Chapter Eleven #3
Next came when I decided to “help” carry the bags to the rooms. Again, I had chosen a time when everyone was too busy to actually help me, so there I was carrying heavy loads of luggage from the entry to the bedrooms or the dining table, getting in Cole’s way “accidently” more than a few times without luggage in my hands.
When I was done, I sat down in a chair with the back to Peter and interrupted Cole’s conversation – again - asking for a cup of water.
Already very irritated with me, he looked at me like I was crazy and went on with his conversation.
I had made a big production after getting out of Cole’s site, directly into Peter’s, holding my back and rubbing my neck as I went to the kitchen to get a drink by myself. Another point for me.
Stash was next. He was pretty easy. I had grabbed his camera and taken a few pictures out the panoramic window. Then…dropped it. Oops.
I had planned it when Brent and Cole had gone to take showers so they wouldn’t hear the yelling and defend me.
One glance at Ally and she kept her mouth shut.
And, boy, did I get an ear full. Making sure I looked pathetic and scared when I walked off with my back to him, again so Peter could see me, I left for the communal bathroom to “hide”. Point three for me.
I knew of only one way to get Zane and it wasn’t kind and I wasn’t too thrilled to do it after what I had already determined with him, so when I went to find him a minute later my apprehension wasn’t faked.
I found him in the kitchen. I quietly asked him about his tattoo.
Silence. I told him I wouldn’t mind getting one like it.
Silence. I asked where he had gotten the idea from. No longer silent.
I was thrown up against the wall with a very ticked off Zane glued to me, practically spitting in my face, threatening my very life if I ever said anything else about it. Yep, I had been right about him. I wasn’t happy to know that.
Only Chloe and Peter had been in the kitchen, then. They had ripped him off me and he had stormed off to his room. I made my lips tremble. Then, rushed off to my own room. Point Four.
The real clincher came when we went out to dinner.
We’d had to sit at the bar waiting for a table, me sitting close to Ally and Chloe so that Brent and Cole couldn’t do anything too friendly.
They were supposed to be the bad guys, after all.
I waited and yawned and waited some more for the perfect timing.
It came when Brent went to ask the hostess how much longer it was going to take and Cole got up to use the bathroom.
I went at the same time as him. When we were still within view of Peter, getting ready to go down a hallway, I whispered to Cole that I wanted to suck his cock tonight.
Couldn’t think of anything else, I was so tired of playing everyone.
It didn’t matter if it was lame. It worked.
He acted predictably and slammed me against the wall, taking my mouth in a heated caress that I made myself ignore. Well, I mainly ignored it. I made it look like I was pushing against his chest when I was really clutching him to me and flicked a leg out like I was trying to kick him.
And whammy!
Out of nowhere – well, not so nowhere - Cole was knocked backward.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Cole whispered, his eyes locked on one irate Peter. I realized at this point that Cole might get hurt if Peter decided to use him for a punching bag. Cole was taller than most and built beautifully, but Peter was literally built like a semi.
I played it up, stepping between them with my back to Cole, giving Peter a desperate look and wiping my mouth off like Cole’s kiss had been disgusting.
“Peter, go back to the others. This is your boss.” I made my eyes go wide and plead with my eyes, titling my head to where the others were watching.
Cole’s arm snaked around me from behind me and tugged me back against his chest.
“Peter, do what she fucking said. This is none of your concern,” Cole demanded.
I let my eyes fall, but didn’t move out from between them. Really, that worked for both purposes. It kept Cole safe and made me look helpless.
“The hell I will,” Peter huffed. “I have watched all of you walk over this poor girl all day. Between the physical and verbal abuse that has taken place, I’m sure as hell not going to stand here and let you sexually assault her!”
“What?” Cole yelled incredulously, his body going full butt-kicking tense. “I wasn’t sexually assaulting her! She liked and wanted it!”
Oh, boy. Now, the ringer.
I kept my eyes down and rubbed my head, and whispered, “He and Brent both stole into my bed last night.”
Peter’s eyes lit up like fire and he demanded of Cole, “Is that true?”
“That’s none of your fucking business,” Cole said through clenched teeth, then yanked me tighter.
He didn’t know I had some pretty nasty bruises there and it did hurt enough that my flinch wasn’t faked when he lectured quietly to me, “I don’t want everyone knowing.
