Chapter 23

It’s well after midnight when my phone rings.

I’ve been in a deep sleep—the kind that makes me motionless like a corpse splayed across the bed. I wipe the drool from my mouth and roll over to grab the phone from the nightstand. My heart skips a beat when I see Orion’s name on the screen.

“Hey,” I mumble after I slide to answer.

“You’ve got two minutes to get out of there and jump the northeastern fence,” Orion says, his voice low and disturbingly serious.

Blinking slowly, I check the screen again. Maybe I’m dreaming. “Wait, what?”

“Two minutes, Nadia. I remotely disabled your security system. This is your chance to get out of there without anyone noticing,” he says.

I jump out of bed, suddenly activated, and look out the window. The backyard looks clear. The lights are on, and there’s a soft wind blowing, making the hydrangea bushes sway delicately in the moon’s silvery glow. It seems so tranquil, so peaceful. “Where are the guards?” I wonder aloud.

“One of them is out front on his phone. Drake sent him a racy photo of a chick. The other one is in the den, likely slugging down your dad’s whiskey,” Orion replies. “Come on, Nadia, tick-tock!”

“Oh, my God, you’re serious,” I say.

“Northeastern fence. I’ll be waiting.”

He hangs up, and I take a deep breath, ridiculously excited. It’s as if I’ve been brought back to life all of a sudden. Looking around, I put on the first cotton dress I could find and slip into a pair of sneakers, then cautiously step out of my room. The lights are off, and I expect the motion sensors to activate, but then I remember Orion’s words and start walking. None come on. I walk in absolute darkness and pass by my father’s bedroom door.

I hear his light snoring, then breathe a slow sigh of relief and glide down the stairs.

My pulse is racing, my blood red-hot as I unlock the door and head out.

Standing on the back porch for a moment, I listen to every sound around me. The whispers of the nocturnal breeze, the rustling of leaves, and the muffled voice of the second bodyguard, currently engaged in what he will soon realize is a bogus conversation. I have maybe thirty seconds left, and I am determined to get out of here before I go stir-crazy.

I run as fast as I can through the garden, zigzagging between flower bushes and decorative trees until I reach the northeastern side of the fence. There’s an old walnut tree there that I used to climb as a kid. It’s big and sturdy enough to hold me even now, and two of its biggest branches happen to reach out above the fence.

“Perfect,” I whisper to myself and stick my phone in my bra before I start climbing.

It’s been years since I’ve done something like this, but my muscle memory does not fail me. My arms and legs still know the drill. My fingers know where the right grips are, and my breathing is measured while I keep my eyes on the next branch, always on the next branch as I make my way up.

Higher and higher I go, excitement building up inside of me at the thought of seeing my men again. It feels like it’s been forever, not just a handful of days. It doesn’t matter. I’ll be with them soon enough, provided I don’t fall and break my neck. I do the foolish thing and glance down for a moment. It’s enough to make me dizzy.

I gasp and hold on to the branch with every ounce of strength I’ve got left. Once I’m sure I can get past this moment, I tap into my inner child, that blonde-haired monkey that used to jump from tree to tree when she was a kid, giving my father a heart attack whenever he couldn’t find me in the garden. Nimble and agile as I used to be, I manage to make my way along the thicker branch over the northeastern fence.

It stretches to the street as I scamper to its end.

I land on my feet, laughing delightedly and reveling in this small but precious victory.

“There you are,” Orion’s calm voice startles me.

I whirl around to find him coming out of the dark sheath of the night, smiling broadly as he offers me his jacket.

“You are insane!” I tell him.

“I am where you’re concerned, Nadia,” he chuckles softly and wraps me in his arms.

I welcome his embrace and his sweet and loving kiss. They do wonders for my soul, instantly alleviating my pain and longing. Now that we’re together again, it’s as if we were never apart. My heart sings as I melt in his arms. I wish this moment could last forever.

“We need to go,” he whispers in my ear while I breathe him in.

The scent of his cologne has my insides turning into mush.

“Where?” I manage to ask.

“Somewhere far away.”

We stalk around the estate like thieves in the night, but once we reach the side of the road where Kai and Drake are waiting for us, I get all giddy and ridiculously happy, the surge lighting me up from the inside. I hug my men and let them shower me with warm, sweet kisses before putting on my helmet and letting them take me away.

I ride with Kai this time.

