11. Gareth

“Good to see you, man,” Crossland said. “I know every time I reached out, you asked for time to explain, but now that were all together, I think that time has come.” His tone was partially teasing, but mainly serious.

And I understood that. My friends had always respected that there would be some things I couldnt tell them regarding my family and my past, but this was not exactly those two off-limit subjects.

This was Serenity, and from the barrage of calls and texts Id gotten over the last month and a half, I knew they all cared about her. Asher and Weston had let the subject lie when I’d seen them in Charleston, but I knew I couldn’t keep them in the dark forever. Especially since everything had changed between Serenity and me.

Asher, Weston, Ethan, Crossland, and I had awoken before dawn this morning, even after doing a rigorous training course the night before, only hours after wed landed in Norway.

It had been a hell of a plane ride over, for both Serenity and myself, and despite distracting her and assuring her I’d keep her safe, she couldnt help the nerves that overwhelmed her, knowing her father would be at this game.

Id managed to wrangle all the boys before dawn to bring them up to speed.

“Our last poker game, on New Years Eve?” I asked, looking at my friends as they nodded. “Serenity called in her favor chip.”

“No shit,” Crossland said. “I knew it.”

“We all knew it,” Weston said. “Did you think Gareth was going to change his entire personality overnight and get married on a whim?” Weston rolled his eyes.

“You guys are one to talk. All of you are getting engaged or married like falling dominos,” Cross argued.

Ethan nudged him with his elbow. “Weren’t you just talking about a very important Valentine’s Day date coming up next week?”

“I was talking about before me and Aspen, obviously,” Crossland fired back.

Asher cleared his throat, eyes on me. “Were getting off topic, gentlemen,” he said and nodded to me, having regained the attention of my spiraling friends.

I folded my arms over my chest, glancing at my watch. We didnt have much time before we needed to report to our guide, who’d be driving us up the cliff in order to base jump. It would be fun to compare leaping off a cliff as opposed to the side of a skyscraper.

“I have to give you the short version. I know I owe you the long one. Im not trying to be a dick, but I needed the time to sort out my shit.”

“Have you?” Western asked. “Sorted your shit out?”

I contemplated this. Emotionally? Kind of. I’d at least decided to stop denying Serenity out of some moral obligation to keep her safe. I may not deserve her, I may not be worthy of her, but for now, she wanted me. So she fucking had me. The other stuff, involving her father and the Irish family? Not so much.

“Short version. Serenity called in a favor because her father was trying to sell her to an allying family.”

A collection of hisses and shaking heads erupted among my inner circle.

“She wanted me to take her virginity to make her unsellable.”

“Fucking hell,” Crossland snapped. “They still do that?”

“I cant begin to break down the political habits of rivaling families,” I explained.

“But you didnt do that, did you?” Asher asked.

“No. I wasnt about to do that to her, not when she was having to make a rash decision.”

Asher nodded. “You did the next best thing you could think of to protect her, which was to marry her.”

“I knew it would buy her time, which is what she needed. And obviously, shes under my protection.”

“Why do I feel like theres a but coming?” Ethan asked.

“I didn’t touch her for a month,” I admitted. “She kept asking, believing that if I left her untouched and annulled the marriage when I thought she was safe, that shed still be considered a valuable asset to her family. That they’d wait us out. I kept trying to convince her that I was going to find a way out of this where I didnt have to do that, but I havent found it yet, and it doesnt matter anymore.”

“Fuck,” Wes groaned.

“Yeah,” I said. “What started out as a simple plan to keep her safe has gotten a whole hell of a lot more complicated. I dont deserve her in any way, shape, or form, but we fit. For now, she wants to keep me, and Im the selfish bastard who’s agreeing to it. I like her too damn much. And not just in my bed, but in all the ways you assholes have kept talking about the last few years.” I cut my eyes to Crossland, smirking slightly. “Goddamn epidemic. Just like you said.”

Crossland gave me a shit-eating grin, then reached out his hand. I clapped mine in his, shaking it. “Welcome to the club, brother,” he said.

“We have to triple our efforts in getting Doyle out of the game,” I said, finally coming to the point.

