15. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Sara
I’m sleeping and can’t wake up. Every time I try, I fall back to sleep, but something is coming after me and I can’t stay asleep. I have to wake up, but I can’t.
Something moves next to me in the dark. For a moment, I forget where I am and startle awake, pitching upright.
“Sara.” A soft voice pulls me out of it. Dante’s hand strokes down my back. “I’ve got you, pip.”
My breath falls out of me. My eyes adjust to the soft light coming from under the door. I turn to find shapes in the bed with me. My guys. My heart slows its frantic pace.
Dante sits up with me and draws me into his arms. “We haven’t had a chance to talk.”
We haven’t had a chance to do anything. The stress of being free was almost worse than being captive. Escape was all I could think of. But I’m here and they’re here for me. I turn in Dante’s arms and rest my head over his heart.
“Were you harmed in any way?” The words are soft, but there’s an underlying edge of anger that makes my pulse trip over itself.
“No, boss. He threatened that if anything was wrong with his daughter, he’d do the same to me. But otherwise, I was just a forced guest in his home.” I wrap around Dante, needing his warmth to thaw the cold inside me. The nightmare that still clings to me like ice.
Drew chuckles. “The only thing wrong with his daughter is she’s married to Tom and knocked up.”
“What?” I draw away from Dante and stare into the darkness at Drew.
“Fuck, are we doing this now?” Finn huffs out a breath. “I need more fucking sleep. And at some point, fucking.”
Anticipation floods me.
“You want to talk or sleep, trouble?” Wyatt trails his hand over my thigh, sending heat spiraling through me.
I kind of want the third option, but we should get more sleep before that and probably talk about where this is going. I swallow because having a talk about us might mean we’re over.
Tom’s back. We’re all still in danger, but this was supposed to end when Tom returned.
But the guys are all here right now. In bed. With me. That says something. Right?
Dante shifts and pulls me down with him onto the soft mattress.
“What happened with Tom?” I ask.
Wyatt blows out a breath, and his hand strokes over my hip and along my spine.
“We found Natasha and Tom. She had a huge rock on her finger, so I punched Tom. They were already going to turn evidence on Sokolov over to the Feds. So we did that and managed to make it to our plane without any issues.”
Drew chimes in. “We confronted Tom on the plane about leaving you. I got to hit him.”
“I want to hit Tom,” Finn complains. “Since Sara smacked him, are we all out of rounds of hitting Tom?”
“Definitely not.” Dante squeezes me against him. “We all get a turn to fuck up Tom.”
A little shiver goes through me. He left me. His actions put me in danger. He tried to fuck up my life with Verity Baron. He deserves a few bruises.
“Natasha told us she’s pregnant, and that’s why they ran off together,” Drew finishes. “You know, so Daddy wouldn’t tear them apart.”
My heart thrums. I heard him say it before, but it really didn’t sink in. “I’m going to be an aunt?”
“Apparently, trouble.” Wyatt brushes his hand over my hair.
I don’t know how to feel about this information. Obviously, I’m excited Tom is having a baby and got married. I’m disappointed I wasn’t at the wedding. He didn’t even let me know he had someone he was serious about. That part I definitely don’t know what to do with.
“I’m sure Tom will spout the same stuff about not knowing they’d come after you.” Drew sighs. “I get that he’s family and eventually you’ll probably forgive him, but could you make him sweat for a while first?”
I chuckle. “I’m definitely not letting him off the hook anytime soon.”
“Good.” Dante squeezes me again.
I breathe in his ocean scent and exhale. Right now. I’m safe. For now, I have my guys. I don’t know if I want to talk about what I’m feeling and thinking in the darkness. It would be good to see their faces when I say I don’t want this to end. Ever.
The darkness might make it easier, but I need to know what they’re thinking. I need to know what Wyatt’s thinking. Would this work without any one of them? Would I always long for the time before the break? Am I ready to let any of them go?
When I snuggle into Dante, if he could pull me any closer, I’m sure he would. He’s solid beneath where my body is pressed alongside his. He’s safe. He’s mine.
“What happened, trouble?” Wyatt’s voice is soft and he doesn’t stop his gentle touches, soothing me.
I drag in a breath. “Peabody wanted a walk.” Fuck. “How is Peabody?”
“They left him in the lobby with a new collar.” Dante’s chest rises and falls. “He’s at Tanya’s. She said she’d keep him as long as we needed.”
