Chapter 17 #3
He just grins, lazy and dark, eyes flicking down my body before coming back to my face. “You told me once. Night you cried on my shoulder after Jinn took off for three days. You think I forgot?”
Heat creeps up my neck. I remember that night, but barely—the feel of his arms, his breath on my hair, the way I let myself unravel just long enough to beg for comfort. The way I felt safe, just for a few hours.
Jace leans in, cutting through the tension. “This isn’t a game. People don’t just end up in places like this, not with everything that went down. You’re not here to help, Carrie. Who are you working for?”
Levi’s eyes narrow, dark and protective. “Is someone leaning on you? Are you in trouble, Carrie?”
Their suspicion, the heat in the room, it’s overwhelming. I can feel my hands shaking in my lap. The air between us is electric and suffocating, their bodies crowding me in, their gazes stripping me bare.
I swallow, mouth suddenly dry. Part of me wants to confess everything, just blurt it out and let the chips fall. Another part wants to run. But I can’t do either—not yet. Not with all three of them so close, every memory and touch and promise tangled in the air between us.
My eyes flick from Jace to Nico to Levi. They know me in ways that no one else does—my secrets, my weaknesses, even the soft, silly things I’ve tried to hide.
“I’m not—” My voice breaks. I have to start over. “I’m not here to hurt you. I swear. But you have to let me explain. Just…give me a minute.”
Jace doesn’t let up. He leans forward, his voice low and cold. “If you were so into Jinn, why are you here? Why do you want to help us now?”
Levi’s arms are crossed, muscles flexing under his sleeves. “Yeah, why stick your neck out for the rest of us? What’s in it for you, Carrie?”
Nico’s smile is slow, lazy, but there’s nothing amused in his eyes. “It can’t just be for the sex.” His gaze drops, hot and heavy, raking over me in a way that makes my breath hitch. “No matter how much you pretend it is.”
I bristle, instinctively pulling my knees closer together, feeling their eyes on every inch of me. “I’m not pretending anything,” I snap, more defensive than I mean to sound. “And I’m not here for Jinn. I’m here for—” I cut myself off, the words stuck somewhere between my throat and my heart.
Rain lashes the windows harder, thunder rolling over us, closer now. The storm outside rattles the glass and sets my nerves on edge, making every word, every glance, feel even more intimate. Every breath feels louder, hotter, in this cocoon of dust and secrets.
Jace’s eyes narrow, never leaving my face. “You say you’re not working for the ATF, but you act like someone who’s always looking over their shoulder. We all see it. If you’re not here for Jinn, and it’s not just for us…what is it?”
Levi’s voice is gentler, but there’s a current of suspicion beneath it. “We’re risking everything by trusting you. You get that, right? Every day you walk in here, it could be a setup.”
Nico moves closer, the chair creaking under his weight, and I’m suddenly aware of how much space he takes up, how the room feels different when he’s near. “You want us to believe this is all just bad luck? Come on, Carrie. You’re smarter than that.”
My heart hammers. The words catch in my throat, but I can’t keep them in. “You don’t know what it’s been like for me,” I say, struggling to steady my voice. “After Jinn…after everything fell apart. I didn’t have anywhere to go. No one to trust. I just wanted to survive.”
Lightning flashes outside, painting the walls in quick, ghostly white. For a second, I see all three of them looking at me—hungry, hurt, suspicious. The heat in the room is impossible to ignore, my whole body thrumming with nerves and something darker.
Jace doesn’t blink. “You say you’re not here for him. But you loved him, Carrie. You were willing to do anything for him. How do we know you’re not just doing the same for someone else now?”
The accusation stings. I swallow, blinking hard. “You think I’m lying? That I’m using you?” My voice is brittle, angry, but also pleading.
Nico’s gaze softens, just a hint. “You gotta admit, sweetheart, the timing looks bad. All this trouble, and then you, right in the middle of it.”
Levi shifts, closer now, his hand brushing mine on the table. “Tell us the truth. Are you working with someone? Are we just marks to you?”
The way they’re all looking at me—crowding me, questioning me, wanting me to confess, wanting to touch me, to claim me, to believe me—makes my head spin. The pressure, the longing, and the suspicion all swirl together, making my skin burn.
“I’m not using you,” I whisper, but my words come out uncertain, and I see the flicker of doubt in their eyes.
Another thunderclap shakes the windows, making me jump.
The lights flicker again. It’s so quiet, except for the storm and the thudding of my own heart.
Every nerve in my body is strung tight, and I can feel the heat of their bodies, the way they look at me like they can see straight through all my excuses.