Western scoffed. “Like we havent been trying to convince him since the moment he came in. Although, I guess were happy we didnt succeed, considering your situation now.”

“Right,” I said. “I just cant let this become a monthly torture for Serenity, and Im not going to leave her behind unless she asks me to. It was hard enough for me to allow her to stay in one of the villas with Brynn, Daisy, Aspen, and Alex, as it is.”

“Allow her?” Ethan asked. “Like youre her keeper now?” His words were playful, but I cocked a brow at him nonetheless.

“Im certainly not her keeper,” I explained. “But right now, things are tumultuous. Every second we remain married, O’Brien’s family and connections are trying to figure out a way to break us apart. Some of those ways include dangers a lot of you have likely never had to think about, and Im not saying thats your fault, but we just think differently. We were raised inherently differently.”

“Hence, the four security guards currently standing outside of my villa?” Asher asked.

I nodded. “The only difference between my guards and O’Brien’s are that theyre good. Not only will they keep her safe or die trying, but they wont be assholes. If she wants to leave, theyll shadow her. They wont try to stop her. The days of her being a prisoner are over.”

Crossland blew out of breath. “Are our women in danger too?” he asked. “Not accusing, just genuinely concerned.”

Weston pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ethan looked ready to punch somebody despite all his anger management training, and Asher just looked at me with that genius-like calculation only he was capable of.

“No,” I assured him, assured them all. “Doyle is an idiot, but he’s not stupid enough to incite all of your wrath by making a threat against them.”

“Do you have a plan to get him out of the game? I know its step one on a long list,” Asher continued. “But you know we have your back. We may not be well-versed in the methods of your past, but you have some of the wealthiest people in the world at your disposal.”

“Thank you,” I said, and fucking meant it. This inner circle that had been born of me shedding the ways of my own life meant more to me than some of my own blood. “I dont want to ask you to do anything thats going to put you or your women in danger. Getting him out of the game has always been a priority, but up until now, we’ve been soft about it. Its time to take the gloves off.”

They all nodded, waiting.

“Every bet has to be about him losing his seat. Every single hand hes in has to be about him forfeiting his right to that chair. No other bets exist. Even if he has a lucky streak, he will lose by the end of the night.”

“Oh, thats fucking genius,” Crossland said, glancing at Asher for confirmation. “Theres nothing in our contract that states we cant do that, right?”

Asher, who possessed an eidetic memory, took a moment, his eyes going distant like he needed to mentally pull up the contract and read through it. He shook his head. “The only thing in our contract upon entering the game regarding losing your seat is that you cannot gift it to anyone or sell it to anyone, not without full approval of the group. There’s nothing about betting with a seat. Clearly, or he wouldnt have even made it into our game in the first place.”

All eyes fell on Weston, but he shrugged. “Im no longer apologizing for that,” he said with confidence before nodding to me. “Especially not after this outcome. Look at him. Normally, he looks ready to break someones jaw, but he’s all happy and smiling.”

I pinched my brow, checking myself to see if I was smiling.

I wasnt.

Weston rolled his eyes. “Your mouth may not be selling it, but your eyes are. After all our years together, we can all tell the difference.”

I glanced at my other friends, who nodded.

I let out a rough laugh and shrugged. “I wont deny that she brings me happiness. But I also know that she’s in a very precarious position. If at any time she decides she wants to leave, that she needs space to heal to figure out what she really wants, Im not going to hold her prisoner. But for now, shes mine. And I know you all understand this. Ill do anything to protect whats mine. Just like any one of you would do for yours. Will you help me get him out of the game?”

“Absolutely,” Crossland answered first.

“Asshole will be out by the end of the night,” Ethan said.

“Im in,” Weston said. “For Serenity, and to correct the mistake I made by losing a seat to him.”

“Im more than happy to help get him out of the game,” Asher said.

“But?” I asked.

“But this is just step one, Gareth. What happens next? On your end of things? Im with you, but I worry that this will be a catalyst for something far more dangerous.”

“Youre not wrong,” I said. “This will absolutely piss Doyle off, but hes already out for blood. Getting him out of the game wont change that. And Im going to do my best to negotiate some sort of terms with him tonight, but I doubt hell be open to it. Getting him out of the game will at least ensure that Serenity doesnt have to see her abuser monthly.”