His Harley is bigger and bulkier, and the engine rumbles in a way that has my whole body humming, resonating with the steady rhythm. I hold on to him, breathing in deeply as I get drunk on his particular scent—leather and sweet tobacco, the latter being the top note of his cologne. We ride through the country, farther and farther away from Anaheim.

We’re headed north this time, unlike our previous escapades. We reach the shoreline around two in the morning, the full moon glowing like a pearl above the rippling ocean. I love the feel of the salty air and the breeze tickling my face as I get off the bike and give myself a minute to thoroughly enjoy this newfound freedom. “Sorry, I’ve been cooped up inside for what feels like forever,” I giggle softly as I notice the guys watching me.

Drake points to a lovely beach house just a few yards away. It rests on a solid stone platform, its walls painted white, and the roof is covered in state-of-the-art solar panel tiles. “I’ve had this place for a while, but I rarely get a chance to come up here,” he says.

“Oh, it’s yours?” I ask, raising my eyebrows in surprise.

Orion chuckles lightly. “What’s a man without a beach house, huh?”

“I bought it for pennies,” Drake replies.

“He invested a lot in the renovation, though,” Orion says.

“Yeah, I can tell. It’s beautiful.” I sigh as we make our way across the warm sand, shoes already in hand while the ocean laps at the shore just fifty feet to our left. “And it’s prime real estate if I’m not mistaken.”

Drake nods in agreement. “This is a private beach. It was auctioned off in strips a few years back. It was seized from a drug lord, hence the stupidly low price,” he says. “I think I’m going to keep going to these police auctions once the whole mess with Colton dies down. They seized a couple of yachts not that long ago. Once the case is settled in court, the county will want to get rid of them.”

“And what’s a beach house without a yacht?” Kai quips.

We laugh as we go up the front steps, and Drake welcomes us in. The lights come on to reveal a splendid yet minimalistic design. The floor-to-ceiling windows are huge and equipped with monitored-level, SPF-coated tint that blacks out everything. The hardwood floor is a gorgeous ash brown, and the furniture is a dark mahogany, which contrasts beautifully with the cream-colored textiles.

It’s stunning, and it’s a safe haven for us. At least for tonight.

“I’ve got beer and champagne in the fridge,” Drake says while I slowly pace around the living room, registering every detail of the place in my mind’s eye.

“Is there any water or soda?” I ask.

He gives me a curious look but takes out a bottle of sparkling water and three beers. “I’d have stocked the kitchen if I had known ahead of time that we were coming over.”

“You didn’t know?” I ask.

Orion gives me a broad smile. “We didn’t really plan for this tonight, Nadia. We just realized we couldn’t go another day without seeing you.”

My eyes sting. My heart swells as I look at each of them, seeing my men in a different, softer kind of light. “I’ve missed you, too,” I whisper.

“How are you feeling?” Kai asks, slowly coming closer as his eyes carefully search my face. For a man so rough and so feared by everyone else, I always feel safe in his company. “Nadia, we were worried about you. You weren’t answering any of our texts.”

“I’m sorry,” I exhale sharply. “I had such a huge argument with my dad that I figured I’d just let a bit of time pass for everyone’s heels to cool off, especially after what happened at the clubhouse.”

“But how are you feeling?” he asks again.

I shrug in return, briefly lowering my gaze. “I’m okay. Clean bill of health.”

I’m also pregnant, but if there’s one thing my dad and I agreed on, it’s that this is the worst possible time to tell them about it. “Just tired of being under house arrest.”

“We don’t entirely disagree with that decision,” Orion replies with a sheepish smile. “Things are going to get worse, Nadia, and it’s imperative for you to be safe and as far away from the club as possible.”

“What’s this, then?” I chuckle, motioning around us.

Drake comes over and hands me a glass of sparkling water, then takes a long pull of his beer. “This is an exception because we missed you, baby,” he says.

Despite missing them, I’m not quite ready to be wooed just yet.

“How will it get worse?” I ask. “Aren’t the Feds involved, now?”

“Yeah, but our decision to work with them has caused the other clubs to distance themselves from us. We’re virtually pariahs in the biker world,” Orion sighs. “We knew the risk. We did it anyway because it’s the lesser of the evils to us.”

“What about Colton?”

Kai frowns at the mention of his name. We settle on the big, sectional sofa as they tell me about recent events. “They haven’t found him yet, and the Black Devils are keeping a low profile, too. Word on the street is that he’s planning an operation to take us out.”

“To take you out?”

