10. Lena
No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to keep my eyes closed. Sleep is miles away from me as my mind reels from tonight’s events. This was supposed to be a fun night out with my girls, and it turned into being rescued from my ex by masked strangers, offered their protection, and given the chance to help enact revenge on him. On an entire organization that I didn’t even know existed. It all happened so fucking fast that I don’t even really know if I’m processing everything correctly.
Tony escorted us out of the club, into a blacked-out SUV, and back to our apartment. Bri and Kate were so caught up in their good time, going on about the men they ended up in private rooms with, that they hardly noticed that our Uber wasn’t an Uber at all. They nearly fell out of the vehicle when he parked in front of our building, hung onto each other as we rode the elevator, and then walked us to our door. They didn’t even question that he was still wearing an ominous hood and adorning his mask.
To live in their world of sweet oblivion.
Even after we deadbolted the door, the distinct feeling of being watched pressed in on me. So much so, I kept looking out the peephole to see if he was still standing there, protecting us like a watchdog. Lurking in the shadows, waiting to intercept any danger that might be coming our way. But the hallway was empty every time I checked, not a soul to be seen .
“Spill, Lena.” Bri’s slurring voice startles me, and I yank my head away from the door.
I turn to find them both standing in their pajamas, clutching bottles of water as if it’s their only lifeline. “Spill what?” I ask, false innocence lacing my tone.
“Don’t play coy, Lele,” Kate says, giving me her signature disapproving look before she hiccups. “You disappeared into the crowd after we saw you talking to some fuckin’ blond guy, and now we’re being escorted home by what seems like your personal, masked bodyguard. So, fucking spill .”
Well shit, maybe they were more aware of their surroundings than I thought. But, instead of giving in, I roll my eyes. “Oh please, Kate, you didn’t notice anything when your tongues were down those guy’s throats.” They look at one another, their cheeks turning red. Checkmate .
Obviously, I can’t tell them the truth, because even I don’t believe it. Plus, they would completely lose their shit knowing that Matt showed up, and knowing Bri, she would do something out of rage and could get herself into trouble. So, I do what any friend would do and I lie out my ass. “I was in a private room with that guy, and he showed me a really, really good time.” I break eye contact, because the image of us in the Underground floods my mind and I can’t look at my best friends with such dirty thoughts filtering through me.
They look at each other, eyes going wide with delight, and then like banshees in the night, they scream. Their squeals of excitement ring through my head.
How am I going to explain all of this to them? Probably about as vaguely as I can. I’ll give them just enough to not worry about me and I definitely won’t divulge the details. I don’t need them prodding me with questions and concerns, because they already have enough of those with me as it is. Right now, the less they know, the better off we all are.
They are my two best friends, after all. Bri and I have known each other since freshman year of college, and Kate came around when Bri desperately needed a roommate after I moved in with Matt. I got to know her during that first year that Matt and I were together, that is, until Matt started becoming a wedge in our friendship. He put a lot of distance between us, and while I’d like to come clean about everything that’s gone down over these last few years, I’d rather just pick up where we left off.
Staring at the ceiling, the glow of the city outlining the curtains, I listen to Bri’s steady breathing as she sleeps next to me. Her deep breaths are causing my eyelids to get heavy and I’m beginning to feel the pull of sleep. I snuggle deeper under the duvet, rolling onto my side. My eyes slowly start to drift shut, but they snap open at the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Anxiety rushes through me, the feeling nearly choking me as I reach for my phone.
All I can think about is the middle of the night phone calls after the driver would give his report on where he’d taken me, who I’d seen, or if I asked for him to keep this trip to himself. I was such a fool to continue to think that he would eventually come onto my side. That he would see the desperation in my eyes and turn a blind eye just once. He never did.
Those calls always turned into Matt screaming, calling me a whore or a slew of other names, and telling me to prepare myself for when he got home. I would beg for his forgiveness until he would hang up on me, leaving me spiraling. I would lay in bed, my heart racing, as I listened for the sounds of him coming home. His footsteps pounding down the hallway, like a bull charging forward, before he would slam into the room and make me pay for misbehaving.
