CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

LUCY

I'd like to say we had a pleasant night's sleep before we set off on the final leg of our journey, to get home at last, but it would be a lie. Stella woke up three times from nightmares that twice had her screaming, and it took all of us surrounding her with our love, for her to calm down enough to sleep again, just to wake again a few hours later.

I wish she hadn't gone through what she went through, or that I could have been the one to take that pain for her this time, because she always practically sacrifices herself to save me, and I feel responsible for what she goes through when that happens. I know she has the purest heart ever, and I know she would do this for any of us, but I wish she'd stop risking herself like this. Especially now there's a baby growing inside her.

After showering with Sebastian, before Gage and Mav take Stella to ‘bathe her', I'm left alone with my girl, while the guys load bags into the town car, again one of Gage's owned cars, driven by one of his people. Yes, our man has people . He's only taking us to collect a rental to drive home, so we can be alone, but still…

"Stel, can I ask you something?" She pauses mid button of her blouse and looks at me tiredly.

"I'm okay, if that's what you're about to ask. I'm sorry I kept you all awake though."

"I do care about that, and I do want to know what's haunting you in your dreams, but I need to talk to you about something else."

She sits on the bed and lifts her hands. "Anything, girl, you know that."

How do I say this without hurting her feelings, because that's the last thing I want…

"I need you to look after yourself better. No, wait, that came out wrong. It's not about that, it's about not putting yourself in danger, especially to protect me." I don't think that's any better, but I can hardly take it back now. She looks a little hurt by my words, which is the last thing I wanted.

"Stel-"

"Peanut, if you're asking me to throw you in front of me next time we get kidnapped, I'm afraid you can kiss my ass." Her lips quirk in a small grin.

"Dear god, let us never be kidnapped again. Do you think we give off some vibe that says, ‘kidnap us, we like it really'? I mean, seriously." Stella's phone pings, not for the first time this morning, and she ignores it.

"Do you need to get that?" She shrugs, tucking the phone in her pocket as she stands up again.

"Stel-"

"I love you, Lucy, and for that reason I'll always put myself in harm's way if it means you stay safe, so please stop asking me not to. It's just not in my nature."

"But your baby…"

She sighs, resting a hand over her stomach and closing her eyes. "My family is everything to me, Lucy. That means this baby, you and your baby, and those three guys out there. Don't ask me to ever put myself behind any of you, because I just won't."

She heads for the door, and I follow, casting my eyes around the room for anything we might accidentally leave behind. I'm paranoid about losing something in a hotel room.

"Stel?"

She stands in the doorway, one hand still on the handle, but doesn't speak.

"I can accept that, if you can accept that I'll be stepping in front of you next time we're kidnapped. Got it?"

She starts giggling, and reaches for my hand, so we can walk out to the guys together. Her phone pings in her pocket again, and her shoulders slump.

"Do you need to-"

"It's Abigail, Lucy. I have no idea what to say to her."

GAGE

Since the house is within driving distance, we chose to not fly because I think Stella has been through enough and doesn't need the added anxiety of another trip on a plane. Mav is driving the black minivan we rented, while bitching the entire time about being a servant. I think he just needs to get laid, because he's been moody as fuck, and getting on my very last nerve. I sit with Sebastian, and for some reason our women moved to the row of seats at the far back, when there was plenty of room up here, which has my suspicions raised. I'm trying to listen to them, but I hear hushed whispering. What the fuck are those two up to?

Pretty Boy stares at me with curiosity. "What is it?"

I hook my thumb back toward the women. "They are up to something."

"No, they are just talking."

Glaring at him, I bark out, "Then why the fuck are they whispering?"

People whisper because they don't want to be overheard. They do it, when they're hiding something. There shouldn't be any secrets between the five of us. Sebastian may be perfectly fine not knowing what's going on, but I am not.

I rise from my seat and push past Sebastian and move over to where Stella and Lucy are.

Glaring first at Stella and then at Lucy, I speak in a low, even tone, "What's going on back here?"