“The Blackthorn Riders leadership,” he clarifies. “He can’t bring his whole biker army out anymore, not with the Feds building a RICO case against him. They’re watching every business that he’s known to operate. They’re watching the other clubs, too: every store, every stash house, every garage and bike shop. They’ve got eyes on everything.”

“Dale says they’re in the process of getting warrants for their phone lines and bank accounts, too, if there are any,” Orion adds.

Drake scoffs. “I doubt they’ll get much. These guys operate off the grid—burner phones, internet cafes, hidden networks, the dark web, mostly. It’ll take a lot more to tap into their comms, I’m telling you.”

“Wait, who’s Dale?” I ask.

They tell me about the FBI agent, and about the FBI’s offer to grant the Blackthorn Riders complete immunity in exchange for their cooperation, intel, and resources. Given my men’s Navy SEAL experience on top of everything else, the Bureau considers them significant assets they can use against Colton Harrow and the Black Devils, which is why they were able to reach a deal. And from what they’re telling me, it sounds like a damn good deal.

“I would expect you’d be more pleased about it,” I say, noticing their underlying discontent.

“We broke the bikers’ creed,” Orion explains. “The other clubs have shunned us. We’re not getting any support. If anything, there’s a chance they’ll work with Colton against us. It will make the whole operation twice as hard.”

“Why are they being so difficult?” I ask, trying to wrap my head around it.

“Not difficult, just proud,” Kai replies. “Honestly, had we not had these huge crosshairs on our backs, we probably would’ve done the same. There are lines we do not cross as men, as riders. It’s deeply ingrained in our moral code from a young age, so I understand their hesitation. On top of that, there’s also the risk of being on the receiving end of Colton’s wrath if they’re caught associating with us, particularly now that the word is out that we gave intel to the Feds.”

“They don’t know we’re working directly with them, mind you,” Orion adds. “But it’s enough to drive the other clubs away from us. It means less manpower for what we’re going to do next.”

“What are you going to do next?”

The guys exchange nervous glances before their eyes land back on me. “End this war by any means necessary,” Orion says. “It might not end well, and we need you to understand that, Nadia.”

I can’t help but sigh heavily. “I get it. I may not like it, but I get it.”

“I love you,” Orion replies, catching me off guard.

I’m paralyzed, staring at him with wide eyes as he leans in for a kiss. His lips feel so soft on mine, his emotions seeping through every pore and melting into me. “Orry …” I whisper.

“We all love you,” Drake says.

“And we can’t go to war with Colton without you knowing that,” Kai adds. “We never planned for any of this, neither did you, for that matter, but here we are, right?”

A knot unravels in the back of my throat as the words roll off my tongue. “I love you, too, all of you.”

“The deck is stacked against us for the time being,” Orion says after a long, solemn pause. “I wish we could’ve told you how we feel under different circumstances, but the truth is, every moment that we get to spend together is a fucking gift from the heavens, Nadia, and we intend to make the most of it. Once we part ways, however …”

“I need to go back home and stay there, I know.”

“You also need to be patient and accept the possibility that we might not survive,” Kai says.

“Don’t,” I shake the thoughts away. “Don’t go there.”

“We have to, Nadia, for your sake and ours,” Drake insists, moving closer to me on the couch. “There’s a chance we’ll die, and you need to move on with your life if that happens, okay? You need to promise us that you’ll move on, that you’ll heal and find happiness again.”

I think about it for a moment and decide to keep my temper in check. I’ve already had one huge fight with my father. The last thing I need is an argument with the three men I love most in the world. It’s bad enough that we’re having to declare our feelings for one another while hiding in this beach house in the middle of nowhere, although it is quite lovely.

I’m pregnant with twins, and I can’t even tell them about it because it might throw them off their game and put them in worse danger. They need clear heads for what’s coming next. But I know I can make tonight better for the four of us, so I get up and remove my dress, standing gloriously naked before them.

“Tell you what, I’ll keep my distance. I’ll keep my cool and mind my business, but only if you promise you’ll all come back to me in one piece,” I calmly say.

“Nadia …” Orion’s gaze darkens as it wanders down my body. His attention makes my nipples tingle and harden, liquid heat pooling between my legs.

“No, I’m serious. Promise me you’ll come back to me, and I won’t flip out. I’ll be a good girl.”

“Okay, we promise,” Kai grunts, shifting in his seat. His jeans are getting tighter, and my pussy is getting wetter at the sight of that monstrous erection struggling against the denim fabric.