A shiver runs through me as I think of nights like those, the knot in my chest tightening to where I can’t breathe. I tell myself that it’s not him, that I’m safe with the security that’s watching over the building. I’m hanging on to Devin's promises, fingers barely gripping the edge, and I can’t let myself fall now.
My fingers slowly curl around the phone, lifting it from my nightstand in my now shaking hand. The backlight nearly blinds me as I’m met with a message from an unknown number. I hold my breath as my finger swipes across the screen to open it, anxiety yanking the knot tighter, choking the air from my lungs.
UNKNOWN
Eyes on your building. Don’t leave until we say so. -T
Relief rushes through me, releasing my breath, and with it comes a huff of a laugh. The knot in my chest eases, the anxiety receding like the tide as I save Tony’s number into my phone. I crawl out of bed, careful not to disturb Bri, and pull back the curtain to look out the window to the street eight stories down. I catch sight of a car on the street that I don’t recognize, but I know exactly who sent it. They kept their word and for the first time in a long time, I have a real sense of security.
Even so, my eyes roll as I realize that I left one possessive asshole for what seems like two more. But this isn’t the same kind of possessiveness, is it? No, this is protection at the highest level.
I’m the ex-fiancée of enemy number one, and not to mention the fact that they could have easily turned me back over to him for anything they wanted, but they didn’t. Instead, they offered me protection far beyond anything I could have imagined someone would ever offer me.
There’s still a slight sense of unease about the whole thing, because why? Yes, Devin and I seem to have a connection, and I was more than willing to go a step further with him tonight, but it can’t just be that…can it? No one falls that hard at first sight, do they?
Snuggling back into the bed, I lay the phone back down on the nightstand and roll on my side toward Bri. I snuggle into her, smelling the mix of her sweet perfume and the faint scent of cigarettes. The anxiety that had filled my chest is now a forgotten feeling as my eyes drift shut. My breathing slows and my heart rate steadies before I find myself dreaming of nightclubs, secret underground rooms, and mysterious, masked men.
The sun filters through the crack in the curtain that I didn’t close properly after last night. My body is curled around Bri’s, her head stuffed under her pillow. Peeling myself away from her, I crawl out of the bed. Standing, I clutch my throbbing head that’s making me dizzy as the smell of bacon fills my nose. Of fucking course, Kate would already be awake and making breakfast.
I tiptoe out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. I lived with Bri long enough to learn not to wake her up, especially after a night out. You might as well be waking a bear from hibernation, one that will claw your face off the moment it opens its eyes. I’m a believer that the phrase ‘don’t poke the bear’ was inspired by her.
The sound of sizzling bacon is like music to my ears as I round the corner into the kitchen. My eyes squint from the bright sun filtering through the kitchen window, again blinded by this sunny day. Kate is sitting at the kitchen table holding a cup of coffee, eyes wide with alarm as she stares toward the stove.
I stop dead in my tracks when I finally notice the man that’s standing there, his eyes glued to the sizzling skillet. I watch as his muscled back flexes under his black tee, the spatula flipping each piece as if he’s a professional chef. My mouth gapes, because this truly can’t be happening. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Devin turns around and his eyes go wide with delight. “Lena, love.” His voice is gravelly, probably due to lack of sleep, but he still flashes me a shit-eating grin as he says, “Just in time for breakfast.” The bruises on his face shine out in the sunlight, the cut on his lip swollen, but he still looks like a Greek god .
Kate’s watching him warily, her eyes narrowing on him like she’s watching a bug crawl across the floor. I gesture to Devin. “Did you let him in?”
Her eyes snap to mine, looking at me over the rim of her coffee mug. “I had just started making coffee when he knocked on the door.” She looks at him suspiciously as she says, “He introduced himself, telling me that he was the man you were with last night, and then strolled right in. He had grocery bags on his arms and just started cooking as if he does it here every day. His timing was impeccable .”
