Chapter 8
Showering with Jake is fantastic, as always.
He fucks me up against the glass wall before he takes care of me from head to toe, even handling my conditioner.
After we’re both clean, he gets out, grabs a towel for each of us, wraps us up before drying my hair, and insists on carrying me back out to the bedroom.
Rick is passed out on the bed, his towel barely holding on, not that I'm complaining. They could all walk around naked all the time, and I'd be a happy camper, though I don't think they would love it. Not to mention, we would never get anything done except for each other.
Jake sets me on the bed before moving across the room to grab two takeout containers from Rick's dresser near the door. He brings one to me before moving around the bed to place the other on the nightstand closest to Rick.
My mouth waters at the smell, and I know what it is even before I open the box.
Thai, my favorite.
I devour it, much to Jake's amusement. I'd had that bowl of cereal earlier, but anything I'd gotten from that Rick fucked out of me, and I didn't realize just how hungry I was until now. By the time I'm finishing up the last few bites, I'm yawning damn near uncontrollably.
"I think it might be time for bed," Jake says, taking the container from me and handing me a water bottle before he tosses the container in the trash.
I watch him move through the room, his eyes moving from the door to Rick and back again, and I know what he's thinking even without asking.
"Stay with us?" I ask because, as much as I want him to, I won't make him.
Jake doesn't shy away from group activities anymore, but once upon a time, he was a lot more closed off.
His asshole father did a number on him, just like he did me.
He's not huge on sleeping in the other guys' rooms, though.
In my room, he has no problem, not in my little bed or our big ass bed.
In his own room, he doesn't give a shit who joins us either, but something about being in someone else's room, he'd usually rather not.
It takes a second, but I don't push, giving him a moment to decide on his own. I can't hide my smile when I see the answer on his face, even before he says a word.
"Don't look at me like that," he says, shaking his head at me as he moves back toward the bed, back toward me.
"Like what?" I say as he reaches me, and I wrap my arms around his neck to pull him down onto the bed with me. His arms go around me without missing a beat, and while Rick might already be asleep behind me, I find comfort in his warmth at my back and Jake in front of me.
"I love you." Jake presses his lips to the top of my head, holding me tight to his chest, and I melt into him.
"I love you too," I whisper, pressing my lips to his chest and enjoying the way I feel his heartbeat pick up.
I don't remember falling asleep, but I know I did.
That's the only way it makes sense that I'm currently moving down the hall like I'm floating.
Well, not floating exactly. It would be impossible to miss the strong arms that hold me like I'm the most important thing in the world.
I'm not sure how I know, but even before I open my eyes, I'm aware of who has me.
"You’re not a good faker," Daddy says with a chuckle that I feel rumble in his chest.
I peel an eye open to stare up at him and find him looking down at me.
"Bullshit, I'm a fantastic faker. Ask Spencer or any of the assholes I've ever belonged to." I stick my tongue out at him because it's meant to be a joke. But I know it didn't land; his eyes darken, and that light playfulness he had a moment ago dries up.
Sore subject.
"Spencer's still just lucky you wouldn't let me handle him for that." He raises a brow at me in a way that lets me know he's still upset about it, but not going to fight me on it right now. Good, because I'm not in the mood to explain why I didn't let him... again.
"And don't act like every other person to ever touch you without your consent hasn't already been handled at this point."
He, of course, has a point. We've busted our asses to take out not only my tormentors but anyone who might try to be that to another. Sex trafficking used to be a problem in the city, but I can happily say it hasn't been an issue in the last few years and won't be again, so long as I can help it.
I'm sure there are those who slipped through the cracks, people I might not know or whose faces I might not remember.
Those who were far enough outside of the rings that they didn't have a tieback that would make them trackable.
There's nothing we can do about them, sadly, but so long as they stay off our radar, they get a second chance at life.
It's not worth bringing up to Kratos, though, so I keep my mouth shut.
If I mentioned it, I'm sure they would throw themselves into trying to find these nameless, faceless people if only to get revenge for me.