There was a collective agreement between my inner circle, and some of the tension in my chest loosened knowing I had their full support. I meant what I said. I wasnt trying to bring them into the danger currently surrounding my life, but having them in this? It meant everything to me.

I glanced down at my watch, noting we had five minutes before we had to walk out and meet our guide.

“Wait,” Crossland said as we started to walk out of the resort. “Is he base jumping with us?”

I shook my head. “I made sure he didnt get an invitation,” I said.

“Smart,” Asher said, flashing me a knowing look that was equal parts concern and respect.

The other guys look confused, so I shrugged. “If he’d shown up, I couldnt guarantee that I wouldnt mess with his parachute. Not after what he did to Serenity.”

“Holy shit,” Crossland muttered before clapping me on the back as we made it to our guide’s car. “Im so glad Ive never pissed you off.”

The freefall from the thousand-meter cliff was a perfect avenue to channel all the adrenaline that had racked my body since New Years Eve.

The fight-or-flight instinct never really left, but for those brief moments where nothing was between me but air and the sweet rush of the fall, I felt at peace.

The boys and I landed without incident, and we quickly high-fived each other at the true rush of an experience. I felt like every single time we did one of these excursions, we bonded just a little more, and after what I had asked them to do? I knew I had established a loyal family that I would do anything for.

Two hours later, after a shower and a quick change of clothes, I was heading over to Asher’s villa to see if Serenity wanted to walk up to the game with me. I wouldnt make her, especially if she was having a great time with the girls. I didnt want to interrupt that, but I wanted to check in and make sure she was doing all right.

The girls were walking out of the villa by the time I made it to the door.

I breathed easier as I spotted Serenity. She looked exquisite—gone were the elaborate dresses and gowns that her father made her wear, replaced with a pair of white slacks that cinched around her waist and billowed over her feet, paired with a dark blue tank top that cut off just above the pants, exposing a strip of her pristine skin. And the way she moved in it, with pure confidence and comfort, made her look like royalty in a way no ballgown ever could.

She wore her makeup the way she wanted to, which included a bold red lipstick that turned my blood to lava. Those red lips would look like perfection around my cock, and the memory of her on her knees before me nearly brought me to mine.

I extended my hand, and she immediately intertwined our fingers, falling into step at my side.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked.

She took a steadying breath before nodding. “I cant hide from him,” she said matter-of-factly.

Such a bold, courageous little thing.

I knew grown men who would cower in the face of the king of the Irish mafia, and she had more reason to fear him than anyone. But here she was, walking at my side with her head held high, my guards shadowing us in the distance as we made our way to the poker game. If we didnt have serious business to attend to, I would’ve thrown her over my shoulder and taken her back to our villa, where I’d properly worship her as the goddess she was.

Later.

I would absolutely make good on that later.

The air in the room where our poker table had been set up was thick. Doyle was already in his established seat, my friends and their girls walking in ahead of Serenity and me. I lingered just outside the doorway, silently conveying we could turn around if she wanted to.

She squeezed my hand and took the first step into the room, directly revealing herself to her father. I followed her like the helpless man I was, totally at her disposal.

Doyle did a double take from where he sat, almost as if he didnt recognize his own daughter. Which totally made sense, seeing as he had never met the real Serenity. The one who hadnt been beaten down by him, or cloistered and molded into something he wanted as opposed to who she actually was.

The siphoned adrenaline from the base jump came back in full force as I watched flickers of disgust roll over his face as he eyed Serenitys outfit and makeup.

I tugged our intertwined hands to my mouth, planting a soft kiss on the back of hers before releasing her. She smiled up at me like I was the only man in the room that mattered and then headed over to where the girls were already ordering drinks from the pop-up bar across the room.

I took my seat between Ethan and Crossland, but my eyes met Doyle’s across the table.

It was awkwardly silent, nothing at all like our usual games where we were already mid-conversation before the hands were even dealt.

Now it was so quiet, all we could hear was the soft chatter of the girls across the room, and the cards being shuffled.

The first few hands went by without Doyle so much as reacting to the bets for his seat that we made, but after a few more, a lightbulb clicked behind his eyes.

