13. Hellena

13

HELLENA

I reread the note several times, looking for something I might have missed. It can’t be real.

I don’t recognize the address.

I don’t recognize the handwriting.

But whoever wrote this knows where I am. They came here while I was gone and left me this message. And they know who my father really was.

If you want to know more about your father, meet me at the address below.

Someone who knows who I am. Who knows about my dad.

It doesn’t mean they know about the Sinful. But I wouldn’t discount that possibility with the way things tend to go with me.

“This has to be a trap,” I mumble, pacing the room.

But why wouldn’t they just wait until I came back, or try to speak with me here?

Unless they also know that I have protectors. That at least two very tough men are constantly on guard here. And when they would be gone.

Even so, they could have followed me. They might have even seen me walking into the woods. And yet they didn’t bother to attack or track me.

The more I think about it, the more I feel that I need to go, that I need to find out whatever it is that whoever this is knows.

How can I not?

Especially in our current “complete lack of knowledge and no plan” state of affairs.

If anyone has any information that could help us, I have to speak with them. It could help me know what to do next.

It's a risk.

But it’s one I have to take.

The only question is how the fuck am I going to sneak out and get anywhere with the hot-bod-squad watching over me? All three of them will be here any minute!

And if I tell them about this, there’s little doubt that they’ll fly off the handle, scurry me away to a new safe house, and go in guns blazing.

Not that I blame them.

They might ruin this chance, though. Or kill my new informant.

A twitch curls the edge of my mouth, a thrill of excitement rolling through me.

Informant.

I absolutely have cabin fever. I’m losing my marbles.

Rolling through the options again, I fret, gathering up the paper and the box and hiding them all in the hall closet on the top shelf. No one is likely to use it anytime soon, or find my secret message.

Is this another person trying to manipulate me?

And if so, to what end?

I’m still wringing my hands, pacing madly, when I hear a car come barreling up the driveway, the engine roaring. I dash to the door, swinging it open in time to see Gavin’s truck screech to a halt outside.

Gavin and Evan are out of the car, rushing toward me, relief and worry on their faces.

“Where the hell were you?” Gavin grabs my arms gently, looking me over, pulling me into a tight hug.

“I w?—”

“We got to the house a few minutes ago and you were gone. No one was here and Tell wasn’t answering, so we…” Evan runs a hand through his hair, his eyes wild.

“We feared the worst had happened.”

“Um. Why? I went on a hike. I left a note on the counter, like we agreed to do.” I try not to sound irritated or put out. They really must have been freaking out.

But come on!

Gavin sighs, still looking riled.

“Tell went into town to buy groceries and check on Rachelle.”

“Of course he did.” Evan runs a palm down his face, blushing slightly at their behavior. He’s still the same as he ever was, dead set on looking confident and self-assured. The insecurity looks good on him somehow, no surprise there.

Everything looks good on Evan DeSante.

“Wait. So you guys got here, went in, then took off?”

“We made a quick pass of the area in the truck to make sure there was no sign of struggle or an intruder.” Gavin is starting to look a little sheepish.

“Besides, we had to get within cell range to try calling Tell,” Evan adds, almost hiding behind Gavin. “I brought you one, by the way. Should even work out here with the new SIM cards.”

I stare blankly at them for a few seconds, trying to reconcile the time frame. The person who delivered the package must have dropped it off as soon as they left, but right before I came back. Which means they were probably watching me. Waiting for me.

Fuck.

They could be watching right now. I try to keep from looking around, from showing any signs of panic or curiosity. Even though a cold sweat is running down my back. This is so bad.

But it’s the first lead we’ve had.

Which makes me want to blab, spill the beans. Tell them everything.

But that also means that I have to admit that our location has been compromised. That I fucked up and turned my phone on.

The other part of me is screaming to wait, to keep my damn mouth shut. She’s winning the argument, so far.

“I’m sorry that I worried you. I just really needed a good hike.”

“It’s fine, seriously. We were just…” Gavin shakes his head, smiling softly. “I'm just glad you're okay. Let's get inside.”