Now I feel bad that wasn’t the first question I asked Finn. But a lot was happening at the time. And if something bad had happened, they would have let me know.
“They had Peabody and asked me to get into the car.”
“They?” Wyatt asks.
“Lurch and Peter.” I trail my hand down the valley of Dante’s chest. His muscles twitch beneath my fingertips.
“Lurch?” Drew asks.
“Peter’s bodyguard,” Finn fills in. “Big dude in black.”
“He’s who I saw in the bar and outside the townhouse.” A shiver runs down my spine and Wyatt shifts closer so his warmth shelters me.
“Go on, trouble.” Wyatt presses a kiss to my bare shoulder.
“I got in the car, and they blindfolded me as they drove out to that house. I tried to keep track of the turns, but the farther we went the more hopeless I knew it would be.”
Dante’s fingers curl around my hip, holding me close to him.
“The house was huge and nice. Just like any other rich person’s house in the country. No one touched me inappropriately. He basically told me I was a guest.” I scoff because guests aren’t generally kept in a locked room.
“The room was locked from the outside.” Finn reaches over to touch my arm. “I was able to pick it to get in, but there was no way to pick it to get out. The land is cleared around the house so no one could approach or leave without being seen.”
My breath catches remembering that fact. There wasn’t a way to escape. I had to wait.
“When we had dinner in his dining room, I studied the people. I was hoping to lift someone’s phone, but no one had one. I figured I’d play dumb and wait until there was an opening. Hoping they’d eventually grow lax on securing me.” I shrug.
I don’t want to share the failed light bulb experiment or my thoughts on escape. Caving wasn’t an option.
“No one will get you here, pip. Not without going through all of us first.”
The others give their assent.
“Go to sleep, flower.” Finn yawns. “We’ll work out the rest later.”
I hope so and I hope that includes figuring out how we all stay together. Because I don’t want to be apart from them again.
* * *
Drew
The next time I wake, Sara’s stomach growls. I roll and turn on the light, and we all climb out of bed like someone told us to. Reunion sex can wait. Hopefully not long, but at least until we get some food into her.
When Sara climbs off, Dante hands her a robe and some slippers before putting on pajama pants and a shirt. I grab a pair of athletic pants and a shirt and get dressed.
“Toothbrush?” Sara looks up at Dante and he holds out a bag of her things. She smiles and grabs his shirt to pull him down so she can give him a kiss.
With my own toiletries in hand, I join her at the double vanity in the bathroom and brush my teeth while she does the same. Our eyes connect in the mirror, and I know this is what I want. Domestic bliss. With Sara.
Wyatt comes in and waits against the wall until I finish, and then he takes my place. At some point, they’ll need to talk about whatever big scary thing happened in Wyatt’s past that Sara is going to be so traumatized by she’ll leave him.
She watches him warily, but with hope in her eyes.
When she finishes, Finn passes to use the sink and grazes her hip. Their gazes collide with a sweet heat that’s irresistible. I take her hand and lead her out to sit on the couch while we wait for the others.
“We haven’t really had a chance to talk.” She tucks her hair behind her ear as she curls up next to me.
“We have all our lives to talk, princess.” I lean my forehead against hers and search her pale green eyes. “I need to watch you get nailed by those three again.”
Her cheeks flush and her eyes darken. Fuck, she’s perfect for me.
“Soon as we get some food in you and discuss our next steps.”
She sighs with a little disappointment but then Dante offers her his hand. She leans in, and right before she kisses me, she whispers, “I can’t wait, but I will.”
I smile as her lips touch mine. When she tries to pull away after a peck, I grab the back of her neck and hold her. Taste her lips and mouth like we have all the time in the world. She makes a little noise that makes my hard cock twitch before she straddles my lap.
Fuck, I could take her right now and make sure she got off before we even get to food.
“Release the woman, Drew.” Finn squeezes my shoulder. “She needs energy for what we want to do to her.”
When she draws away, I chuckle and drop my hands to her hips for a second. Her darkened green eyes stay on mine.
“I promise to get you off hard and fast before the others get a chance to play with you, princess.” I give her a smile as she climbs off my lap.
I adjust my cock and stand as Dante escorts her out of the room.
“This place needs room service,” I complain.
“You could have gone and gotten her food.” Wyatt shakes his head as we follow behind the others.
“And miss out on the fun?” Everything feels better now that she’s here. I can breathe easier. My heart beats a little faster. But I’m not ready to let her out of my sight again.
