38. Avery
38
AVERY
T his is all my fault. I should have warned him when I saw Kyle turn back around. I should have remembered to tell them never to turn their back on him before we left the house.
If Wesley gets hurt, I’m to blame.
No, you most definitely are not. He’s the one who decided to hit you. He’s the one who waited until Wesley’s back was turned to attack him. And he’s definitely the one who started this mess by flying across the country to harass you.
That little voice inside my head is right for once. All I did was stand up for myself and protect my family.
Sure, I used some dirty tactics, but threatening to tell the truth to the world about an abuser is worlds apart from stalking someone and making them terrified to live their life.
None of that helps Wesley, though.
I race forward to try and pry them apart, but Phillip and Jamie grab my arms, holding me in place.
“Let me go,” I scream. “I need to help him.”
Phillip grabs my other arm when Jamie moves to stand in front of me. I know he’s trying to block my view, but I can still see them rolling around on the ground in a flurry of fists.
“Wesley is perfectly capable of handling himself, and even if he’s not, you’re the last person who should be helping him.”
“He’s my ex. I need to fix it.”
“I have no doubt that you’re a strong and capable woman, but there is a significant chance that one or both of them may end up hitting you.”
“I don’t care. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“And what about the baby? Is that a risk you want to take?” he asks softly.
The baby.
Our baby.
Amid all the drama, I had completely forgotten about the baby.
“Please let me handle this. I’m nearly a foot taller than Wesley, and I routinely beat him when we box. If I can handle Wesley in the ring, then Kyle isn’t going to be able to dish out anything I can’t handle.
“I’m the safest choice to break them up, but I can’t get involved if I’m too worried about you rushing in and getting hurt as soon as I turn my back to you. Please promise me you’ll stay put with Phillip and let me handle this.”
“Why can’t you both go?”
“I need someone with you who can protect you if he decides to come after you and manages to get past us. I’d never forgive myself if I couldn’t keep you safe.”
“I’ll stay here. I promise.”
Jamie rushes off to break them up, leaving me with an unobstructed view of Wesley and Kyle.
I’m left feeling horrified and disgusted. It’s clear that Wesley is only trying to defend himself and finish the fight. Every time he manages to knock Kyle off him, he takes a step back, giving Kyle plenty of opportunity to walk away.
Kyle never takes it. He rushes in with yet another dirty trick, screaming about how I belong to him and they need to back off his property.
I knew by the way he treated me that he felt that way about me, but hearing it out loud is an entirely different kind of pain.
It only highlights the difference between him and my men. They treat me like I’m a person rather than a thing. They value me for who I am and respect my boundaries.
Sure, they challenge me and call me out on the unhealthy patterns that I’m trying to unlearn, but it’s for the betterment of me as a person. Those gentle suggestions have helped me grow rather than squash me down and make me feel worthless.
Even if I had been unsure about them—which I wasn’t—today would have been enough to convince me of the quality of their character.
They silently supported me in the background, empowering me when I confronted Kyle. They helped me get the closure I didn’t realize I needed, and they only stepped in when I needed protecting.
I don’t like violence. It’s one of the few things guaranteed to send me into an instant panic attack, but seeing Wesley protecting me makes me feel safe and valued. He’s always so afraid of this side of himself, but to me, he’s an avenging angel.
After a few moments, Jamie manages to catch Kyle under the arms. He struggles and swears a blue streak, but he can’t break free of his hold.
I take a few cautious steps forward until I’m able to hear Jamie and Wesley’s voices instead of just Kyle’s howling. Phillip follows closely behind me with his phone back in hand, so I assume he’s back to recording again.
“I will let you go as soon as you calm down,” Jamie says firmly. “I’m not letting you go just so you can hit my friend again.”
Kyle continues to squirm but falls silent.
The neighbors who have been watching from their balconies retreat back inside now that the show appears to be over.
Assholes.
“The second you give me a guarantee that you’re going to leave both the parking lot and our lives, I will let you go. Until then, consider yourself in time out.”
“This is none of your business,” Kyle growls.
“It is, actually. You made it my business the second you started harassing Avery. We wanted to hunt you down and destroy your life as soon as we found out you were trying to mess with her again. The only thing that stopped us was Avery’s insistence that we do things by the book. So really, you have her to thank for being able to continue the lifestyle you currently enjoy.”
“I earned what I have.”
“No, you didn’t. I had some of my business contacts look into you. The only things you have going for you are nepotism and your father’s money. Everyone who got back to me told me the same story—you’re spoiled, selfish, and reckless. A lot of them also said you lost any vestige of competence as soon as you got divorced. You know what that tells me? It tells me that Avery was whispering in your ear and holding your hand through the entirety of your career. Any competence you had was hers.
“That woman over there single-handedly supported you in every way possible. Instead of treating her like the queen she is, you exploited and abused her. You held her hostage in her own house, isolated her from everyone who loved her, and tried to chip away every part of her because you’re an insecure child and couldn’t stand that she was better than you. The only reason your whole life didn’t crumble after she left was because your parents gave you a handout or smoothed over your path with their money. You had the ultimate treasure and threw it in the trash, and you don’t get to have a tantrum now because someone else realized her worth.”
