Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
brYNN AND THE ARREST
The first glimpse of the Porter Mansion after weeks away hit me like a wave of déjà vu. Its towering presence in New Boston’s Elite district, seemed unchanged, timeless. I paused at the grand entrance, my pulse speeding up.
The familiar stone steps and ornate doors loomed before me, a stark reminder of the life I’d left behind. My stomach churned with a mix of anticipation and dread. Would they welcome me back, or had I burned that bridge for good?
I knocked and blew out a breath. Joel swung open the door.
My hands fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. “Joel.”
Joel’s shoulders relaxed visibly. “Hey, Brynn.” He stepped aside, granting me passage back into a world I had fled without warning.
I crossed the threshold, the memories it housed rushing back in vivid flashes. The scent of polished wood and expensive cologne washed over me as I entered. It was achingly familiar, yet felt foreign after weeks of living rough on the streets. A part of me longed to turn and run, to escape back to the simplicity of survival. But I owed them this much at least.
Sebastian sat on an armchair, his face framed by the bright rays of the afternoon sun filtering through the expansive windows. Beside him, Braxton was reclined on the leather sofa.
I swallowed hard. “Sebastian.”
Sebastian’s posture straightened. “Brynn. You’re back?”
They looked exactly as I remembered, yet somehow different. Had I changed so much in such a short time, or was it just my perception?
Approaching them, I forced a half-smile. “Couldn’t stay away forever.”
Braxton’s lips quirked up. “We thought you’d joined a circus or something with that disappearing act of yours.”
A faint smile touched my lips. “Guys, I...” My throat tightened. “I’m sorry. That night, the heist...I couldn’t say goodbye. It was either leave you in danger or...vanish.”
The confession felt inadequate, a pale shadow of the turmoil I’d been through. How could I explain the gut-wrenching decision to leave everything behind? The nights spent wondering if they were safe, if they hated me for abandoning them?
Tears blurred my vision, spilling over my cheeks. I faced the consequences of my choice. I hadn’t allowed myself to fully feel the mournfulness of it until now, surrounded by the very souls I had tried to protect.
Sebastian stood, crossing the distance between us in two long strides. His hand enveloped mine, warmth radiating from his touch. “Brynn, we understand. You don’t have to explain.”
I wanted to lean into his comfort, but held myself back. I didn’t deserve their forgiveness so easily.
Joel’s voice carried the blunt edge of honesty that always defined him. “Really, it’s okay. We’re just glad you’re here now.”
Braxton leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Safe and sound. That’s what matters.”
Their words, their acceptance, wrapped around me like a shield, soothing the raw ache that had settled in my bones since that night. No recriminations. No resentment. Just them, just us—a family, fractured but never broken.
A lump formed in my throat, threatening to choke me. Their kindness was almost too much to bear after weeks of self-imposed exile and guilt.
My voice came out as a whisper. “I was so afraid that you’d be angry with me.”
“Never!” Sebastian’s gaze ensnared mine, a well of emotion swirling within their brown depths. “You brought light into my darkest moments, Brynn. Your courage, your strength—it inspired me to strive to be a better person.”
I swallowed hard, Sebastian’s confession unraveling the last threads of my defenses. My heart swelled, my skin flushing with delicious warmth under the intensity of his attention. I wanted to look away, to hide how deeply his confession affected me, but I was lost in his stare.
Joel stepped closer, catching my attention, and, his usual confidence replaced by something softer, more tender. “When you left, there was this void. Made me realize I never truly appreciated you until you were gone. That won’t happen again.”
The low, earnest rumble of his voice resonated through me, igniting a yearning deep in my core. I drew in a shaky breath, my fingers curling with the urge to touch him, to assure myself that this was real. That they were all real.
Braxton’s playful grin held a hint of seriousness. He studied me, his boyish features arranged into a look of tender longing. “Shit, Brynn. I felt totally lost without you here. Your laughter, that sexy smile...it’s like the mansion was just walls and expensive furniture without you.”
Fresh memories surfaced—the hot sex and tender moments together. A pang squeezed my heart. I had convinced myself that leaving was the right choice, the only choice. Now faced with their open adoration, the ache of how much I had missed them, how incomplete I had felt, crashed over me in dizzying waves.
A torrent of affection filled the cold spaces within my heart, soothing the jagged pieces inside of me that I had thought were beyond repair. I had braced myself for anger, for resentment—but what I found instead was love and understanding.
The words I had been too afraid to say before now came spilling out. “I love you all, too. More than I ever thought possible.”
“And we love you,” Joel said while the other two cousins nodded.
It felt surreal, this newfound love between us. Just as I was about to speak, Joel cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.
“There’s something else you all need to know. Shoemaker’s been arrested.”
I blinked. “Wait, what? That slimy snake finally got what was coming to him?”
Joel nodded. “Elite authorities nabbed him after we provided proof of his wrongdoing. He was trying to sell his Nant-bot tech to foreign enemies of the United States. He’s heading to prison.”
Sebastian shook his head. “The media was all over it. It’s causing quite a stir among the Elites.”
“Serves him right. Now he’s finding out the hard way that no one’s above the law.” Braxton smirked.
Joel crossed his arms, his gaze steady. “We handed over all the damning evidence. Linked his actions to some pretty dangerous foreign organizations.”
I smiled. “Good. About time someone put that jerk in his place. You guys really know how to make a girl feel safe.”
Joel’s expression softened as he glanced at me. “And that’s the point, Brynn. You’re safe with us. Shoemaker’s out of the picture. For good.”