He doesn’t have to encourage me as I follow him in, shooting a look both ways into the forest around us. Nothing. But of course, now I can just about feel eyes on me from every angle.

Good luck sleeping tonight.

“I could use a drink of water,” I say, trying to act normal, heading for the kitchen.

“That makes three of us,” Evan mumbles, rubbing his face with both hands. “Or a shot of something stronger.”

Gulping down a glass, I finally get a good look at the two of them. Both are scuffed up, bruised. They look like they’ve been fighting. And drinking.

“You guys look…”

“Like shit?” Gavin grins.

“Pretty much. You have a fun night, I take it?” I press my lips together, arching one eyebrow.

Gavin and Evan both smirk, looking guilty as shit, glancing at each other like a couple of kids caught stealing candy. Everybody gets to have fun but me, apparently.

Gavin shrugs it off, rubbing his neck. Even roughed up and hung over, he looks so fucking hot.

It just accents how rugged he is. How tough he is.

Then there’s Evan, who looks divine, like he rolled straight off a movie set. Even his messy black hair and unshaven jaw make my toes curl.

“It’s… good to see you.” I keep my cup in front of my mouth as I say it, eyeing him from across the room. So close. Yet so far away.

It’s more than the distance from the door to the sink.

There’s a divide between us.

And he has to cross it. He has to come to me, damn it.

But he just stands there, eyes locked on mine, his mouth a thin line. Like he can’t just fucking say something, say anything to me?

I watch him flinch the second I scowl, a dozen different emotions flickering over his face before he schools his features again and simply says, “You have no idea how good it is to see you, Hell.”

No smile. Just hard, true words.

And that fiery gaze burning me from the inside out.

He takes a step closer, then another, crossing the room to stand on the other side of the counter. I should run to him. I should let it go. Or he could show me just how much he missed me like a normal person.

“So. Are you going to tell me what the hell happened to you?” Call me vindictive, but I want to make him work for it.

I cock my head, flaring my eyes at Evan, making sure he understands that he’s only just started making amends. Not even started. Like starting to get started starting.

Why does he do this to my brain?

So I turn that same gaze on Gavin next. He caves way faster, looking away and rubbing his neck.

It’s way too satisfying. I’m a little frayed, still a little riled up from my spook with the package and note. Some sense of control feels pretty damn decent.

“What do you mean, ‘what happened?’” Evan asks, trying to act nonchalant. Innocent.

“Don’t play stupid. It looks too real on you,” I snap, almost snorting my water as it blurts out of my mouth before I can censor the retort.

“Wow!” Gavin snorts, clapping hand over his mouth. “You’re in so much trouble.”

“Me?” Evan’s hackles shoot up, glaring at Gavin.

“Oh, God. It’s worse than I thought. You two… bonded, didn’t you?” I roll my eyes, leaning over the counter. Both of their eyes flick down to my cleavage pressed between my arms peeking out of my Henley and flannel.

“Gavin,” I clip, and he snaps to attention.

“Yep.”

“You left here to go check something out, didn't you?”

“Oh, yeah!” He blows out a long sigh, scratching his head and bee-lining it to the fridge. “Gonna need a beer for this…”

He looks back, holding one up for Evan.

Huh. I’ve never seen Evan turn green before.

“Suit yourself. We, uh, ran into a bit of trouble,” Gavin admits, tilting his head.

Evan absently rubs a hand along his arm, wincing, clearly in pain.

“Are you alright?” I look from one to the other.

“Oh, yeah. We’re fine. Aside from me getting kicked in the face and Evan getting shot.”

“What?”

“It’s not that bad. Although, Gavin did have to stitch my arm. Sloppy shit, too. It's gonna leave a scar.”

“Oh, no!’ I mock, circling the bar to inspect the wound. “Not your perfect, immaculate body.”

All joking aside, I’m freaking out a little.

How dare anyone put a scratch on his perfect, immaculate body. That’s my body.

Evan grimaces at my taunting, tonguing the inside of his cheek.

“And you just weren’t going to tell me you got into a gun fight? Both of you. Couch. NOW.”

The catty urge to verbally spar with Evan is roiling through me, not five minutes of being back around him. He always knows just how to get me worked up.

