Chapter 34
Sadie
Three Weeks Later
I check my reflection one last time, turning this way and that as I study myself in the bathroom mirror. The sound of an almighty storm rages outside, and the wind howls, rattling the windows. Owen is fast asleep, and I know he won’t wake until morning, thanks to the storm.
I glance again at myself, noting that the angry bruise around my neck has almost disappeared, faded to a dull yellow.
I cover the last of the bruises with a lace choker that matches the lingerie I’m wearing.
To look at me now, you’d have no idea of the ordeal I went through.
The physical signs might be fading fast, but I know the memories will haunt me for a long time.
Most nights I wake in a cold sweat, panic overwhelming me for a second until one of the guys, whoever is sharing my bed that night, pulls me close and assures me I’m safe.
Trigger beat Tyler pretty badly, but he survived.
After what the cops found during their investigation, I think Trigger wishes he’d finished the job.
Not only did Tyler confess to kidnapping me, but he also confessed to several other crimes, including murder—not that he called it that.
It turned out that Tyler was a wanted man in two other states in connection with missing women.
He confessed to killing them both. One, he claims, was an accident—he gave her too much sedative—and the other, he said he was ‘unable to save’ and that he had to ‘end her suffering.’ Knowing that he did that, how close I came to being another victim, makes my blood run cold.
I try not to let myself dwell on it too much.
I’m going to be a witness for the prosecution when the case eventually goes to trial, and the thought of standing in the witness box and facing him makes me feel sick.
Still, I know I have to do it to seek justice for all of the women he hurt and make sure that he never harms anyone again.
I want Owen to be proud of his mom. I don’t know how I would have gotten through these past few weeks without Owen’s kind innocence, without Dani making me laugh with her dating disaster stories, and especially not without my men.
Shadow has been the quiet constant I have come to rely on so much.
He seems to know what I need without me needing to ask.
I also see how Owen has become like a son to him, filling a hole in his life he thought would never heal.
He says he will never forget his little girl, but having Owen around makes the pain a little less sharp.
Chief is as controlling and bossy as ever, but right now, when making even the smallest decision feels overwhelming, I welcome having someone to take charge.
Still, he is gentler than before, and I’m discovering new depths to him every day.
He is working on letting go of the reins a little.
With a child in the house, it’s not possible to control every detail.
Trigger is as passionate and complicated as ever. I thought he’d never leave my side when we first got home. But slowly, he’s starting to relax and accept that Owen and I aren’t going anywhere. I think the thought terrifies him more than anything.
Dash has struggled the most since that day.
Like me, he’s wrestling with scars that you can’t see.
He still smiles, still jokes, but not as much.
Which, of course, means that the rest of us have been filling in for him, cracking wise and trying to make him smile. Every day, he comes back a little more.
That day will haunt us all, the knowledge of how close we came to death. But I refuse to allow Tyler the satisfaction of occupying my thoughts for long. I refuse to let him win.
The guys have been handling me like I’m made of glass since I got out of the hospital. Tonight, that’s going to change.
It’s time for us to move forward.
With a deep breath and one final glance at myself in the mirror, clad in the new lacy lingerie set I purchased for the occasion, I step out into the bedroom where I told them to wait.
Their jaws pop open. “I thought you called us in here for a family meeting,” Chief says, his gaze roaming up and down.
“I did.”
Dash smiles, looking at me appreciatively. “We should hold more family meetings if this is how you’re gonna dress for them,” he says with a grin.
My heart warms at the glimpse of the old Dash.
Trigger, never able to keep his hands off me for long, comes over and kisses me. “For once, I agree with Dash.” He moves to stand behind me, tenderly kissing where my neck meets my collarbone. “What’s the meeting about?”
I giggle, leaning against him, feeling his warm, solid body against my back. “Isn’t it obvious?”
He nuzzles my ear. “Maybe we need to hear it from you.”
The others remain rooted to the spot. Dash is the only one who isn’t perfectly still as he shifts his weight between his feet, as if wrestling with whether or not to come closer.
“You’ve all been so amazing since I got home. But I also feel as if you’re holding back, as if you’re afraid to touch me.”
“Not me,” Trigger says.