I feel my cheeks heat. It dawns on me that he probably had a way to figure out that Kate was up. My eyes roam around the apartment looking for a hidden camera or mic, before they settle on the microwave clock: 11:47 a.m. Holy shit, we slept late.
Granted, Tony didn’t drop us off until well after two, but I’m still shocked that I let myself sleep that long. I have half a mind to think that Devin was going to come and cook for us regardless of what time it was. I’m sure it would have been a cakewalk for him to just let himself in, but he seemed to take the more gentlemanly route.
“It was impeccable, wasn’t it?” Devin turns from the stove, giving me a wink. My heart races and heat crawls across my abdomen. “Just like my cooking.”
I take him with his fitted black tee, perfectly tailored black jeans, and shiny black shoes. He manages to make a relaxed outfit look regal and entirely too sexy for eleven a.m.
His eyes follow the line of my body, a wolfish grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. I look down and take in the sight of me in an oversized, ratty T-shirt and skimpy shorts, which makes it look like I’m wearing nothing under it. My cheeks heat even more as my neck flushes with embarrassment.
Kate’s glare could turn him to stone, especially as he looks over his shoulder at her, giving her his million-dollar smile. I pry open my mouth to say something, anything, to break the tension that is growing in the room, just as Bri stumbles into the kitchen. She rubs her eyes, cursing the sun, before taking a deep inhale through her nose. “Oh my God,” she groans, “there’s fucking bacon.”
She walks right up to Devin and peers over his shoulder at the skillet, the bacon sizzling as he scoots it across the pan. “A man who can pleasure our girl and cooks?” She reaches past him to grab a mug, careful not to touch him, as if he’s a priceless work of art. “Dinner is usually at six if you want to come back for round two.”
Devin’s grin grows bigger as his eyes flash to me, causing heat to creep up my neck again. “You’ll have to excuse her, I think she’s still drunk,” I say, giving Bri a classic go to fucking hell look.
“Fuck you, Lele.” She chuckles as she fills her coffee cup, drinking it straight black. She likes to compare it to her soul, but I know her better than that. She might be rough around the edges, but she has a heart of gold. Except for maybe when men are involved and then she becomes a feral animal with teeth as sharp as knives.
Devin carefully removes the bacon from the pan as he says, “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to stay for dinner, ladies, but I’ll write an IOU before I leave.” His eyes meet mine. “And Lena won’t be home for dinner, tonight, either.”
Kate’s mug thumps onto the table, the liquid nearly spilling over the edge. “And where, exactly, is she going to be, Devin ?” Kate snaps.
Bri gives her an incredulous look, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
Devin starts cracking eggs against the pan, completely unaware of the icy stare at his back, the sizzle filling the silence before he says, “At the club with me, of course.”
Kate’s eyes flash with anger as her face seems to redden. Even though Bri and I have more of a history, Kate has always acted as the mother of the three of us. She was the one to send the most texts, checking in on me, and letting me know that they were there. Her nose scrunches, her teeth flashing like a mother bear’s who’s ready to protect her cub. I cut in before she can unleash herself on him. “I agreed to go back to the club with him tonight.” Kate’s glare shoots through me like pointed arrows, trying to pin me in a lie. “I…I want to see more of what the club has to offer.”
My choice of words was a mistake as the daggers from Kate’s glare slices me open, exposing me for the liar that I am. Before Kate can retort, Bri's laugh breaks the silence. “Ooo, girl. You get it.” She nestles into one of the chairs at the kitchen table next to Kate, pulling her knee to her chest. “You deserve to have all the fun after the last five years of bullshit you endured.” Her smile is so bright as she looks at Kate. “ Right , Kate?” I can hear the edge in Bri’s voice, her tough girl persona front and center.
The steel slowly melts from Kate’s demeanor as she takes me in, her eyes softening as she looks down at her coffee mug. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Her wary eyes cut to Devin. “I’m just thrown off by this stranger barging into our home at first light, cooking fucking breakfast.”
He laughs and turns to her. “First light? How late do you ladies sleep around here?” He gestures to the apartment and turns back to start plating the eggs.
