19. Margaux
MARGAUX
T he napkin on my lap had a single thread I could tug at.
On one hand I’d been groomed for years to think exactly this way. Marriage and children. No love. No career. No life. Just breed and shut up.
On the other hand, I was really tired of being the perfect little princess.
The thing was, they’d mentioned the whole baby thing in the car. Hell, Ronan had even given me a ring and Jett proposed with it. Did Ronan? This was confusing. It was all unromantic, just the way I envisioned my life being.
The difference was, if I married Ronan, he and the rest of the guys seemed to like me as I was.
Ronan turned to me.
“Dear, agree with my father. Tell him you are aware of the expectation.”
I nodded and put on the best innocent little princess act I was accustomed to.
“Of course. I’ll uphold the agreement. Baby and all. But I want to make sure we all agree that if I do my part, they continue to protect me?”
Barone took a sip of what I’d guess was wine.
“Yes, yes. Your father was very specific. The whole reason for the marriage was to protect you and your future. Your father was good to the family, even died with our secrets. We protect those loyal to us. Margaux, welcome to the family.”
Why did that last part seem somewhat like a threat? It didn’t matter. Were they all hiding something? Probably. But then again, I suppose at some point in our lives we all were.
At least my delusions of ever getting away were slowly dying. Where could I go and not be found? From the looks of things, if they wanted to find me, just like my uncle, I wouldn’t get far.
I flinched at the feel of something tickling my hand. I looked down to see Ronan trying to hold it. Slowly I put my hand in his.
He wasn’t looking at me, but his hand was on mine. The only other comfort to this dinner that felt too close to home was that the other three kept stealing glances my way. Like it mattered that I was there and they wanted me to be okay.
Servants brought in plates of food and I realized that Barone was still talking.
More stuff about land and bidding on construction projects.
There was something about a warehouse that I didn’t quite get, but my boys did.
I picked up a fork with my free hand, Ronan still not letting my other hand go.
And that’s when it hit me. My boys? When had anything become mine? I was a possession. I was the one who was owned.
I looked next to me, hating the seating once again, but I noticed each of them glancing at me periodically and Jett smiling when he saw me look at him.
This was mine. This was a choice. They were a choice.
I really didn’t know much about Knox and Talon and where I was on their priority list, but they took care of me all the same.
I didn’t know what the future would really be like, but it did feel a lot like a family.
One where there was no question they would probably die for each other.
I wanted that. I wanted a family to die for.
The air was cool as it kissed my cheeks. I took the first deep breath in what seemed like hours.
“We have to stop somewhere on the way home.” Ronan was still holding my hand as he pulled me along to the SUV.
“I’ll take her off your hands Ronnie,” Jett reached for my hands as we got in the car, but Ronan hesitated.
“Fine. You’re staying in the car with her when we get there,” Ronan said.
I looked up at Ronan, but Jett was already lifting me up and putting me in the seat regardless of whether I was ready or not.
“Why can’t I go in wherever we are going in?”
The car was quiet as everyone got in and the engine started.
No one seemed to be in a talkative mood.
Talon sat to the right of me, and I felt him move before I saw him.
He shifted and leaned over me. It was dark out now, but I could still see the way his eyes looked at me.
I held my breath. My entire body buzzed with a familiar feeling of want.
Did I want him to kiss me? I knew I wanted Jett and Ronan to.
I wanted that feeling of validation that I was wanted even on a superficial physical level.
“Breathe, Margaux,” Talon said.
I did as he asked and sounded out of breath the next second. “What are you doing?”
The streetlights barely made it through the tinted windows, but I swear he was smiling.
“You forgot your seatbelt,” was all he said.
He pulled it over and then sat up, remaining closer than before. His arm rested against me. I shivered.
“Are you cold, princess?” Talon asked.
Was I cold or was it just the feeling of him? Jett shifted closer, and before I knew it, I was a sandwich and their body heat chased away any chills.
“No. Really. I’m fine.”
They all started talking about a warehouse that seemed to be missing shipments. At first it seemed like normal loss due to the nature of bringing in prescription painkillers illegally. But now there was too much unaccounted for and someone was responsible.
“Why would there be anyone there at this hour?” I asked, questioning their logic.
I was surprised when Knox answered. I still wasn’t sure whether he liked me or not.
“The people we need to see will be there. A shipment should be arriving tonight. Perfect timing for someone to lose product.”
Right.
“So you guys are in construction and real estate? Why the illegal prescription drug thing?”
Was I one card short of a full deck right now? Probably.
“What, are we having a business class right now, Margaux? You aren’t married to Ronan yet, so what makes you think you get that information?” Knox asked, turning himself to see me.
There were a lot of eyes on me.
“I killed someone, I stole a contract, I’ve already slept with two of you, I can’t run anywhere, and something tells me even if I thought the police wouldn’t take your side, they still wouldn’t get anywhere.”
I smiled to myself.
“My life is really shaping up, isn’t it? I’ve gone from boring little Margaux locked in her tower to gallivanting all over Vegas and finally understanding why it’s called sin city.”
No one said anything, and where I should have thought I’d said something wrong, I was pretty much in the I don’t give a fuck stage of this life.
“Except, Margaux, do you understand the sin city part of it?” Talon was the one running his hand up my leg. On instinct I squeezed my thighs tight.
“I was just curious about the underwear that had you all bent out of shape earlier,” Talon said.
Jett leaned down and kissed my head.
“Pretty girl, let him see what I picked out for you. If you’re a good girl, maybe we’ll reward you.”
My chest fluttered and my voice sounded weak.
“I think I’m supposed to be offended or something right now.”
Jett’s fingers trailed down my arm, finding my breast and circling my nipple over my clothing. I relaxed on instinct to Jett’s touch. My body was confused and turned on by him and Talon.
Talon’s fingers danced along my skin, and when I thought I should scold him, Jett turned my face up to meet his and he kissed me. I dropped my guard completely.
When Talon’s fingers ran over my thin panties, I moaned instead of fighting.
When his fingers slipped under the edge of the fabric and ran along my bare pussy, I let him.
I practically begged for more when I wrapped my hand around the wrist that was exposed from where my dress had been pushed higher.
I wanted more.
Jett kissed me harder, and Talon spread my pussy, his finger running the length of my slit and teasing me as he went. I ached for him to do more and practically thrust my hips to get it.
“I like Jett’s taste in clothing, princess,” Talon said and flicked his tongue against the shell of my ear.
Talon had always seemed so confident, and the way he used his fingers? I was panting within minutes, the lace thong wet. Between Jett kissing me and Talon’s fingers stroking, I lost sense of where I even was. The way they made me feel had me forgetting everything.
“Now, princess, you can say you understand a little more about sin city.”
Jett let me go and I turned to Talon. I couldn’t talk, not as my entire body came down. I watched him move. A whimper escaped my lips as he removed his hand.
I watched him pull his hand away from me, but what he did next, well my pussy clenched as I watched him take his finger and suck my come from it.
“Princess, you taste so good.”
I couldn’t catch my breath. I leaned back into the seat and looked away from one more demon in the car just to meet the eyes of Knox.
Maybe Talon and Jett were dark, but the way Knox glared at me?
I fumbled to pull down my skirt as he treated me to the more devilish look that had the darkest dreams entering my mind.
If I surrendered my soul to them, would they save me or condemn me, and did I care?