Jace’s voice drops even lower, almost gentle but no less intense. “We want to believe you, Carrie. But you have to give us a reason.”
The silence stretches. My skin is flushed, my pulse pounding. I want to reach out, to take one of their hands, to ground myself. But I stay frozen, caught between the three of them, desire and fear winding together so tight I can hardly breathe.
Rain streams down the glass, the world outside fading away. All that matters is this room, these men, the truth I’m still too afraid to say out loud.
“We’re not stupid, Carrie. We know you’re hiding something. Tell us,” Levi says, his thigh brushing against my knee.
Nico’s fingers slide over my shoulder, tracing the line of my neck. I suck in a breath, nerves buzzing, skin tingling wherever they touch. My heart pounds as I realize I’m trapped in more ways than one.
Nico’s hand moves into my hair, twisting just enough to make my scalp prickle. “You could make this easier on yourself. Just tell us the truth.”
His voice is low, almost a whisper against my ear, and it sends a shiver down my spine. Jace is still watching, eyes burning in the dim light. Levi’s big hand covers mine, pinning it to the desk. “Why do you look so guilty every time we ask about Jinn?” he murmurs, his lips close to my cheek.
My body is on fire, shame and want tangled together. “I—” My voice cracks. “It’s not what you think.”
Jace grabs my chin, tilting my face up until I’m forced to look at him. His touch is firm, not gentle, but the heat in his eyes makes my stomach flip. “No more lies,” he says, thumb stroking my jaw.
The questions keep coming, their hands all over me—testing, teasing, a kind of slow torture that makes my breath catch in my throat.
Nico’s fingers drift lower, down my arm, over my ribs, leaving goose bumps in their wake.
Levi presses in even closer, his leg spreading mine just enough to make me shiver.
I want to fight, but I can’t. I don’t want to fight—not when every touch sets me on edge, not when I feel like I might burn up from the inside out. My mind is spinning with everything I should say, but my body betrays me, leaning into them, desperate for more.
Jace’s grip on my chin softens, his thumb brushing my lower lip. “You like this, don’t you?” His words are rough, hungry.
I nod, breathless, honesty slipping past my defenses. “Yes.”
Levi’s mouth finds my ear, his breath hot. “Tell us the truth, Carrie. Tell us what you want.”
A whimper escapes me, my thighs clenching, the ache between my legs turning into pure need. Nico’s hand slides under my shirt, palm wide and rough against my skin. Jace kisses me, hard and demanding, stealing the last of my fear.
Their questions fade, replaced by something hotter, deeper.
Their mouths are on me before I can catch my breath—Jace’s lips bruising mine, his hand tangling in my hair, Levi’s stubble scraping along my throat, Nico’s hands rough on my waist as he yanks me closer.
I can barely keep up, dizzy and desperate, my nerves set alight by the storm and the feel of their bodies pressing in on me from every side.
Jace kisses me hard, stealing every sound from my lips. Levi’s hands move down, fingers teasing beneath my shirt, pulling it up over my head. Nico slips behind me, his mouth hot at my ear, his voice a dark, filthy promise. “Let’s see how honest you can be now, sweetheart.”
Hands everywhere—Jace’s palms full of my breasts, thumbs teasing my nipples until I can’t help but moan, Levi’s mouth sucking kisses down my chest. Nico kneels between my thighs, spreading them wider, his fingers slipping under the waistband of my panties.
He drags them down, slow and deliberate, until the cool air hits my skin and my pulse spikes.
“Fuck, you’re wet,” Nico growls, his fingers sliding through my slick folds. He spreads me open, tongue flicking over my clit, making my whole body jolt. Levi holds my arms above my head, pinning me to the desk, his mouth at my ear, whispering everything he wants to do to me.
Jace bites down on my nipple, his hand sliding up to cup my throat, his thumb stroking my jaw as he watches Nico’s tongue working between my legs.
I writhe, hips rocking up to meet every stroke, my breath coming faster, the library and the thunder and the risk of getting caught only making it worse.
Levi’s hand slides down, fingers joining Nico’s, working my clit while Nico sucks and licks, relentless and dirty. The pleasure builds, sharp and bright, my body tightening around the hunger inside me. I come with a cry, my whole body shaking, held tight between their hands and mouths.
But they’re not done. Jace lifts me onto the table, spreads my thighs wide, and leans down, his tongue finding me as soon as Nico pulls away. Levi kisses me, deep and slow, his fingers tangling in my hair as he holds me in place.