Chapter 15

She found herself sitting on the edge of her king-sized bed in the master bedroom staring into a glass half-filled with straight Irish whiskey courtesy of Gage. The amber tones were muted by the darkness of the room, save for the one small lamp lit up on one of the nightstands.

Gage had driven her back home, stopping at least once so she could wretch up the contents of her stomach. He had stopped being the aggressive flirt long enough to hold her hair back away from her face despite her protests that she wasn't inept. After getting her back to O'Reilly Manor and settled upstairs, he kept a watchful eye over her.

Layne watched the drink's small ripples in her unsteady hands as her brain tried to eliminate the grotesque imagery of not just the hanging of someone she knew, but the exposure of his insides as well. Victims who found the end of the rope were nothing like how movies portrayed it. It was a far more disturbing sight with eyes bulging from their sockets and darkened by all the broken blood vessels. This is why she preferred simple shootings, they were quick, to the point, and not messy. What she had seen tonight probably had Eric Ellis beaming with pride in whatever circle of hell he was in.

Sean's death felt not just tactical but deeply personal, and she had no doubts that whoever was responsible had wanted to make sure Layne also felt the pain. They had accomplished their goal. This attack combined with the night at the warehouse where the cops had been tipped off during her interrogation of the loose-lipped lowlife, she was certain someone was determined to keep a target aimed at her back.

Having heard the front door slam shut downstairs, Gage stepped out of the room softly shutting the door behind him. The sound of heavy boots running up the steps at a fast clip suggested that Joey had just made it back from Newark in record time after Gage had reached out.

There was some hushed conversation right outside the door. Layne could hear bits and pieces as Gage filled Joey in on what had happened during his first day on protective duty.

"It was a literal bloody shitshow, man," Gage explained to Joey. "I got her out of there as quickly as I could and she's holding up, but…" The words trailed off before the door opened up and Joey walked in first.

With Joey's face full of concern, he approached her quickly, dropping down to both knees before her. His hands reached up to take hold of her face. "Layney, I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I'm here now." When his lips met with hers, she felt the love in them but she couldn't summon the energy to return the gesture.

Gage stepped into the room, quietly bringing the door to a close as he gave them space. He was unwilling to leave his post knowing first-hand what Layne had seen and the intentions behind it.

Her eyes hurt, dry from the tears that had already depleted any moisture from them. She continued looking into her glass like it was going to provide some answers or, even better, induce selective amnesia.

Joey used the firm hold on her face to try and shift her face so her eyes would fall on him. "Layne, look at me." His voice tried to hold a firmness but fell too soft. He could have tried to use his standard line on her to try and get her to do as he asked, but it would do no good in the state she was in.

He dropped his hands to rest on her thighs, rubbing them reassuringly. "We will find out who did this, and it will get handled. I can't do anything until I know you're still here with me." Joey was met with silence from Layne. That's when Gage came up next to Joey.

"Here." Gage's hand guided Layne's hands holding the glass of whiskey up to her mouth. "Open up." His words demanded compliance from her. Joey may not have wanted to push her, but he was going to try things his way.

However, when she still failed to react to the edge of the glass pressing against her lower lip, Gage took it a step further. His hand slid up the back of her neck, grabbing a handful of her silky locks and tilting her head back slightly. "What did I tell you? I told you to open those pretty lips and drink for me."

The order finally sank in past the volume of her thoughts and her lips parted while Gage guided the angle of the glass to spill the heat-filled booze into her mouth. Once a generous amount was given to her, he eased the glass from her hands. "That's better," he murmured.

Layne swallowed the mouthful down, and only then did Gage release his hold on her richly colored chestnut hair. As the warmth filled her body from the mouth down through her chest and into her core, she finally was able to see past her recollections of the evening and into Joey's eyes.

"I don't understand…" Her voice cracked as it tried to fend off the emotions placing pressure on it.

Joey's forehead pressed to hers as he showered her with several more kisses. Despite how terrible it was, he was thankful that Layne hadn't been there when the attack had transpired. "We will figure it out after you get some sleep, let's just get you to bed." He looked over at Gage with an earnest display of grateful fortitude in his eyes, speaking all the thanks that was needed. "I will call you tomorrow."

Whatever remained in the glass Layne had been holding was immediately slung back and swallowed down by Gage. He shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not leaving her side. Not after tonight." It wasn't about how Layne fired up a desire in him, but the compulsion to make sure that both she and his big brother got through this fucker of a storm.

Both sets of similarly shaded brown eyes stared at one another, neither of the guys saying anything as something silently passed between them before Joey turned back to Layne. "C'mon. It's late," he said as he took note of the time on the clock on his side of the bed. It was half past four in the morning and sunrise would be here all too soon.