Bri laughs again. “Kate works her own hours because she runs her own e-commerce business, and I bartend, so I’m always out late. By the way, I could put those bartenders to shame last night. Whoever taught them how to mix a drink needs to be bitch slapped.”
I nearly choke as Devin’s brows raise as if he’s considering her words. With a plate in each hand, he delivers plates full of bacon, eggs, and toast to them at the table. “Business owner? Bartender? What can’t you ladies do?” He gives Bri a dazzling smile as he goes on. “If you ever want a change of scenery, or to bitch slap someone, I’m always looking for bartenders at the club.”
She pauses, her fork hovering midair as his offer hits her. “ Are you serious? I would make so much fucking money at that place.”
Devin chuckles as he pulls his wallet out of his back pocket, pulling out a matte, black card. Handing it to Bri, he says, “Call this number and ask for Tasha, tell her I told you to call.” She stares blankly at the card in her hand. “She’ll love having you on staff. She loves a challenge.”
Bri’s eyes narrow on the card, flipping it over in her hand. “I can make a mean margarita on the rocks and lemon drops that’ll make your panties fall right to the floor.”
She keeps her eyes on the card as Devin chuckles. “You’re hired.” He looks in my direction for a moment, his expression unreadable, before turning and setting another plate down at the table. “Eat, love. I’m sure you’re starving.”
I cross the kitchen and take my seat just as he sits a coffee mug in front of me. I take a sip and nearly choke on the hot liquid. It’s exactly how I like it, three sweeteners and a splash of creamer. My eyes cut up, his handsome face watching me as if he’s waiting for my reaction. There’s no way in Hell he could know this; it must just be a coincidence.
I tentatively take a bite of the food and nearly groan at how perfectly cooked everything is. The bacon is crispy, and the eggs are perfectly sunny side up. With those hands, this man is proving to be a jack of all trades.
“Thanks for breakfast,” Bri says around a mouthful of bacon. “Who knew a man could perform so well in the kitchen?”
I kick out my foot, connecting with Bri’s knee. She lets out a surprised yelp and giggles, shoving more bacon into her mouth to shut herself up.
“You should see what I can do in other rooms,” Devin says darkly as he rounds the table to me, lifting my free hand into his. His words and the gentle scrape of callouses against my skin sends a curl of desire through my abdomen, the thought of those hands on me again nearly makes me fall out of my chair.
He lightly kisses my knuckles, holding his lips to my skin. His lips are soft, and I don’t miss the swipe of his tongue, as if he’s trying to sneak a taste of me. “I’ll see you this evening, love,” he says around my knuckles, his voice low, his eyes heated.
My eyes widen and my head bobs, the only answer I can conjure up, considering all my words are lodged in my throat. The ghost of his lips makes my skin tingle, heat spreading throughout my body like wildfire.
He backs away from the table with a smug look as he heads to the door. Hand on the knob, he pauses and looks over his shoulder at us. “Lock this behind me, ladies. We don’t need any strange men coming in now, do we?” His voice is light, but I don’t miss the flash of warning in his blue eyes.
As soon as the door clicks shut, Kate jumps up, swiftly crosses the apartment, and snaps the deadbolt into place. She takes a step back from the door, watching it as if Devin will come back and bust it down. I want to check the peephole because even though I can’t see him, I can sense he’s still on the other side, waiting to see if I’ll take the bait.
The tension in the room grows as we all stay silent but eventually pops when Kate throws me a glare and I audibly gulp. “Lena, what. The fuck. Was that?”
I shrink back in my seat, the pressure of guilt building in my chest.
“Uh…he’s…I?—"
“Oh Kate, don’t be such a bitch,” Bri interjects before shoving another piece of bacon into her mouth. “Let Lena live,” she says around the food. She looks at me and gives me a once-over before looking back at Kate. If looks could kill, then Kate would be six feet under with the way Bri’s glare cuts through her. “She wasn’t allowed to do shit for years and she doesn’t need you reprimanding her about getting laid by a hot blond, with the body of a god, who can also fucking cook.”
