20
THEA
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” I’m stringing along the curses as I throw my things into my new satchel. Cole had been keeping it in his trunk for when he saw me next. When he gave it to me last night, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. As much as I hate that the gift might have been to smooth over the information about the pact, I really love the bag and I’m happy he insisted on me taking it.
I look around for my keys and my phone. “Where is—” I grab my phone from the couch. “There you are.” I slide my foot into my sneaker, hopping around as I pull it on. Then do it again with the other foot. I spot my keys on the kitchen counter.
I stayed up entirely too late with Cole. It was worth it, but I’m dragging today. The meeting with the realtor is in twenty minutes and if I’m late, Cass might actually kill me. She emphasized that both she and the realtor have appointments right after, so we need to be on time to see the property once more before we put in our offer.
Jumping into my truck, I buckle the seat belt and turn the engine over. Except it doesn’t. I try again. Nothing. I smack the steering wheel. Of all the days this could happen, why today?
Thankfully, Cassie got a new phone and I hope I can catch her before she gets all the way there. It rings three times before she answers.
“Hey, tell me you haven’t gotten there yet.” I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.
“Why?” she groans.
I let out a sigh. “My truck won’t start. I’m not going to make it. Are you still close enough that you can pick me up?”
“No, I’m already half way there. You should have been on the road ten minutes ago.” I can hear the annoyance in her voice. I can’t fault her for it. If I would’ve been better prepared, I could have called her to pick me up. “I’ll call Tracy and reschedule.”
I apologize three times. Still, I don’t think it makes a difference. Cassie is a stickler about planning her day. Any deviation can throw her into a funk. I’ve given up any hope of that changing. We complement each other in a lot of ways because of our differences, but it can also be a source of tension between us.
Resting my head against the seat, I take a few deep breaths, trying to compose myself. I need to get my truck towed to a mechanic. I’m sure there’s a few around Willow Hill, but I know all too well as a woman that how I’m treated will be very different from how a man might be. I need someone who won’t try to overcharge me or point out a dozen other problems that aren’t a priority for me right now.
Cole hasn’t replied to my text from earlier, probably busy with the morning rush, so I head over to the bakery on foot. I’m sure that he can point me in the right direction. When I get there, one of the girls behind the counter tells me he’s off for the day.
Seconds later, my phone is ringing and his name lights up the screen.
“Hey, I was just about to call you.”
“Oh yeah?” I hear his smile over the phone. “Having a good morning?”
I laugh cynically. “Unfortunately, no. My truck won’t start, so I had to reschedule my meeting with Cassie and the realtor. Tell me you can recommend a decent mechanic.”
“I can. I’ll have him tow your truck to his shop. Is it still at your place? Do you need a ride?”
Cole is sweet. Still, I don’t want him to think he has to solve all of my problems. “Thank you, but you don’t have to do all that. I can call and arrange everything. I appreciate you, though.”
There’s a pause. Something about it makes me nervous. “Love, let me do this for you. Let me make your day easier. I have nothing going on, so you’d really be saving me from boredom.”
A smile breaks out over my face. “Cole—”
“Thea, please…”
I can’t say no, he’s too sweet. “Okay, thank you. It’s at my apartment. I’ll leave the keys in the ignition.”
“Any time, love. Text me when you get to work.”
I head back to my truck, determined to put this hiccup in what should’ve been a perfect morning behind me.
COLE
“Hey Danny, it’s Cole Wolfe.”
The man’s deep voice replies, grumbling a hello.
“I need a favor. My girl’s truck broke down. Can you get her towed this morning? Keys will be in the ignition.”
I rattle off the address and the truck’s description. He’s not too happy, although I think it’s more of him not being a morning person. “You can call me when it’s done. I’ll handle the cost.” I send off a quick message to Thea, telling her it’s all taken care of.
She tried fighting against letting me handle this. I expected she would. Thea has looked out for herself for too long. I’m prepared for the uphill battle of showing her I can take on the responsibility. Whatever the burden may be, I’m here to shoulder it.