“Good. Now, will you please make love to me until I can’t stand anymore?”

Orion is the first to get up and take me in his arms. His mouth damn near crushes mine in a conquering, furious kiss. “We give the orders, baby; you obey,” he growls and trails his tongue down the side of my throat.

“Yes, sir,” I giggle, then moan when he grabs my tender breast and squeezes it, fingers pinching the nipple tighter and tighter. “Oh, fuck …”

By the time I open my eyes again, Kai and Drake are naked, their cocks hard and begging for my attention. Orion lets go of my breast and sheds his clothes, his gorgeous body shining in the moonlight. We have a few hours left until sunrise, and I intend to make the most of each precious second.

“On your knees,” Orion says.

“Yes, sir,” I reply and gleefully oblige.

I service my men in slow and greedy turns, feasting my eyes on their hard, beautifully sculpted muscles, their dramatic tattoos, and faint battle scars. I stroke their cocks, my grip tightening at the base, then I fondle their balls and let them slide their full, glorious lengths down my throat. Licking my lips, I taste the salty precum and smile as they give me their flesh and their souls.

The veins swell along their shafts, growing thicker and harder with each passing second.

But they don’t claim me just yet.

Instead, they tease me. They kiss my body from head to toe. Every inch of my skin is theirs, and they hungrily consume it. Kissing, licking, biting. Pinching. Squeezing. Kneading my muscles until I’m soaking wet and aching to come.

“Stand up and bend over,” Kai says.

I do as I’m told, and it pays off. “Oh, God, yes!” I cry out when Drake’s tongue slides through my slick folds. He kisses my pussy, then proceeds to eat me out like a ravenous beast, like it’s his very last meal. He suckles my clit while I hold on to Kai and Orion’s gargantuan cocks, stroking and sucking the heads until they twitch, until they grunt and pull back, not wanting to release themselves so quickly.

I explode and gush like a fountain, my orgasm rocking me out of my senses as I damn near swallow Kai’s cock altogether. Heat spreads through me, my muscles dissolving into the sweetest bliss. I’d missed this so much.

Drake’s tongue vanishes.

“Close your eyes,” he says.

In this hot, sizzling darkness, I listen to the sound of their footsteps and a chair being dragged across the floor. When I open my eyes again, I find Orion sitting in front of me. Kai is on the floor, on his back. Drake nods at me to get down. I can’t help but smile, hungry to be filled every which way. My heart jumps and twirls excitedly as I slide onto Kai’s gigantic cock.

I stretch around him, my core tightening as Orion guides my head forward so I can take him in my mouth. Drake settles behind me, on his knees as he joins Kai deep inside my aching pussy.

“Don’t move,” Kai says, his thumb wedged between us.

He applies the perfect pressure on an already tender clit, and the tension rises as Orion holds my head with both hands, thrusting himself down my throat while my hips sway, ever so slightly. It’s all-consuming and decadent. It’s all I ever wanted.

Their fingers dig into my flesh as they fuck me harder, faster, and deeper than ever before. Kai’s thumb works in tightening circles until I feel another orgasm shattering me down to the last atom. I moan and scream, my voice muffled by Orion’s magnificent erection. I taste his manhood as Kai and Drake pound into me.

Every thrust goes beyond my limits.

Drake’s hand comes down and smacks my ass. The sting sets me ablaze and I come hard. I’m shared by my men and loved until there’s no air left in my lungs. I feel Kai and Drake spilling their seed inside me. I feel its liquid warmth filling me to the brim, my pussy tightening and clenching around them amidst this shameless, mindless pounding.

“Fucking hell, Nadia,” Orion hisses as he deep throats me then shoots his load with one final thrust.

I no longer hear the ocean. I no longer fear what tomorrow might bring. I no longer care about anyone or anything except the three men currently buried inside of me. They are my rocks, my soulmates, my lovers, and my protectors.

And I am their haven. Their woman.

I may not know what the future has in store for us, yet I do know that Orion, Kai, and Drake will go to the end of the earth itself to keep the promise they made tonight.

They’ll come back to me when the nightmare ends.

“I love you so much, it hurts,” Kai whispers as I lay on top of him, utterly boneless.

Drake plants soft kisses down my spine, not yet ready to pull out. I don’t mind it, though. I like having them both inside me, while Orion runs his fingers through my hair before he clasps my chin and lifts my head so he can kiss me, too.

I never want to leave.