Finn flashes a grin back at me. But we’re moving into the other areas of the house where Tom might be. We haven’t discussed how we’re going to tell him, or if we’re going to tell him. We also haven’t talked to Sara about continuing what we’re doing in a more formal way.
Which all leads back to Wyatt needing to talk to Sara.
I run a hand through my hair and step forward. I glance at Dante and hold up my hand beside Sara. “Should I?”
His eyes narrow, but then he sighs and releases her other hand. “Until we can all talk.”
Sara looks a little confused, but she takes my hand as we reach the kitchen.
Bright female laughter reaches us as I open the door.
Natasha and Tom sit side by side at the table. Sara stiffens next to me, but I draw her into the room and she lets me. Dante moves to the fridge to grab her something to eat. Wyatt helps Dante while Finn walks to the table with us and sits on Sara’s other side, facing the happy couple.
Tom’s cheek is bruised from Sara’s slaps and our fists.
He watches Sara warily but Natasha seems genuinely curious. The tension is thick.
“My father is an asshole. I apologize for his behavior.” Natasha blows out a breath.
“He kept me locked in a room.” Sara’s tone is flat, like she’s discussing the weather and not her captivity.
Natasha swallows and her face goes pale.
“I spent the time looking for ways out. Cut my hands on broken glass trying to figure out how to cut up the sheets to make something to climb down with.” Her gaze goes to Tom. “But I’m glad you two had a lovely vacation. And congratulations on the wedding and the baby.”
“Sara—”
“Tom.” She narrows her eyes on him. “I swear to god if you talk to me, I will smack you again. The best thing for you to do is remain silent. You not only put me in danger, but you didn’t contact me.
We have an email so you can keep in touch when you do this shit.
And did I get anything from you? No. But you certainly had time to tell Mom everything is a-okay.
So you don’t get to talk to me until I’m ready to talk to you. ”
Tom starts to protest. “Sa—”
“I appreciate that you thought to worry about me while you were off getting married.” Sara’s smile is anything but pleasant. “Natasha, at some point, I would love to get to know you better. But, Tom, right this moment, just stay the fuck away from me like you already did. I’m good without you.”
Even I wince a little at that dig, but he deserves it.
“Now, I’m hangry, but apparently we need to talk about what’s going to happen.” Sara smiles up at Dante as he sets a plate in front of her.
Tom’s brow furrows, but Dante lifts his gaze to Tom’s. Dante’s expression is flat, but it’s the expression of a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.
Dante sits on Finn’s other side. “We need to make sure it’s safe to return. We have a business to run.”
“I have obligations to get back to.” I put my hand on Sara’s back as she eats the eggs and bacon Dante found for her. “But I don’t think it’s smart to leave any time soon.”
“We’ll need to get in touch with the Feds to find out where they are on the case.” Wyatt sits on my other side and we’re a united front before Tom.
“How did you escape my father?” Natasha clears her throat. “Are we really safe here?”
Dante leans forward and clasps his hands on the table. “You’ve heard of the Lawsons?”
Natasha’s gaze shifts to Finn as she nods.
“My father makes sure to have a mole in every organization.” Finn leans back. “More than one usually. My father’s man got us out of there. We would have been out without him, but it made the escape easier. Cleaner.”
“We left plenty of time for them to catch up to us.” Dante’s eyes narrow. “We made sure we weren’t followed. What do you know of your father’s organization?”
Natasha clings to Tom’s hand. “He keeps me out of it, but if he didn’t catch you, he may think he has another way to draw me out.”
“Mom, Caitlyn, and Roger!” Tom starts to stand, but she makes him sit back down.
“Glad you remember your family,” Sara bites out.
“Roger’s on alert.” Dante’s eyes narrow on Tom again. “We know how to take care of our people. He’ll keep them safe.”
“We can only realistically stay here a week.” Wyatt runs a hand through his hair. “We’ve got work to do with us and can use a VPN to connect, but not for the first few days. We have to be careful what we use and how we communicate with the outside world.”
“No cell phones.” Dante sits back and looks at each of us. When he gets to me, I nod. It’s going to be hard, but I can be out of touch for a few days. My businesses will run without me and my family will be fine.
“With that out of the way.” Sara lifts her gaze to Tom. “Stay on your side of the house and I’ll stay on mine. When I want to talk to you, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, leave us the fuck alone.”