And the jackass has the gall to smirk at me, like he can read my thoughts.

So I shift gears suddenly, throwing him off guard.

“And where the fuck have you been, by the way? I've been worried sick about you and I've been dying to see you. Not only that, but you also left me hanging after everything we went through, and I haven't seen you in weeks! Not even a trace. Not even a written message through Tell or Gav!” I jab my finger with each statement, driving him back until he hits the edge of the armchair. “Were you even sitting by my bedside, begging me to wake up?”

The final words are spoken softly, pure acid, and he drops back, sitting stiffly on the chair.

“I…” he starts, but I see the realization dawn in his eyes as he catches on to what I’m doing. “Very funny. I've been a little busy , if you hadn't heard. You know, running Sanctum Harbor?”

“Hmm. And that's clearly more important than coming to see your…” I stumble over the words, not knowing what we even are.

His eyes narrow instantly and he goes for the kill.

“My what? To come see my what, exactly, Hellena?”

I smile, composing myself. “Nice try.”

Flipping my hair right into his face, I spin, heading straight over to Gavin. The big lug is trying to hide his laughter and failing miserably. Laughter that abruptly stops when I press right up against his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down, biting his bottom lip and flicking his upper lip with my tongue.

With a soft huff of pleased laughter, he claims my mouth, taking what he wants.

I let it go on for way too long, savoring every second of Gavin’s soft lips, his prickly stubble tickling my chin. Finally, Evan scoffs, a little sniff of indignation as he slumps back in his chair.

I turn back, smirking. “What's wrong, feeling left out?”

“Who, me? Oh, no. By all means, continue.”

Gavin perks up. “Yeah! Please, let's continue.”

His enthusiasm makes me want to jump him, but I’m still feeling squirrely.

“You know, I would, but I really need to take a shower. The hike got me kind of sweaty, hot. I want to clean up.” I saunter toward the stairs, already tugging off my flannel and my undershirt as I go.

It takes everything I have to keep my legs from shaking slightly on the steps, but I manage, dropping my bra last as I turn and skip down the landing hallway to the bathroom.

The hot water is really calling my name, every muscle in my body feeling the soreness and strain of the last few days. Cranking it up, I wait until steam billows out of the shower before kicking off the rest of my clothes and stepping in.

Letting the scalding water relax me, I listen closely, waiting for what I absolutely know is coming.

Footsteps on the stairs.

A tap on the door frame.

“Hmm?”

“Just wanted to apologize, by the way.” Gavin's gravelly voice echoes in the small room, echoes through my core, sending shivers down my legs.

“For?”

“Biting your head off when I got here. I’m a little high-strung lately.”

“I understand why you did.”

And boy, do I. If he only knew the fact that we really might be in danger.

There's no way around this. I'm going to have to tell them.

But right as I open my mouth to do so, I see Gavin peering around the curtain in the mirror, staring at me.

That dark, stormy stare makes me suck in a breath, my body filling with heat that has nothing to do with the hot water. I pull the curtain back, letting him see more, biting my lip and slipping a hand over my nipple, my breast, down my belly, into my soaked slit.

Gavin’s chest heaves in response, his eyes going wide..

“See anything you like?”

His jaw works a few times like he forgot how to talk.

“I see everything that I want .”

“What are you waiting for?” One finger hooks toward him, beckoning him to join me.

He’s out of his jeans and T-shirt in a blink of an eye, stepping into the tub smoothly, his arms immediately circling my hips, drawing me toward him.

Skin prickling wetness cascades between us, all around us, making every movement slippery and sensual. Especially as he hardens, his enormous width and length spreading my inner thighs apart, making space for me to stay pressed with my back against him.

His lips find the cup of my ear, the rim, nipping down, down, to my neck.

That low growl that drives me wild rumbles into the crook of my neck, making me arch my back, thrusting my hips back on him.

“I love it when you do that…”

“Do what?” he rumbles again, making me rise up onto my toes. “You're the one who gets me instantly fucking hard.”

This growl is lower, more intense. And it makes me fucking shake.

