was coming.
But, I also don’t.
I growl in frustration at my own wishy-washy emotions and abruptly push myself out of my chair.
Walking down the hallway, I hear their voices- my family, my friends, my gi… No, not mine. I quickly shake my head, needing to focus on the task at hand and not how much I wish I could be different.
Be more.
Be better.
Coming to a stop in the living room, I see that everyone is gathered with wide smiles on their faces. Even is sprawled out in Stu’s chair. Danny and Stu are standing a couple of feet in front of him, next to Bea as she nuzzles into Stu’s chest. My own chest squeezes in discomfort as I fight off jealousy and longing.
Clearing my throat, I clap my hands together, causing them to all whip their heads toward mine. Stu and Danny both grab ahold of Bea’s hands and I breathe through the irritation that I can’t do the same.
“Alright, Bea, you understand what we need and how to proceed.” Her expression is fierce and determined as she nods confidently. “Yes, sir.” She says firmly. There was no undertone of sexuality but, damn, my cock jumped like a horny bastard.
“Right,” my voice rose a whole octave and I feel my face blush as Stu’s lips tip into a knowing grin.
“So, we head out in three minutes. Danny, you clear the main bakery, Stu and I will tap into the secure doors leading to the rooms beneath it and Even, you’ll be our point in the back back. Any questions?”
Everyone shakes their heads in acknowledgment before I turn on my heel and stomp toward the bathroom.
I gotta piss before we do this and, honestly, I don’t want to see them all lovey-dovey with her and all the bullshit. I just can’t.
After taking care of my needs, I wash my hands and splash some water on my face. Looking up at the man in the mirror, I don’t even recognize him. His eyes are dark and lifeless, his hair is unkept and longer than my usual buzz cut, and the bags underneath each eye must weigh ten pounds each. He’s a mess.
I'm a mess.
I close my eyes and think about the mission, running through the plan in my head a dozen more times, before swinging the bathroom door open and trudging down the stairs.
Beatrice is standing there in her loose jean shorts and one of those damn shoulder shirts she loves so much. Her little tattoo on her collarbone plays peek-a-boo and I both love and hate it.
Giving Stu one last kiss goodbye, before Danny whispers something in her ear, she turns to me, blushing and beautiful. “Um, be careful,” she says sincerely. “All of you,”
I swear she burns a hole right through my eyes as she delivers the last line. “Come back to me.” She says almost bashfully.
She’s looking at me, but I know she’s talking about them. They have her heart. I’m not even sure what I have anymore.
With a final nod, I whistle out and we head to the garage. Nighttime has long since fallen and the bakery should be just about closed so, hopefully, Danny won’t have to fight to get the remaining stragglers out.
We’re all decked out in head-to-toe black, including the balaclavas we’ll pull over our heads when we arrive.
I raise the garage once we’ve all piled in and start the SUV. The sounds of weapons being checked and readied echo throughout the car as we all check our supplies once more.
Stu passes out the coms and we all place them in our ears. “Alright, Alpha signing on.”
Then the others chime in, “Bravo on”, “Delta on”, and “Tango on. Let’s Party!” Danny whoops with a laugh, causing everyone to chuckle.
“Omega on.” Beatrice’s sweet voice filters through the com and I tense up. I didn’t realize that my call sign was the same one I used during our fantasy videos. Shit.
I slowly turn and glare at Danny who’s smiling like he just found the winning lotto numbers. “What Alpha? She needed a callsign, too. Might as well fit in with ours. If you know what I mean.” He winks exaggeratedly causing Even and Stu to burst out laughing. Unfortunately for me, Beatrice’s sweet tinkling laugh echoes through my brain louder than theirs, forcing me to control my urge to knock him straight the fuck out.
“Whatever” I grumble. At least she feels part of the team.
She had a hard time, at first, giving up the information she knew about Franco. For someone who loves vengeance, she has a soft spot as wide as the Grand Canyon. She felt bad for the small-peckered fuck but, in the end, she agreed he would be the most useful to get what we needed. It also helped that we had his rap sheet filled with over a dozen charges of inappropriate behavior towards women.
Of course, he wasn’t convicted of a single one. The Crimson Knights have deep, deep pockets and no morals at all.
A few days ago, she reached out to the man himself and asked to meet again. Said she had missed him and sent him a picture of her cleavage. Apparently, he’s a tit man.
Although, Danny didn't give two shits about the mission after that. He bent her right over the table and fucked her ten ways from Sunday to "reminder her that she was, and always will be, ours."
Theirs. I’ve got to remember that.
When he did that, right in front of us all, I stood stock still; as if I could just evaporate into the wall. And I watched, completely entranced as her creamy skin flushed. Her cries of pleasure echoed around the kitchen as Even ruined her clit and Stu gagged her on his cock.
She ended up squirting all over Danny, the table, and the floor; just like at The Raven Room. And, fuck it was hot.
But, I just watched, with a boner that could stop an 18-wheeler in its tracks.
Once they all flew over the edge, I quietly slipped away to relieve my damn self. Then, I hid in my room for an entire day.
I’m pathetic, I know. But, I just can’t figure out how to get past my hang-ups with her.
Beatrice’s voice breaks me out of my memory as she says, “Four minutes out. Two people near the back. Three people inside the main level.”
“Got it sweet thang. Now, can you please put some ‘Go’ music on?” Danny jumped up and down in his seat excitedly.
He always loves to have music playing right before we get to a mission location. He says it helps get him in the mood to fuck shit up. I don’t care either way, but it can be nice to let out the nerves before an operation.
“You got it. Anything in particular?” Bea asks sweetly. “Nope, just something that’s going to get my blood pumpin’.”
After another second or two in silence, I shit you not, this crazy ass woman plays The Four Tops most known song: I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch).
And, we all burst out laughing.
"What?" She playfully complains. "I think it's fitting, no?"
Stu begins singing completely over the top, as if Beatrice was here to see him serenading her. Danny and Even join in soon after. Shaking my head, a smile gracing my lips, I focus on driving us towards the bakery.
When it ends, Beatrice giggles uncontrollably. “OK, OK. I’ll behave. This one may be a better motivation of sorts.”
We all wait with bated breath as she cues up the final song before we reach our destination.
Loud music buzzes through our comms, causing me to jump. It’s definitely not an old 60’s jam. Instead, Rhianna’s Birthday Cake plays, and the car charges with another type of energy.
I picture Bea’s smug smirk as she sings the provocative words, all but guaranteeing the four of them will have a happy ending after tonight’s festivities.
The song is short and sweet, suddenly enveloping the SUV in charged silence. “Thirty seconds. Still two in back, and three up top.” She purrs seductively, sweetly, and I shift in my seat as my hard-on presses painfully against my zipper. Damn woman’s going to kill us all.
But, shit I love it.
“Roger that, Omega.” My voice is huskier than I intended but, judging but the sharp inhale and tiny squeak she releases, it affected her at least half as much as she affected me.
And, I call that a win.