That’s true. Trigger’s the only one of the guys I’ve been sexually intimate with, other than some heated kisses.
I ignore him, looking over at the others.
“Look, I understand if none of you are ready, but I wanted you to know that I am. I’ll be damned if I let Tyler stand between us for a second longer. ”
Their eyes darken at the mention of his name before the rage passes and my words sink in.
“We just wanted to give you time, space to heal, to wait for when you are ready,” Shadow says softly.
“Well, now I am, and if you are too, I want to be with you tonight, all of you.” Trigger’s arms around me ground me and help to soften the nerves that course through my body.
“Are you sure?” Chief asks, frowning slightly. “All four of us will be… intense.”
My toes curl at the thought. “Intense is good. Intense is what I need to feel alive. I don’t want to continue to feel like something died in me that day.
” Dash meets my eyes then, understanding crossing his.
“I need you to help me get that spark back.” I take a deep breath, steeling my confidence for what I’m about to say next.
“I don’t want Tyler to take what we had from me.
I want us to grow stronger through all of this.
I want to be with you all, to make love to you all, because I love each of you. ”
For a moment, the guys are rendered speechless. They stare at me as if they can’t quite comprehend what I just said, as if they’re questioning whether they misheard.
Trigger speaks first, moving around to stand before me. “You… you love me?”
I nod, tears springing to my eyes at the expression of pure joy on his face. “Yes, Trigger, I love you.”
His mouth captures mine, kissing me deeply and passionately. “I love you, too, Sadie. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you.”
Shadow and Chief move closer. “I love you, Sadie,” Chief says, cupping my cheek.
Shadow hesitates, as if the words catch in his throat. “I…”
“You don’t have to say it back,” I assure him.
“I want to… I feel the same, I just…”
I silence him with kisses. “I don’t need to hear the words to know how you feel. You show me every day with your actions.”
We look over to Dash, who’s still standing across the room.
He runs a hand through his hair, and for a moment, a piece of my heart starts to break.
This is Dash, the eternal playboy, the man who never wanted to settle down.
Of course he doesn’t feel the same. But then he speaks so softly I can barely hear him.
“I thought you didn’t feel the same after I told you I love you in the hospital. ”
I go to him, placing a hand on his cheek and forcing him to meet my eyes. “I thought it was a dream. I love you too, Dash.”
His face splits into the most radiant smile, and my heart heals.
My men surround me, smothering me in kisses, hands caressing every inch of my skin and setting me on fire.
I tear at their clothes, desperate to feel their bare skin against mine.
To my surprise, Trigger steps back to watch, sitting on a chair beside the bed.
The others guide me over to the bed. Chief moves to the top of the bed above my head, Dash slowly kisses his way down my body, parting my thighs and I can feel his hot breath against my pussy.
Shadow pulls my breasts free of the lace bra, fingers circling my nipples and hardening them under his touch.
Chief holds my wrists above my head, leaving me bared and unable to do anything but focus on their touch.
Dash pulls the lace of my panties to the side, tongue darting out to taste me. I moan, my nerve endings are on fire as they tease me slowly, taking their time. Dash’s fingers slowly glide inside my slickness, and I grow wetter with each thrust as his tongue darts across my clit.
“Does that feel good?” Trigger asks, his eyes dark with desire.
My pulse spikes and I grow even more aroused at the sight of him watching, his cock hard as he strokes the length of it, eyes never leaving me.
“Yes.”
“Chief likes to be in control, but I’m sure he won’t mind me being in charge this once,” Trigger says, his voice rough. “Now, I want to watch you take Chief’s cock in that gorgeous mouth of yours while you touch Shadow and Dash gets to taste that perfect pussy.”
The dirty talk drives me wild, and I gladly comply.
I soon lose myself in the motion, finding a rhythm to pleasure Chief and Shadow, whose hands tease my nipples and caress my skin, at the same time.
It doesn’t take long for me to reach the edge and with Chief’s cock deep in my throat as he fucks my mouth, I can barely make a sound, the scream vibrating against his cock as my hips buck and I cum on Dash’s face.
He glances up at me, mouth covered in my arousal, and grins, licking his lips like I’m a damn ice cream.