Soapy slickness makes his grinding between my legs and ass cheeks utterly stimulating, setting my heart to pounding.

His huge hands stroke down my shoulders, my arms, finding my hands, our fingers intertwining. It’s a tradition, a routine we always do when we make love, linking our hands and staying close right at first.

I love how his presence makes me feel.

He’s a mountain.

Steadfast and unshakable.

It’s a sweet little pause, a repose that I lose myself in, right before I let him do whatever he wants to me, whatever I want to do to him.

Anticipation always makes me want to rush, to frantically be on him, near him, have him in me…

I’ve learned, especially in the last few days with Tell, to slow it down. To draw it out.

So I focus, trussing up my wild lust, reining it in just enough to keep it from consuming me, letting it build and grow.

Gavin slides two fingers down my front, gently pinching the hood of my clit, rolling around several times before sliding deeper. Following his fingers, I slip my own down, grazing the head of his cock, making him sigh out a grunt of shock and pleasure.

He pulls back as his hand burrows deeper, pressing my thighs open and slipping two fingers into me. As he does, he presses back into me, his manhood sliding up between my ass cheeks, keeping us tightly pressed together.

A little chuckle escapes my lips as I flex my ass, lowering and raising myself along his shaft.

“Lena, that’s diabolical…” He groans, hooking his fingertips right into the center of my desire.

“Feeling you behind me, pressing up against my back door, is fucking tempting… ” I whisper back at him, and I feel his chest heave with an intake of breath.

Right as I push back harder, he swirls his fingers, making me melt, driving me into gyrations against him.

“You can have me any way you want me…” His tone is an avalanche of promises, each one leading to absolute ecstasy.

I reach back behind me, gripping his girth firmly, stroking so unbelievably slowly that he starts to growl, locking his arm around my waist, drawing me against his side as I continue to torture him, up and down.

We play like this for a little while, his dick straining in my fist, my walls clenching around his thick, strong fingers.

Honestly, I could come just like this, just toying with each other.

“I love you, Hellena, with every fiber of my being.”

I moan softly, resting the back of my head against his boulder of a shoulder. “I love you too. You're everything to me, Gavin. Everything.”

“I need you. Now.”

“Not yet. I’m not ready to be done.”

“I’ll never be done, don’t you worry.”

I'm stroking a little harder. He's fingering me faster, deeper. We’re lost in each other, lost in the moment when he whispers in my ear, his voice husky.

“Open your eyes. Look.”

So I do, tilting my head to the left, looking out through the foggy mist filling the room.

Instantly, my arousal doubles, triples.

Evan’s leaning in the doorway, his shirt off, his pants unbuttoned. I can see him through his shorts, rock hard and straining against the fabric.

He’s fucking glowing, his eyes locked on my body, simmering with pure, unfiltered need.

Gavin leans down, whispering into my ear, “Let's finish up in here and go into the bedroom.”

I don’t bother responding, stepping out and snatching a towel. Gavin steps out behind me, shutting off the water, dragging another towel across my back as I continue across the rug toward Evan, dripping everywhere.

Evan’s hands are locked onto either side of the door frame, his body tense, his knuckles white. He’s poised, holding himself back from what I know he wants.

Or maybe it's jealousy I see in his eyes.

I bite my lip, stepping into his space, looking up at him. The question in my eyes is met with sheer, raw desire.

He's not jealous at all.

“What are you looking at?” I ask, reaching back and pulling Gavin back toward me, tugging his hand around and placing his fingers back on my swollen, aching clit.

“I’m looking at fucking heaven. At everything I could ever possibly want.”

His words are a knife into my heart, nails in the coffin of any animosity or grudge I could try to keep against him for everything he’s done. I need him.

But that doesn’t mean I have to give in just yet.

He leans down, aiming for a kiss, stopping short as I plant one finger right in the center of his chest. His eyes flare, daring me to continue. Begging me to let him come closer.

Instead, I point down, nodding sharply. “Lose the pants.”

His jet black pants crumple to the floor along with his boxers, freeing him completely.

“Do you want to make things right? Do you want me?”

“You know I do. On both counts.” His voice is smoky, crushed velvet on my skin.