One by one, the cousins sank to their knees before me, expressions earnest and full of affection. Sebastian took my hand in his, fingers caressing my knuckles with exquisite gentleness. The spicy scent of his cologne hit my senses.
“Will you marry us, Brynn?” he asked, his deep voice husky with emotion. “And let us be there for you and Kay, always?”
My heart stuttered, then began to race. I squeezed his hand, savoring the sizzling frisson that raced up my arm at the contact. This man—this beautiful, complex, loyal man—was offering me everything I had ever wanted but never dared to dream of. A family. A future. A love that consumed and transformed.
Joel captured my other hand, the heat of his touch scorching me to my core. His blue gaze simmered with barely restrained intensity. He raised my fingers to his sensual mouth and kissed my knuckles, then released my hand. “Join our crazy family, officially?”
I felt my knees threatening to buckle. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from Joel’s, mesmerized by the molten hunger I saw simmering in his heated gaze, tempered by a tenderness that stole my breath.
Braxton gazed up at me. The spicy scent of his aftershave mingled with the subtle musk of his skin filled my head with a dizzying rush of need. “Say yes, and I promise to keep that sexy smile on your face and always take care of you and Kay.”
His playful tone belied the raw sincerity in his expression, a vulnerability that made my heart ache with yearning. I wanted to bury my fingers in his tousled hair, to touch the curve of that roguish smile, to lose myself in his strong arms and never let go.
Tears streamed down my face. “Yes,” I choked out, laughter escaping through the tears. “Yes, to all of it.”
The cousins stood up. Their arms enveloped me, three parts of a whole that I never knew I needed until they were missing. Sebastian’s lips found mine, the kiss fiery and consuming, a brand that marked me as his for all eternity. I opened for him with a needy moan, tongue tangling with his in a sensual touch that left me dizzy and aching. He let me go and grinned happily.
Joel claimed my mouth next, his kiss hard and demanding, a primal claiming that ignited a wildfire in my blood. His hands cupped my face, angling me just the way he wanted while he plundered my mouth with barely restrained ferocity. I clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders, desperate for an anchor in the vortex of sensation. Then he released me, breathless and smiling wider than I’d ever seen.
Braxton pushed past his cousins, and his hands roamed my curves, his touch leaving a tingling awareness in its wake. He nuzzled the sensitive spot behind my ear, teeth grazing the delicate skin and sending bolts of electricity zinging through me. “You’re ours now, sweet thing,” he growled, the possessive edge in his voice making me tingle with want. “Now and always.”
I surrendered to their embrace, lost in a haze of love and lust and belonging. It was a proposal, a promise, and a homecoming all at once. They wanted not only me but also Kay—my brave, beautiful little sister—to join their family.
In that instant, every doubt evaporated, every fear dissipated. Love, fierce and protective, bound us together. The shattered pieces of my heart, of my soul, knit back together, stronger and more resilient than before.
Braxton kissed my neck as Joel slipped behind me. I moaned while they trailed kissed along my exposed skin. Fuck, I was already on fire. Sebastian watched, licking his lips every time I caught his gaze.
They laid me on the floor, too impatient to move to a more suitable area. Their hands caressed me, taunted me. Giving me pleasure was something they were all good at, with all three of them I was bound to explode within seconds.
Joel grabbed my shirt and ripped it from from body. Braxtons breath was against my skin taking me in.
“I can’t take this much longer,” I gasped.
“Be a good girl for us and wait,” Joel demanded.
Suddenly they were holding me down as Sebastian approached me. He pulled my pants from me and was in between my legs before I could blink. Shit, he was fast. His tongue grazed my pussy. I soaked his face as he lapped me up.
“Get her real we for us,” Braxton groaned.
“You taste so good.” Sebastian continued to lick me.
“You are no allowed to cum until we have all had you. Do you understand?” Joel asked.
Sebastian sucked on my clit.
I was already so close.
“No, I can’t.”
“You will.”
Sebastian pulled away from my whipping my juices from his mouth.
Braxton was first. He entered quickly and pounded into me. I moaned ready to cum. He continued to fuck me as his cousins watched. It was ecstasy. I needed all of them.
He pulled out and Sebastian replaced him. His movements were slow and steady. Every time he hit my walls I wanted to explode. This was too much. They were all so perfect. I was so close and they expected me to wait.
Braxton sat behind me and yanked me onto his lap while Sebastian continued to pound my walls. His hands tickled my nipples sending tingles down my spine. Waves of pleasure threatened my body. So close.
Just as the orgasm was about to hit, Sebastian stopped.
“Ready?” Joel asked.
“Please,” I begged.
Finally Joel entered me. I screamed out, barely able to control the pleasure coursing through my veins. I needed more.
Joel was aggressive. Each thrust claimed me. Demanded all of my attention. Which wasn’t easy with Braxton behind me, and Sebastian on the side of me. All three kissed and caressed my skin.
“Hold it,” Joel demanded.
I bucked against him. His cock rocked in and out of me. There was no more control. Waves slammed into me. My vision blurred. My heart raced. I fell off the edge and loved every second of it. As I exploded, Joel exploded inside of me.
Sebastian covered my tits in his warm cum and Braxton’s cum trickled down my back.
I leaned into Braxton. This was perfection.
I was finally home, in the arms of the men I loved, the men who loved me in return with a ferocity that took my breath away. And as their lips descended on mine once more, I surrendered to the promise of forever, my heart whole and full to bursting for the first time in my life.