It wouldn’t be good for my staff to hear about that.
Some things need to be kept secret and private, Ember. ” I made myself tremble.
Locked. Sealed.
And almost delivered.
Peter started shouting and yanked me out of Cole’s arms. Again I kept myself between them during his tirade.
“Who the fuck are you people? What the hell happened to you? I thought you were good men! But, you’re not!
You don’t treat women like that! Women should be cherished and loved and protected.
Not taken advantage of and used and abused. ”
He started dragging me away and Brent stopped him with Cole wide eyed and racing to catch up after the out-of-the-blue shock he’d had.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Brent asked him, taking a firm grip on my arm. “Let her go!”
I tried to stay between them the best I could, but kept mute. I had done all I needed to do. All he had to do was say the magic words.
“So she can be hurt by you assholes? Like hell, I will. She’s not going anywhere with any of you fucks!
” he yelled, leaning over me to get closer to Brent.
“I fucking quit, and so does she! And I’m going to help her build one hell of a lawsuits against you shits.
We’re leaving now and don’t even think about laying another fucking hand on her. ”
Clapping erupted then, startling everyone.
Ally stood right next to us, everyone surrounding, as she clapped calmly and murmured to Peter, “You lose, big boy.”
“What?” he asked, clearly not understanding. No one else did, except for Bas and Chloe, whose mouths were catching flies.
I turned around and placed a hand gently on his arm. “Remember. You promised you wouldn’t get angry when I won.” He blinked and silence extended. “The wager, Peter.” Clarity started to clear the red haze that had surely overtaken logical thinking in those large brown eyes.
He yanked away from me and stumbled back a few steps.
“Ember, what’s going on?” Brent murmured, tucking me into his embrace quickly.
Ally beat me to the punch. “Peter here didn’t seem to like Ember much at first. He was downright rude about her being an employee of Lion Security. He, also, didn’t believe that she could analyze people enough to persuade them, so I made a bet with him.”
“What was the bet?” Cole asked slowly, eyes on the fuming Peter. Cole bent over and placed a kiss on the top of my head while Brent still held me. Brent shoved him away.
“Fuck off, Brent. She was just ripped from my arms while our own employee accused me of sexually assaulting her.” Cole voice was so animated I knew he needed comfort.
I stood on tip-toe and kissed Brent’s cheek before wiggling out of his arms to go to Cole, much to Brent’s dismay.
Cole’s arms encircled my waist right before he picked me straight up off the floor, gripping me tight.
I tried not to wince and whispered, “I’m sorry about that. I wouldn’t have let it go too far.”
“She’s got fucking bruises all over her stomach and ribs.
You’re hurting her, dammit.” Brent grabbed me under the arms and tugged softly, but his meaning was clear.
Cole’s startled gaze caught mine. He was demanding even when he didn’t say anything.
I sighed and nodded. He released me gently, scowling, while Brent placed me back on the floor, and he ordered, “The next time I hurt you, you tell me. Understand?”
He was dead serious.
I nodded again.
Both had hands on me, so instead of picking I turned around and rested back on both of them. Tense bodies, and all.
“Damn. I thought she was single,” Bas whispered to someone. I felt Brent and Cole shift against me, probably eyeballing Bas. I didn’t look. I needed to deal with Peter now. He hadn’t calmed down much.
“Are you finally ready to take care of the pissed off giant?” Ally asked dryly.
“God, I love that Ember’s here,” Stash murmured from my right. He sounded almost reverent. He so needed a hobby. Er…one that didn’t involve incriminating photos, that is. Too bad when I dropped his camera it hadn’t broken.
“Okay, so there was a bet.” Zane took control of the quickly spiraling situation. “Who all knew about this?”
“Everyone but the four of you,” I explained. “You were at work when it was arranged.”
Zane nodded. “Okay, what were the wagers details?”
“I bet him that by the end of the day Ember could get him to quit. He didn’t believe it. He took the deal like that.” Ally snapped her fingers promptly.
Zane crossed his arms. “What did he forfeit since he obviously lost?”
Ally’s face fell and she scowled, mumbling, “Ember came up with the stakes.”
Zane looked at me. “Well?”
“Since he lost, no matter if she wants him in there or not, he has to stay in the kitchen and help Ally cook dinner when she blesses us with her dinners for the duration of his stay.”
Silence.