They both look up at me with slight fear, but Stella's eyes are the most telling. Fucking guilty as sin. Whatever is going on, it's all her. Of course, I'm not surprised in the least. Every single time one of them has been up to no good, it's Stella. Always.

I glance at Lucy. "Go sit with Pretty Boy, Lucy. Stella and I need to talk."

She gets up with great hesitation, but does as she's told, because she knows two very important things. One, what I fucking say goes. And two, I won't hurt Stella. Well, for the most part I won't.

I sit next to her and stare at her for a long beat, and she trembles slightly. I'm an asshole, so it definitely makes my dick hard.

"What's going on, Stella? What are you up to?"

Her eyes widen as she stammers, "No-t-thing."

Clearing her throat, she says, "I'm not up to anything."

Placing my thumb and forefinger on her chin, I lift her head, forcing eye contact. "What are you hiding?"

She closes her eyes tight as she expels a loud sigh. "I got some text messages."

My initial thought is another man, but she knows better than that. She wouldn't. I'm almost sure of it. Almost .

I slide my hand from her chin to the back of her neck and hold her firm. "Have I ever hidden from you the kind of man I am?"

"No," she whispers as a tear trails down her cheek.

"If I look at your phone, am I going to find text messages from another man, Stella?"

She sits frozen, as if she doesn't know where this will lead, which surprises me.

"No," she again whispers.

"Good, because I'll kill him. The more you beg for his safety, the worse the torture. You're ours. If any man even thinks about putting his hands on you, he's dead."

Her lashes flutter as she raises her gaze to mine. "I know. There isn't another man. It's a woman. Abigail."

"What about her?"

She twists her hands on her lap as I continue to grill her. "She saw the live, and wanted to make sure we were okay. I was talking to Lucy, because I didn't know how to respond to her. Or if I should."

Moving my hands to her face, I cup her cheeks on either side. "When will you get it, Stella? When will you learn that you aren't alone? It's not you and Lucy against the goddamn world. It's all five of us, yet you told Lucy but none of us?"

More tears fall, and it's beginning to cause a sharp pain in my chest. I like her tears, but I don't enjoy the sadness coming from my girl.

"Why, baby?"

I drop my hands from her face, and she shakes her head. "I was scared."

"Of?"

She wipes her cheek and admits, "You."

My mind is fucking blown. How could she be afraid of me? Yeah, I know I'm not a good guy. I'm well aware, but it's been a long time since I did anything to her that she didn't want me to do.

STELLA

Gage withdraws as he shakes his head. "I would never hurt you," he whispers, to himself, I think.

"Gage, I know you wouldn't hurt me. I'm not afraid of you for me. I was afraid for her."

He cocks an eyebrow. "Her?"

I'm not explaining this well, because now I know he thinks I'm talking about Lucy, and he would never hurt her either.

"Abigail. I was afraid you might kill her, since she might piece things together if I respond to her."

His mouth opens in an ‘O' and his breathing gets heavier. "Jesus, Stella. I'm not going to hurt a victim of domestic violence. The only way I would, is if she hurt either of you. I'm not that evil. Had you come to me like you should have, we would've talked about the best way to handle it. I won't harm her."

He takes my hand in his large one. "Baby, I need you to trust me. You don't have to carry everything on your own. We are a family and should be making decisions as one solid unit. All you need to tell her is that Andy will not be bothering her again, and she doesn't need to run as if he will. No details. Nothing more than that."

Sliding his hand around to the back of my neck, underneath my hair, he stares at me with a heated dark gaze. "No more you, baby. It's us. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Gage does something to me when he looks like this. My heart pounds. Thighs clench.

"Please," I whimper.

He runs his tongue over his bottom lip before tonguing his lip ring. "Tell me what you need, little mama."

"Kiss me," I squeak out, like the desperate woman these men turn me into.

Leaning down, he presses his lips softly to mine in a slow sensual kiss, but it doesn't stay that way. He groans as he slides his tongue against mine and becomes aggressive, dominating, and the sound of Lucy and Sebastian talking fades into the background, until it's only Gage. At this moment no one else exists.