I don’t think she realizes how absolutely smitten I am with her. I’m falling fast and I’ve given up trying to slow it down. Thea’s everything I’ve been searching for and I want her to know that I’m all in.
Toggling through the screens on my phone, I tap the one I was on before I made the call. I hit the buy button despite the total. It’s worth it, I justify.
When she stepped into the bakery last night, I thought my heart was going to stop. I don’t know what I would have done if she told me we were through. That dress… how unbelievably gorgeous she looked… it was so hard not to touch her.
My patience paid off.
She was so eager for me last night, pulling up her dress and straddling my lap. The way she rode my hand. Those few days apart were just as hard for her as they were for me. Thea has no idea how good it makes me feel to know that she wants this as badly as I do.
I understand the weight of her sacrifice. She made it clear to Damian that she preferred a relationship with only me. Thea’s rejecting everything she thought she wanted so that we can be together, even if that means dating my brothers. I’ll make this worth it for her. I’ll repay that sacrifice someday.
“Morning,” Wesley calls out as he walks past me, heading to the fridge. He’s in gym shorts and a tee. He must’ve finished up a workout.
A hand grips my shoulder and squeezes. “Hey.” Sutton smiles at me. “How’d last night go?”
I’m not sure if he means the conversation with Thea or if he’s asking if we slept together. I don’t want to tell him, however, there are rules in place so that we don’t overwhelm her. It’s a fucked up system for the women Sutton or I bring home. Wesley rarely has an issue since he’s into some interesting things and whoever he dates is definitely not vanilla.
Kinky shit isn’t really my thing. Slipping my hand under Thea’s dress in the kitchen where we could get caught and the occasional threesome was the extent of it. Sutton has a thing for exhibitionism. Still, that’s pretty tame compared to Wes and Damian.
“It went well.” I decide to leave our late night activities out of the conversation. They’ll know once I’ve fucked her, but they don’t need to know all the details in between. “She’s going to give this a try. Don’t screw it up,” I warn. I don’t say to either of them in particular, although I’m sure Wes realizes I mean him more than Sutton.
Sutton lets out a laugh. “We’ll be on our best behavior. Scout’s honor.” He holds three fingers up.
Since I’m the one bringing Thea into this, we’ll have to ease her in and to say I’m not terrified that they will scare her away is a lie.
She’ll start with me, I’ll give her most of the attention and affection. When she’s comfortable and gives herself to me in all ways, then Sutton will step in. That shouldn’t be an issue since they have a history and there is already a level of attraction there. Once she’s slept with him, Wes is up. He’s rougher than Sutton and I. That’s when we’ll see what her limits are. If she makes it past him, then Damian will give her all he’s got.
It’s a delicate balance to keep. We don’t want to step on each other’s toes, yet we’ll all want to spend time with Thea. We’ll all date her, and that usually comes with intimacy. It takes a lot of restraint to not get carried away. We have to respect the rules of the pact and each other.
At any point she can say no or tell us it’s too much, no judgment, but Wes and Damian have particular needs. If she can’t meet them, this might not work.
I glance at Wesley, who’s eating a banana. “And you?”
He rolls his eyes at me and shrugs. “I said I would be less of a dick. Isn’t that enough?”
Just as he says it, Damian opens his door and steps out. We all stare at our brother, who is sporting a wide grin. He looks completely relaxed. It’s strange. He walks over to Sutton and throws his arm around his shoulders, pulling him in close.
“Beautiful day, huh?” Damian stares at our confused faces. “What?”
“What the hell has gotten into you?” I ask, suspicious of this bright new leaf he’s turned over.
Wes scoffs and answers for him. “Thea’s given the green light. He’s ready to get his dick wet.”
“C’mon, Wes,” Sutton groans at his words.
I shake my head. “A little respect for her, please.”
“Listen, I was expecting her to flat out say no. The fact she said yes to four heathens like us earns her all of my respect,” Damian boasts proudly.