But I don't need or want that anymore. What I want is to keep others safe and, like we did with Nash, handle the fuckers who think they can abuse power and take advantage of children or even those who just can't defend themselves against them.
"What's with the middle-of-the-night kidnapping?" I ask him in an attempt to change the subject.
His lip twitches up before he quickly smothers it, but it's too late. I saw it.
"What are you up to?" I ask, feeling more awake now and damn near giddy.
These guys are often up to something, especially Zander and Trent, but with them, it's usually a spontaneous vacation.
Then there's Rick and Jake, who enjoy spoiling me with things—jewelry, clothes, you name it—and they want to buy it for me.
It's Daddy K and Spencer who usually handle the fun shit at home.
Making the most of our time together instead of leaving or dropping a bunch of money.
I love them all for everything and for the thought that goes into them, but I'd be lying if I said it's still hard to accept expensive gifts.
Going on vacations has gotten easier now that we've done it a few times, especially because it's usually something we all do together; sometimes we even have Charlotte and Hazel with us.
"Why do I have to be up to something?" he asks, trying to be nonchalant. I'm not buying it, and he knows it. “Maybe I just missed you.”
Damn it. I feel the heat rise on my cheeks, and I know he sees it when he smiles down at me.
Asshole.
He has to be all sweet and shit when he knows that's cheating.
Something about him being sweet is a weakness of mine.
For years, he's been my second, my eyes, ears, and muscle.
I know how easily he can and will kill, and while I appreciate that, I used to think it was because he believed in Vengeance and wanted to make this city better.
And he does, just not for the sake of the city, the way I thought.
For as long as I can remember, Kratos has been my strength in more ways than just muscle, but I never would have dreamed that it was because he had feelings for me.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't actually dream about it, though. Let me just tell you, my dreams were not even close to what the real thing is like. Being loved by Kratos is more than I could have ever imagined, and somehow, he's not the only one I was lucky enough to snag.
Kratos stops at my door and pushes it open, pulling me from my thoughts and the mushy, gushy trail I'd just been going down. The door falls closed behind him, and I'm not surprised to find it's not just us here, though with the lights off, it's hard to see who else it is.
"Alright, so maybe I wasn't the only one who missed you." Kratos chuckles, and I punch him, but he's completely unfazed.
"Don't act surprised. You know damn well you can't go in the other room without them missing you." Kratos says. It's dark, so I can't see his face, but I know he's rolling his eyes; I can hear it in his tone.
"As if you’re any better," Spencer says.
He's not on the bed with whoever else is in here, but on the far side of my room near the regular bed.
I must be more tired than I thought, because I didn't even realize he was there until he spoke.
I'd been distracted by whoever is on the 'fucking bed' as Zander's so helpfully named it.
It's kinda funny, though none of the others will refer to it that way; he's not wrong.
It's the only bed in the whole damn house that can hold more than three of us—four if we're actually just having sex—but as far as sleeping goes, this is the only option, and usually, we fall asleep here after a nice long fuck.
"Trent?" I guess because I'd spent the day with Rick, and Jake had joined us not that long ago. I guess that doesn't exactly rule them out. Rick isn't great at sharing, but something tells me they're both still back in bed, probably cuddled together, completely unaware Daddy snatched me up.
The thought makes me chuckle. What I wouldn't give to catch them all cuddled up together. I've caught it a few times with the guys. Mostly it's Zander; he doesn't give a shit who he's spooning or who's spooning him. He just loves to cuddle. But it never lasts long, much to his disappointment.
Finding Rick and Daddy would be the ultimate win, or Jake and Spencer, since they took so long to get along. Truthfully, sometimes I'm still not sure if they like each other or if Spencer likes anyone.
"Hey, Sweetness, did you and Zan have fun taking out the trash?
" He chuckles, but I can tell it's forced.
I know he had a hard time seeing me with him, and I can't blame him.
I've seen a fair number of women come on to Trent and Jake at events, and undercover or not, I can't exactly go after them, even if I really, really want to.