“If she invited this man to our apartment for breakfast, then she could have warned us,” she retorts, crossing her arms. “Plus, we don’t know anything about this man. He could be just as bad as Matt or fucking worse. He obviously had no qualms about showing up here unannounced .”
Anger surges through me, my neck and face flushing. “I didn’t invite him, Kate ,” I bite out. Her body stiffens, her eyes going wide at my tone. “He came on his own accord, and honestly, it’s the nicest thing a man has ever done for me. So, until he proves to be a dangerous stalker, just let it be, okay?”
She looks between Bri and me, seeing that she isn’t going to win this argument, and takes her seat at the table. Sipping her coffee, she picks up her phone and starts scrolling her social media feed. After a few moments, she looks up at me, her voice calm again. “He seems like a nice guy, Lele, and he’s hot as hell. His cooking is a bonus.”
A soft smile pulls up at the corners of my mouth. “He does seem nice. So does the other one.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Bri’s fork clatters the table and she leans forward, grabbing for my hand.
“There’s another one?” Her voice holds a level of wonderment. “My God, Lele, and I thought I had a good fuck last night, but you were shacking up with two !”
“Nothing actually happened with him, Bri, but there’s some strange tension between us.” His piercing gray eyes and giant body pressed against me in the hallway floods my memory. “And he’s actually the one who brought us home last night,” I say casually, trying my best to get her to calm the fuck down and stop making this a big deal in front of Kate.
Kate cuts me another glare. “Then why was he the one to bring us home, not Devin?” She leans on her elbows. “It’s also not normal for a man to not only escort us home, but to do a full sweep of our apartment before we’re allowed to come in. What the fuck was that about?”
Fuck. I’d completely forgotten about the extra measures that Tony silently insisted he take before finally leaving last night. Did he bug the place while we weren’t looking, and if so, how much can he hear and see right now?
As if she can hear my thoughts, Kate does a scan of our apartment, her eyes wary. While I’ve always appreciated her motherly nature, the way she hones in things is a little unnerving. Bri is the wild child, one who got me into a whole mess of trouble at times, but Kate has been a grounding source for her. She’s the one who has kept Bri alive these last few years, and I guess I could be a little more grateful for her often overbearing tendencies.
“Listen,” Bri says, breaking the tension, “I thought it was super fucking hot and if you’re not interested in him, I’ll take him for a spin.”
Kate nearly spews her coffee and starts to cough. My cheeks heat and I let out a girlish giggle. “I’m not sharing my new toys, Bri. Get your own.” I give her a wink as she cackles, giving Kate a smack on the back as she continues to cough.
“Then I better find someone if I’m going to go and work at this club, preferably one like what you snagged.”
I just shake my head, because I don’t know what it is I have with those two. It’s almost too early to tell. But I do know that they’ll have their hands full the minute Bri is added to their payroll.
Kate and Bri start to bicker about what kind of man Bri should go after, and their differing opinions provide me with some comedic relief until the image of Matt looming in that hallway, gun pointed at me, filters into my mind. Fuck, Lena. You just had the man who finger-fucked you last night show up to your apartment, I need to think about anything but that.
As Bri and Kate slip in and out of conversation, I let my mind wander while I sip on my coffee, their conversation shifting to last night, going into great detail about their hookups. I see flashes of red neon lights, leather, people bound and gagged, and the man who pushed me over the edge takes over in my mind, pushing the image of Matt aside .
I let myself think about what these two men could do to me and how crazy it sounds to be attracted to both. Lustful attraction, Lena, and nothing more. Except for the part about revenge and protection rings out, their actions already follow suit with Devin’s promises. Because, why else would he show up here other than to make good on his word?
My skin prickles with anxiety as I constantly check the clock, waiting for it to be six. Devin texted me not long after he left that I was to be in the lobby at six sharp and that someone would be there to pick me up.
So, like any reasonable woman, I start ripping through my closet. I try for the sluttiest thing I own, and when that doesn’t feel up to par, I rifle through Bri’s closet.
And without much looking, I find the perfect thing that will leave both of their jaws on the fucking floor.