“Speak for yourself,” I refute. “You two might be heathens. We aren’t,” I pause, pointing between Sutton and me, “We’re interested in more than just fucking her.”
Damian shrugs. “Brother, you don’t know her as well as you think you do. She’s got some darkness in her. I can’t wait to unleash it.” Wesley smirks, as if he agrees.
Jesus, what have I gotten her into?
Thea’s sweet and while she was eager for me last night, I don’t see her wanting what my older brothers have to give. I don’t know what darkness Damian thinks he sees, but he’s wrong.
A sick feeling churns in my stomach. They’re going to ruin this. I’m not sure what I’ll do when that happens.
THEA
“It’s your starter relay,” Cole announces as he enters the studio. I have my feet kicked up while I eat lunch and watch a movie.
“Is that expensive to fix?” I know nothing about cars, aside from being able to change a tire.
Cole sits down on the couch next to me. “No, it’ll be about sixty. But I have some bad news and some worse news…”
My eyes narrow. “Give me the bad news first.”
“The replacement part is on backorder. My guy doesn’t know when he’ll get it in.”
“And the worse news?”
“At first he thought it went bad. Then he checked the relay box and uh…it’s missing all together.” He says this as if I’m supposed to know what it means.
“So it fell out? Why is that worse?”
Cole shifts uncomfortably. He looks worried. “It wouldn’t have fallen out. Someone took it out so that your truck wouldn’t start.”
This makes me sit up straight. “What?” I heard him, yet my mind doesn’t want to accept what he’s said.
“I hate to even ask. Is there a chance that Gavin could have done this? He’s the only person who comes to mind.” I stare at him for a long time, searching for another explanation. However, nothing comes to me.
I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t know anything about trucks or parts. He can barely check his oil. I know he’s been persistent, but this isn’t his style. It can’t be him…” I’m not convinced by my own words.
“I don’t want to scare you, but Danny, my mechanic, said it’s pretty easy to look up a video on how to get to the relay box. He could do it in a few minutes.”
“How? How could he?” My mind is spinning. Gavin wouldn’t stoop this low. Would he?
Cole runs a hand through his curls. “He probably used a Slim Jim to open your truck and pop the hood.”
A chill runs over my body. Fuck.
“Or… I sometimes forget to lock it.” My heart pounds as I think about Gavin tampering with my truck in the middle of the night, just like he had when he left that note for me.
I thought him grabbing me was scary, however, this is horrifying. Still, I don’t understand what he stands to gain from me not having my truck. It doesn’t make sense. Then again, Gavin was never particularly good at seeing the big picture—he’d wing things hoping something would work.
“I-I um…don’t know what to do.” I’m numb. I want to be angry with him and my mother for sending him here—I can’t muster it.
“We can file a police report,” he offers.
I stare at him wildly. “No! No,” I correct myself, saying it calmly the second time. “I don’t want to involve the police. I don’t want there to be a court case or anything else that draws this out. I just-I just need to be better about locking my doors.” It’s not the best solution, but it’s all I’ve got. I need to be patient and wait Gavin out.
Eventually, he’ll get bored and leave me alone. Eventually.
Cole puts his hand on my knee. “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with him. I’m here for you. If you need a ride anywhere, give me a call.” His kindness comforts me, yet I know he still senses the worry in me. “Listen, I get that this is probably scary for you. Don’t be needlessly brave. If you’re not feeling comfortable and need somewhere to go, my home is yours anytime. I’m sure Cassie would say the same.”
He’s right. Cassie would give me her guest room in a heartbeat, although she’d also ask questions. It would be strange for it to escalate this much out of nowhere, and I don’t want to tell her about him grabbing me.
I need to be more diligent about keeping myself safe and secure.
Leaning over, I give Cole a kiss. “Thank you. I promise, if I ever feel unsafe at my apartment, you’re the first person I’ll call.” He smiles.
“Thea, I won’t let anything happen to you. Okay?”
Resting my head on his shoulder, I answer truthfully. “I know you won’t.”