Rowan
We all left Dominion together, but since Nick had his bike with him, he was already inside by the time I parked the car.
He’d made good progress collecting what was owed to us.
Alec had finally found a reliable source within the Commission who could access the snitch’s name.
It would cost us, but I was willing to pay the price.
Alec reached back to grab his laptop.
I almost mentioned looking for someone suited to our lifestyle, but decided it was only fair to have the conversation when all three of us were present.
What they didn’t know was that I’d been thinking ahead.
My father had been pushing me to settle down and produce the next generation.
Instinct rebelled at the idea, but our children would have three fathers.
They wouldn’t be diminished if anything happened to one of us.
The problem was that I didn’t want anyone like the women we’d shared in the past. Which brought me right back to square one.
I yanked the door open as Alec exited the car, not noticing my pause.
Nick was sprawled on the couch.
Alec tugged at his tie, sliding it free before removing his suit jacket.
I was about to ask about dinner when Nick’s phone screen caught my eye. I leaned in behind him and snatched it from his hand.
He was scrolling through some woman’s Instagram.
“Are you planning on flying solo on this one?” I asked sharply, scrolling through her page.
“Hardly,” he snorted.
No. She looked too wholesome.
She had long chestnut-brown hair, a hint of red catching the light. I zoomed in. Her eyes weren’t blue—they were grey.
Unusual.
I scrolled again until I found holiday photos in Devon.
My gaze followed the curve of her hips to her thighs. Thick enough to withstand us. Wide enough for what I had in mind. The strap of her swimsuit cut into her hip, the slight bulge drawing my attention to her stomach.
She wasn’t skinny, not like the women in our world with plastic surgery and fillers. Hers were full, but proportionate. She was naturally beautiful.
“No way,” Alec said, chuckling, pulling my attention back to the conversation.
“Yup. He offered up his daughter, claiming she’d pay us back in full.”
“Is this her?” I asked casually.
“Yeah. I was checking her social media to see if she had the potential to pay up.” He raised his hand for his phone.
Further down, there was a photo of her standing beside two other women, all of them wearing navy tunics with white trim and matching trousers.
A nurse.
That could be useful in more ways than one.
I memorised her handle and passed the phone back to Nick.
“How much is owed?” I asked.
“Since when do you care about Hustle debt?” Alec said.
The fucker had always been sharp—even at uni.
“Just curious. Bring her into Dominion tomorrow,” I said lightly, just to see their reactions.
Nick’s head snapped toward me. Alec eyed me with suspicion.
“Let me see her,” Alec said, holding his hand out.
“What the fuck is wrong with you two today?” Nick muttered, but slapped the phone into Alec’s palm.
“I’m hungry, Mum,” he added insolently.
“You know where the kitchen is,” Alec replied, still studying her.
Ella.
“She’s a bit on the chubby side for you,” he said finally, handing the phone back.
“Or maybe I went along with what I thought everyone else preferred,” I said smoothly, slipping out of my jacket.
“There’s nothing wrong with her,” Nick said, tapping his screen. “If anything, she looks like she could take a good pounding.”
“Mmm,” Alec murmured.
“Bring her in tomorrow,” I said. “We’ll decide once we see her in person. I want to review potential candidates for us.”
“You’re serious,” Alec said, rubbing his beard.
“A debt is owed. We have leverage. She looks… malleable.”
When Alec sat beside Nick, I knew they were interested.
I turned to head upstairs and change out of my suit, giving them space to discuss it.
I found her account again as I climbed the stairs.
Young.
Hopeful.
A sparkle in her eyes.
Gullible.
?
?
?
We ate in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They were thinking. I added more chilli oil to my stir-fry and waited.
“So how would it work?” Alec asked, reaching for the oil.
“You’ve seen her,” I replied. “How do you think I’d manage her?”
He glanced up from his plate, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“We’d want our preferences added to the mix,” he said, setting the spoon back in the bowl.
“Naturally.” I looked to Nick, who hadn’t said a word. “Nick?”
“I want a trial run,” he said. His jaw was clenched.
“You don’t like her?”
“I don’t think she’ll fit into our world,” he said. “Or adapt to all three of us.”
“You of all people should know how fear works,” Alec said, taking another bite of chicken.
“It’s a powerful motivator,” I added. “She’ll be tested to make sure she’s clean. Between the three of us, we can train her to conform to our needs. No condoms. No deception.”
I didn’t need to mention my mother. They knew I wasn’t a fool like my father.
“Hm.” Alec’s eyes gleamed with something ugly. “She’d grow to enjoy our ways.”
Nick exhaled slowly. “So how are we doing this, then?”
He sounded resigned, but the faint pull at his mouth told me he was already in.
Satisfaction curled low in my gut. Only time would tell if she was suitable. In the meantime, we could have some fun.
“Bring her in,” I said. “Leave the rest to me. Send me everything you’ve found on her.”
No matter what they said, the excitement was there—thick in the air between us. Ella was an untested concept for the moment. Permanency was flawed, but it could work.
If we broke her down first.
Then rebuilt her into what we needed.