“Youre all being bastards,” he grumbled, folding yet another hand. “Making those bets.”

“Theyre just bets,” Crossland said. “If youre too cowardly to call them, maybe youre in the wrong game.”

I stifled my laugh. Leave it to Crossland to poke an already angry mob boss. I appreciated his aloofness, severely struggling with the temptation to return every blow Doyle had given Serenity and be done with him.

After Doyle had folded another few hands, I was starting to worry the plan Id concocted wasnt going to work. There was nothing in our contract saying he had to call any of our bets, but I just needed him to take the bait so I could get him the fuck out of here.

Serenity headed over to me and laid her hand gently on my shoulder like she was afraid of interrupting me. I was mid-hand, but I didnt give a shit. I gave her all of my attention, shifting toward her, smoothing my hand across her lower back.

“The girls want to check out the shops on the other side of the resort,” she said, her voice automatically adapting that low, almost demure tone that she was used to using here. “Is it okay if I go with them?”

Anger snapped through my chest—never at her, but at the way she’d just asked me if she could go shopping. This was ingrained in her, no doubt those emotional and muscle memories switching on the moment she entered our billionaire’s game.

I tugged her into my lap, needing her closer. “You never have to ask, angel,” I said, my eyes only on her. “You tell me, and thats enough. You know the guys will shadow you, and youre comfortable with that, right?”

She nodded, a smile shaping those bold red lips.

“Then go have fun,” I said, bringing my lips to the shell of her ear, lowering my voice so only she would hear. “Buy something I can take off of you later.”

Her little breathless gasp was everything.

I pulled back and captured her mouth with mine, the rest of the room fading away as I kissed her like I would if we were alone.

Possessively, desperately.

I kissed her because I could. Because I wanted to more than anything else in the world, and because she was mine.

Slowly, I pulled back. Her eyes were lust-hazy, her lipstick just slightly smeared. She looked good enough to eat, which I fully intended to do later.

She shook her head at me, a playful look in her eyes as she smoothed her thumb over my lips, no doubt cleaning up the mark she’d left on me. She should’ve known I wouldnt have minded keeping it there, wearing the mark for the rest of the fucking game just because I could.

Serenity kept her eyes on me, dutifully ignoring her father, which made me so damn proud of her.

I lightly pinched her ass as she stood up. “Have fun,” I said.

The girls immediately enveloped her into their little group as they headed out of the poker room, my four guards nodding to me before they followed.

When I returned my focus to the game, I notice that Crossland—who was on my left—had rightfully folded the cards Id had before Serenity came over, an understanding we shared. A new hand had been dealt, but Doyles eyes were on me, and he was turning a weird shade of purple.

I looked down at my new cards and folded them, knowing it wasnt the hand that was going to get me what I needed. I could only hope that my friends would be more successful this round.

“Do you have something to say?” I asked Doyle when he hadnt bothered to look down at his hand, still staring at me like he wanted to murder me.

“No,” he said. “I think Ill just keep watching you dig your own grave.”

I slowed my breathing, telling myself not to react to the threat. I still needed to try negotiating with him, and backing away from this table and yanking him out of his chair to break his jaw probably wouldnt help me in that regard.

“Look,” I said while Asher and Weston quietly conducted a hand between themselves as everybody else had folded. “Were here now. We could end this. Ive asked you repeatedly to name your price, and youve ignored every request. Do yourself a favor and let’s get this shit over with.”

Doyle shook his head. “You have nothing to offer me that is as valuable as what you took without my permission.”

I ground my teeth together, drawing up every ounce of training Id ever had by my family not to react to the prick’s words. Referring to Serenity as a piece of property was definitely on my fucking trigger list.

“Whether or not you name your price, you have to realize shes never coming home to you,” I said when I was able to speak without threatening to break his neck.

“Oh, shell come home to me,” Doyle said. “The minute you get tired of playing house, she’ll come running home because she has nothing of her own, no means or skills to support herself. Shell come home because thats what Ive trained her to do. Ive trained many bitches in my time, and shes by far the most valuable?—”

“Ive never understood your organizations construct of virginity,” I cut him off. “Or the way you treat your women like property, but I can assure you that no longer applies to her.” I leaned a little closer over the table, ensuring he caught every word from where he sat on the opposite corner. “And if you call my wife a bitch again, I will drop all pretenses of negotiating calmly with you.”