“Good.” It’s as much of a concession as I am going to give right now.

My finger drops from his chest, trailing down to take his perfect shaft in my palm, gripping him firmly and pushing back. I reach back as I do, grabbing Gavin’s hand and pulling him with me.

He almost stumbles, stepping into the hall as I walk him from the bathroom, backing him into the bedroom.

“You’re a tyrant, you know that?’ he almost snarls as I shove him back against the edge of the recliner, still clutching him. My other hand abandon’s Gavin’s fingers, seeking him out and grasping him behind me.

“You both feel sooo good,” I moan, stroking both of my men in tandem.

Evan is practically glaring at me, his fists balled at his sides. With a wicked smile, I let go, shoving him back to sit.

“Watch. Only. Watch.”

I see the reality blossom in his eyes, his mouth opening slightly, almost as if he’s baring his teeth at me in disbelief. He won’t get the satisfaction of touching me until I’ve decided he’s been punished enough.

“Stay,” I order, bending down, dragging the tip of my tongue from the base of his cock all the way to the head, savoring the salty sweet honey dewdrop right at the tip.

Evan shivers, his hands slamming down on the arms of the chair as I turn to kiss Gavin again, twisting my hips and rolling my ass in circles right in front of Evan’s face.

I can almost hear his teeth grinding.

“So that's how it is?”

I look over my shoulder to watch him shake his head, male arrogance all over his face like he could just defy me. Like he could do whatever he wants.

And fuck me, if he tried, I’d probably let him.

But he stays still, flexed from head to tip to toe, settling in to get more comfortable to watch the show.

Gavin pulls me to the bed, laying me out, spreading my legs so that Evan can see every inch of me. I’m soaked, waves of heat rolling off me as I wait for Gavin, as I watch Evan staring at my core, his eyes burning.

Dragging my legs open farther, Gavin dips his head down, burying his tongue in me and swirling it out and up to suck the tip of my pleasure.

The first few are exploratory, each one making me squirm and writhe.

He pauses to work his way along each thigh, sucking, licking, kissing every inch of my skin as he presses his thumb to my drenched opening, rolling the flat of it around and around, building my suspense.

Everything about the scenario is fucking scalding hot.

Gavin devours me again, locking his lips around my apex and fluttering his tongue in a wild rhythm, making my inner thighs clench and flex.

I rise up onto my elbow to watch Evan, still sitting stock still. He opens his mouth to say something, stopping as I arch one eyebrow.

“Do you have something to say?”

“I do.”

“Oh, really? And what's that?” I gasp as Gavin grinds his fingers into my center again, the dual stimulation of his tongue on the outside and the pulsing rhythm within taking my breath away.

“I want a better view.”

“Giving orders now, are we?”

“Just a request.”

Gavin turns, looking between us. “I think I could be swayed into making that happen…”

Their shared grin has me quivering inside, mostly at the thought of the two of them teaming up, taking me together and having their way with me.

I fucking love it.

But I want to take this one step at a time, savor every experience of the journey.

Gavin’s lying back, his head facing Evan as he pulls me forward, dragging one leg over his head, wrapping his arms around my hips.

Leaning back slightly, I grind my center down onto Gavin’s mouth, torn between Evan’s smoldering stare and looking down into Gavin’s hazel gaze, framed between my legs at the edge of the bed.

The choice evaporates as my eyes roll back the second his tongue slicks into my opening, splitting me wide open and driving up to circle my peak once more. I give myself over for a while, grinding down onto his powerful jaw.

A creak snaps my eyes back open. Evan is flexing his ass cheeks, rolling in rhythm with me, his rigid cock standing straight up, throbbing with every thrust into open air. He’s fighting the urge to touch himself with every fiber of his being.

My eyelids fluttering again, I nod, biting down on my lip to keep from squealing.

It’s all the permission I can manage.

Evan’s hand releases the arm of the chair with a visible amount of effort, clutching around his shaft just as hard, squeezing up and down as he continues to lock eyes with me.

I don’t know if I can hold out much longer.

My orgasm, or resisting the urge to reach out to touch him.