Chapter 17
Xan
Preston had worried himself back to sleep while we waited for Shane to show back up.
I hadn’t budged from my spot, knowing the second I did, Preston would wake up and just worry himself sick all over again.
I didn’t fully understand how he was feeling, but Preston was normal, and well…
I wasn’t. But I also knew Shane was safe.
He didn’t do reckless shit. If he was out in the middle of the night doing something, he’d thought it through, worked through different plans and scenarios, and no doubt had multiple exit strategies in case shit went sideways.
But trying to explain that to Preston, who was practically certain something would happen to our man, was nearly impossible. Sometimes, it was best to just let Preston sleep when shit was in the air and let it resolve on its own.
The front door clicked open, and like a sixth sense, I knew it was Shane walking through the door.
He quietly placed his car keys on the counter, then toed off his boots.
Then, a moment later, he finally appeared in the living room.
Like a true predator—because I knew one when I saw one, which was one of the things that’d attracted me to him—he cocked his head to the side the slightest bit, taking in me and Preston waiting for him.
“He found you missing,” I quietly stated when he said nothing, my voice matter-of-fact.
“Mmm,” he hummed. “Is it okay to move him back to bed? He’s going to have a backache if he continues sleeping like that.”
I smirked. “Not worried about me?” I asked, feigning hurt. I didn’t particularly care. I wanted his attention, but I didn’t need him to baby me.
Shane arched a brow at me. “You don’t even care if someone gives a shit about your well-being, X,” he calmly stated.
And he was right. I really didn’t. I just wanted his attention, and whether he realized it or not, he gave that to me.
Shane was finally coming around to the idea of us, whether he wanted to or not.
I just needed to have a little more patience, and trust, I could have patience for the right things in this world.
I glanced down at Preston. “If I move him, he’s going to wake up, and he’s been pretty upset. He was certain something would happen to you.”
Shane studied me for a moment. “And you weren’t?”
I shook my head. “Not for a second, Ghost.” His lips quirked at the nickname I’d taken to calling him—a reminder that I knew who he was at his core.
And fuck, did I want the real man, not the one he pretended to be for the rest of the world.
Not the one who was soft for Preston, though I was glad he was capable of doing so.
I was a switch, and while I loved dominating Preston, I wanted a man—Shane in particular—to take control of me.
“You don’t do reckless shit,” I added. “You’re too cold. Too calculating. I have no doubt you looked at every angle, figured out multiple extra strategies, and made phone calls to get yourself out of trouble if need be before you ever decided to leave this apartment.”
Shane’s smile was genuine, and fuck, I really wanted to see it more often. It made him look a bit younger and less hardened by life. Reaching up, he scratched at his beard, as if smiling made his skin itch. “You’re smarter than I give you credit for, X.”
I smirked. “What can I say? I’m just full of fucking surprises.”
Shane snorted.
Preston stirred beside me, then lifted his head. He looked up at me, then turned his head, his eyes locking on Shane. Immediately, Preston’s sleepy expression fell away, replaced by anger and hurt. Shane watched him carefully, not moving or saying a word.
Reluctantly, I let Preston go when he rose from the couch. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively as he narrowed his eyes at Shane. “Why?” he demanded.
“I had something to take care of,” Shane said evasively. “I wasn’t aware I had to explain my every single move.” To me, it just sounded like he was stating a fact, but I had a feeling Preston took it a much different way than Shane probably intended.
Preston’s chin jerked up, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.
I stayed seated, watching the exchange. Either Preston would go back to bed still angry with Shane after this, or this standoff would explode into something much hotter.
And if the gleam in Shane’s eyes was anything to go by, he was aiming for the latter.
Fuck. He’d been playing me the entire fucking time. Here I’d been thinking he wasn’t one-hundred percent on board with being with both of us yet when he’d just been toying with me and making me wait.
Bastard.
I wasn’t truly upset about it though. I was actually impressed. Shane had gotten one up on me, and it was actually a turn-on.
“Don’t do that fucking bullshit,” Preston spat.
He dropped his arms and erased the distance between them, jabbing his finger hard against Shane’s chest. Shane didn’t even flinch.
Just stood there and took whatever Preston was ready to dish out, and I realized maybe Shane and I weren’t so different after all—not when it came to our man.
I had a feeling that, like me, Shane would bleed and hurt for Preston if it meant he was no longer hurting.
“Do not stand here and try to be an indifferent fucking asshole, Shane,” Preston continued rolling on, his finger shaking.
“Do you know how I felt when I walked out here and saw you were gone? That you hadn’t bothered telling at least X where the fuck you were going?
There is a literal murderer on the loose, and you just went and—”
Shane gripped the back of Preston’s neck and covered Preston’s lips with his.
Preston made an alarmed sound in the back of his throat, his eyes wide, and then, he sank into Shane, the tension bleeding from his body.
Pressing his hand flat to Preston’s back, Shane dragged Preston closer until their bodies were flush together and deepened their kiss, plunging his tongue into Preston’s mouth.
Preston moaned, and I knew it was over from there. We were doing this, and Shane wasn’t getting out of it with just a kiss. Preston had a rough fucking night because of him, and it was time Shane took responsibility and made our man feel better. It was time to issue an apology.
“Bedroom,” I growled as I pushed up from the couch.
Shane parted their lips, shooting me a heated look that had my cock throbbing in my boxer briefs. Seeing the two of them together was hot as fuck, and honestly, I was tired of fucking waiting, too.
“What?” Preston breathed, his chest already heaving.
“Bedroom,” I ordered again.
Shane gave a tiny huff of amusement, his fingers flexing where he was holding Preston still.
“You think you call the shots, boy?” he asked me, and holy fuck, being called boy by him had me leaking precum.
Who the fuck knew I’d sort of like the almost-degrading nickname, especially when I knew I was the youngest of the three of us at only twenty-two?
“If you don’t like it, do something about it,” I taunted, then headed for the bedroom. And a moment later, I heard the two of them following me.
Fucking finally.
If Shane changed his mind when we got in there, I had no doubt in my mind I’d tie him to the fucking bed. We were doing this. All three of us needed it. We could work out the logistics of it, if needed, in the morning.
I was done playing games. I was knocking all the pieces off the fucking board and declaring myself the goddamn winner.