Doyle shook in his seat. Whether from fear or anger, I didnt know. I didnt care. He was seriously overestimating my patience.

He bolted from his seat, standing with his hands fisted at his sides.

I rose at the same time, more than ready for a fight.

All my friends stood up too, shifting to face Doyle as tension crackled through the room.

Doyle looked at the rest of them, almost like hed forgotten that they were my friends and never his.

His hand shifted toward his waist, reaching for a gun that wasnt there. We were always checked before we entered the poker room, a standard safety precaution that we’d laid into the contract at the conception of our game.

As the realization that he was outnumbered washed over his face, he glared at me and sat back down. “Deal the cards,” he said, giving me absolutely nothing for my request of a price.

I put that to the back of my mind, focusing on the situation at hand. I could see it in his jerky movements, in his soft grumblings—he was on tilt. This was our chance to get him out.

He bought into the hand, accepting our first round of cash blinds. Now he was in with something to prove. And lucky for me, I had a good fucking hand. I only had one goal with the bet.

By the time all community cards had been dealt, I knew I had the best hand, but by the way Doyle was betting, he had the second best.

And Id played it like Id had the worst the entire round, showing him exactly what he wanted to see—a desperate man.

He bought my lie so well that he was almost smug when he scribbled on a blank chip. “Give me my daughter back,” he said, the words written on the chip as he tossed it in.

“We dont bet people,” Asher said.

“Ill match that,” I said. “With the terms that you lose your seat if I win.” I wanted to also add that he’d let Serenity go free, but I knew he wouldn’t call that. It would show him that I had the winning hand, and I didn’t want to lose him when I had him so close.

Doyle laughed, but nodded, so confident he had the winning hand.

Crossland smiled next to me, knowing that I had him.

Knowing that I would never risk Serenity like that.

Asher motioned to us to show our hands now that I’d called his bet.

Doyle confidently rolled over the second-best hand on the board, already reaching for the chips and calling me an idiot, when I showed him mine.

It took him a few seconds to put two and two together, and he released the chips in the middle of the table before slamming his fists down on the edge. He got up so fast his chair toppled over, and he pointed at me. “Youre a fucking idiot! You have no idea the shit youve started.”

I rose from my seat, looking down at him. “Youve lost your seat,” I said. “Youre no longer welcome here. If you decide you want to be an adult and settle this respectfully, you know how to reach me. But know this, you should feel lucky that I let you live.”

The color drained from his face, and he glared at me before stomping out of the room.

My friends let out a collective breath, all of us settling back into our seats, congratulations and high-fives erupting.

I quickly checked in with my guards, making sure that they were on alert should Doyle run into the girls while they were shopping, and they confirmed that the girls were wrapping up and about to head back to Asher’s villa.

It was the only comfort that kept me in my seat.

“I never thought we’d have a legitimate reason to force him out of the game like that,” Asher said after a few more hands.

“Me either,” Wes said.

“I hate what Serenity has been through,” Ethan added. “But I’m not sad he’s gone.”

“I won’t miss the asshole,” Cross said. “I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite you.”

“Same,” I said, unable to assure them that it wouldn’t. This was just step one in a long list of steps I had to contend with.

We all decided to end the game after a couple of hours, each of us crashing after the tense situation with Doyle.

I thanked them all again for their support and help, and headed back to my room, where I knew Serenity was now waiting for me with hope flaring in my chest.

I found her in the bedroom, freshly showered and in PJs, reading a book. She put it down the moment she saw me, eyes wide and curious.

I quickly shed my clothes, climbing onto the bed and pulling her into my arms.

“Its done. Hes out of the game.”

Relief pooled in her eyes, but she tilted her head. “What about us?”

“I tried,” I said, disappointed that Id failed her. “Hes not seeing reason. Im hoping that he’ll come to his senses soon. Ill keep trying.”

She nodded, understanding shaping her features. She smoothed her hands over my chest, her eyes focusing on mine. “What now?”

I smoothed some of her silken hair away from her face. “Whatever you want.”