“Are you finished yet, Grandpa? I’ve got better things to do than listen to your geriatric ass wheezing.”
Jamie tightens his hold slightly, and Kyle lets out a squeak that’s reminiscent of a stepped-on dog toy.
“I’m almost done, but not quite,” Jamie says darkly. “You see, the benefit of making it to my age is that I have a vast network of contacts and people who owe me favors. Now I know what Avery told you would happen if you don’t leave her alone, but I’m going to do you one better. If you so much as think about bothering her again, I will take over and dismantle every single company your family owns or associates with.
“You will be left with nothing and your family name will be ruined beyond repair. So are you going to be a good little boy and run along or am I going to have to make some calls to my acquisitions department?”
“I’m done dealing with this. None of you are worth my time,” Kyle grumbles.
“Good,” Jamie says, letting him go. “Now get the hell out of here.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him move so fast. His tires actually squeal as he blasts out of the parking lot.
The sheer amount of love and gratitude I have for my men feels like too much for my body to contain. I’m just about to launch myself at them when Wesley turns and I get a clear look at his face.
His eye is already starting to swell and turn a sickening color. His lip is split, and there’s dried blood under his nose.
“All of you upstairs, now,” I order.
“I’m fine, Avery,” Wesley protests. “I’ve had worse.”
I grit my teeth. “Upstairs. Now.”
I don’t know if it’s the tone of my voice or the look on my face, but they snap to attention and immediately comply.
As soon as my door is unlocked, I drag Wesley over to the couch and push him down on it.
“If you move, I’ll pour rubbing alcohol straight into your wounds,” I threaten.
That’s when I know he’s really hurt because he doesn’t even try to argue with me. I rush to the hall bathroom to grab the first aid kit and a wet washcloth before settling next to him on the couch.
He winces when I dab at his cuts but holds still and lets me tend to him. I clean up all his wounds and get him some ice for his eye, but I can’t seem to heal the worried look on his face.
“You’re scared of me now, aren’t you?”
“Why would I be scared of you?”
He hangs his head. “You saw me lose control.”
Very gently, I put a finger under his chin and tilt his face up so he’s looking at me.
“You protected me. I could never be afraid of you for that.”
“But I?—”
“Wesley, if that’s what you consider being out of control, I’m as safe as a kitten. Every opportunity you had, you backed off and gave him a chance to leave. It’s not your fault that he refused to take it. You have nothing to be ashamed of, and I don’t love you any less.”
I press a kiss to the unbruised side of his mouth. It’s not enough. I feel compelled to kiss every unbruised part of him. He has to know how much I love and appreciate him.
It’s not long before my hands are unfastening his pants.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.”
I give his cock a few strokes before flicking my tongue over the tip of his cock. He moans low in his throat as I slowly take him into my mouth.
“Damn. I should have joined that fight sooner,” Jamie mutters.
“I’m not keeping you from coming over here.”
I trace my tongue from the base of Wesley’s cock to the tip of him in a deliberate attempt to put on a show for my other two men.
Wesley’s entire body trembles as I continue to please him with my mouth and tongue.
It’s not long before I feel Jamie’s hands sliding off my bottoms, leaving me completely exposed to him.
I moan loudly around Wesley’s cock as Jamie’s tongue finds my ass. When he reaches around to play with my clit, my mind goes blissfully blank. All I’m aware of is the feel of them.
My urge to please my men intensifies with every stroke of Jamie’s tongue, and it’s not much longer before Wesley spills his seed down my throat.
The taste of him and knowing I’ve pleased him is enough to trigger my own orgasm. Waves of ecstasy wash over me as I collapse onto his lap, but I don’t get to linger in the afterglow for very long.
Before I even catch my breath, Jamie’s disappeared in search of the lube and Phillip has taken Wesley’s place.
“I promise I’ll make it up to you with an endless string of orgasms, but just watching you has me wanting to bury my cock in you,” he says breathlessly.
Heat explodes in my center, and I can feel the wetness pool between my thighs from his words alone.
“I need that too. Fuck my pussy, Phillip. Make me come.”
When he notches himself at my entrance, his breath catches in his throat.
“I love how you’re always ready for me.”
“I love you.”
He thrusts deep inside me, and I cry out. The feel of him moving inside me has the orgasm already starting to build.
A tingle of pleasure races down my spine when I feel Jamie settling behind me.
“Ready, Princess?”
“Yes.”
I squeak at the feel of the cold lube running down my ass, but it quickly turns into a moan as he eases a finger inside me.
I’m so high on pleasure that it’s not long before Jamie’s cock is buried deep in my ass.
The feel of both of them inside me makes my head spin. Every thrust brings me closer and closer to the edge.
I feel my body go tense for a second, but that’s the only warning I get before the second orgasm washes over my body. It’s a riptide of pure bliss, and I’m swept into a post orgasmic haze that pulls Jamie and Phillip right along after me.