Joey selected a set of pajamas for Layne to change into, one of his favorite things to do for her when she was having a rough day. It was a simple pair of pink cotton shorts she owned in the softest material he had ever felt and a corresponding cropped cami with a lace trim neckline.

While she was changing in the bathroom for privacy and while Gage was bound and determined to spend the night, Joey stripped down to nothing but his boxer briefs. Layne emerged from the bathroom in her sleepwear, her hair swept up into a high mound of a messy bun on top of her head.

Joey's arm wrapped around her shoulders and guided her into the bed, making sure the covers were pulled up to her waist as he joined her. She laid on her side to face Joey, immediately curling into his chest. The warmth of his body and his familiar scent eased the heaviness tugging on her soul while her eyes closed.

Sunrise came and late morning arrived. Layne stretched out in her bed having felt an immense sensation of safety and security throughout the hours she had allowed herself to sleep. The invasion of multiple scents wrapped around her senses; sage and leather with the essence of warmth from a spiced vanilla.

Her head rested in the crook of one large arm, a large hand rested on top of her hip while she lay there on her side, and another hand curled around the dip of her waist. When her vibrant green eyes fluttered open, still weary from sleep, she saw Joey's slumbering face before her. Her head was nestled into the bend of his arm and his painted hand planted securely on the swell of her hip.

As she stirred, she felt the other arm draped over her waist drawing tighter. She rolled onto her back and glanced to the side opposite of Joey to find Gage on her right and his arm steadfastly around her midsection. He lay there shirtless with the bulk of his upper body fully visible and only adorned with the silver chain around his neck that carried the round SPQR medallion he always wore. The white sheets shielded the lower half of him.

Gage's chest had fewer pieces of inked artwork than Joey's, with most of his designs creeping up from his hands onto his shoulders. There were roses of various styles scattered between the designs of many sharp-edged instruments ranging from daggers, swords, javelins, and others. Between the two of them, it was a delicious sight to wake up to and easily one she could get used to.

Feeling Layne's movement there in bed, Joey lifted his head from the pillow with half-open eyes. Joey's hand moved up to her jaw, turning her face to look at him. He greeted her with an adoring kiss, his lips massaged over her own until she forgot all about the other man sharing the bed with them.

The kiss grew deeper as Joey pressed himself up against her, letting her feel his excitement quickly growing against her lower stomach. Her leg draped over Joey's hip as desire grew more intense between her legs.

Feeling a shifting of movement behind her, it brought her back into reality. Layne pulled back from Joey's mouth, though he was reluctant to let her break the connection between them.

"Don't stop on my account." Gage chuckled, his arm giving Layne a squeeze at her waist.

Noticing the conflict in Layne's eyes, Joey glanced over at Gage trying to warn him to tread carefully before he looked back at the woman he had fallen so deeply in love with. "Your call if you want him to stay, Layne." All she had to do was say the word, and he would shove his brother's ass to the curb with or without clothes.

With the choice being hers, she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander back to what had transpired after hours at McGregor's. Wincing at the scenes locked into her memories, the only part of the recollection that eased it was the way Gage had taken care of her and gotten her home. Layne needed something to get her past the fresh hell of those thoughts, and after hearing Joey talk about the way he and Gage shared a bed with Rosie, she was excited at the potential.

Gage scooted closer to her, making himself flush against her back as he whispered into her ear. "Better choose wisely, kitten. I am not for the faint of heart." The press of his erection was already prodding against her ass.

Layne swallowed hard as she tried to think past the arousal soaking her pajama shorts, having foregone any panties. Feeling two cocks already pressed against her body was sending it into a heated overdrive. She glanced back over her shoulder at Gage who was still leaning in close, then she looked at Joey who maintained a neutral expression to avoid swaying her decision.

With a little smile full of mischief she gave her response, "He can stay." The moment she gave her decision, Joey was ready to lean in and devour the taste of her mouth but her hand on his bare chest right below his shamrock tattoo put an end to that. "I have conditions though."

Immediately, Gage's eyes darkened with lust and his smile twisted in amusement. "Lay ‘em on me."

Layne rolled onto her back, squeezed between them both as she looked over at Gage. "Joey comes first. It stops when I say it stops. The second the two of you start bitching or fighting with one another, it's done. I'm not going to be caught up in some masculine tug of war."

He raised both brows as he shot a look at Joey. "She's adorable when she thinks she's going to be in charge." Gage traced his fingers along her arm until he found the engagement ring on her finger. There was a moment of admiration for the piece of jewelry wrapped around her before his fingers traced back up along the length of her arm.

His hand drifted over her shoulder before curling around her throat, his thumb stroking along the side of her neck. "Don't worry, you can keep wearing his ring on your finger. I just want you wearing my collar around your neck." Gage's dirty little smirk crossed his face.