19. Theo

19

THEO

T he terrified whimpers coming from the dilapidated shed make me turn away from the creep we were chasing. Marcus and Ethan have enough of a hold on him as Will calls back to the station to rendezvous with the police. Marcus is talking low to the man, telling him that admitting what he's done means everyone will go easier on him.

The shed looks like it's barely standing on its own, decrepit wood that would only take a few good kicks to break in half. The sides are coated in peeling white paint and weather stained along the bottom foot. A one-inch gap at the bottom of the corroded metal door is enough to stick fingers under and let rodents through, but it's not much leverage. A deadbolt holds it closed at the top, and another padlock secures the bottom.

It would be easy to bust my way in through the side, but not knowing where Sarah might be keeps me from just kicking willy-nilly. Besides, that kind of move might make the entire thing topple.

"Guys. We need a crowbar. She's in there, but we can't just bust through." I point at the locks, at how the hinges are hidden inside. It won't be too difficult to get in there, but we need to be careful.

"Check him for a key," Marcus tells Ethan, his grip shifting to take better control as Ethan does as ordered, patting the guy down for a key, but he comes up empty. When he shakes his head, I nod off before running to grab one from the back of Marcus's truck.

I tap on the door and speak softly to Sarah inside. "I'm going to break the locks and open the door. Keep back so it doesn't hit you, sweetheart."

I don't hear a response, but I can't wait any longer. I jam the end of the crowbar under the latch at the bottom and break its hold without needing to break the lock. Wiggling the end higher between the door and the wood, I yank, making the wood crack around the metal door.

Repositioning, I crack it further, able to wedge a gap wide enough that I can crawl inside. Little light filters through the opening, and my palms are met with splintered wood and dust, but as my eyes adjust, I can focus on the huddled form in the corner, her whimpers turning into more earnest sobs.

"Hey. Hey, honey. Are you Sarah?" I hold up my hands to show her I mean her no harm, but she cowers. "No need for that. I'm a firefighter. My name's Theo. I'm here to take you back to your mom. She lost you at the grocery store, right? When the fisherman took you?"

Sarah shifts, peeking over her elbow at me. Dirt dusts her face, showing clear tear tracks down her cheeks. I tap my uniform, showing her the patch for my firehouse.

"Come on. Let's get you to your mom." I hold out my hands, asking her to come to me, or at least not fight when I pick her up under her armpits. She doesn't shriek or kick when I lift her in my arms. Instead, her small hands cling to my jacket, and she shakes from her tears.

I scoop her up carefully, standing slow and stable, and unlock the deadbolt from inside so that we don't have to crawl out together. The door swings open with a creak and blinds me for a few blinks before Will's form clarifies.

"The police are waiting at the park with Sarah's mom." His usually dark and brooding eyes soften when he sees the girl shaking and cowering in my grip.

"Good. Let's have a happy reunion."

Marcus and Ethan already have the perp on his feet. He only mildly struggles. He's no match for those two.

The three of them smile with a blend of joy and lingering worry over Sarah. I nod and march off toward the park, easily following the flashing red and blue lights of the emergency vehicles. Parents and their children have been corralled off to the side in groups where officers are asking questions.

It's not hard to spot Sarah's mom. She nearly collapses when she sees us, her knees buckling so that the chief beside her has to keep her from falling. She looks like Sarah fast-forwarded twenty-five years. And that sweet sensation of a job well done—the one where everyone comes out safe—swells in my chest.

I'm a sucker for a happy ending, and the way mother and daughter cling to each other is the best moment of my day.

Until Ella appears, Lily still fast asleep in the stroller. The pride and joy in Ella's face trumps it all.. I grin back at her. This is all because of her.

It takes us another hour or so to talk with the officers after they take the guy into custody. We promise Ella that we'll meet her at home for dinner once our shift ends, but we don't leave until Marcus has a quick snuggle with Lily, who's woke up and looks like a sleep-mussed angel. It's obvious that he needs the contact to reassure himself that she's alright.

This one hit way too close to home.

The paperwork takes the rest of our shift because we keep getting distracted. How can a child abduction happen in our small town?

Dinner is going to be the reprieve we need tonight, and with all of us back in Marcus's manor, the possibility of the night getting even better swims in the back of my thoughts. Shit, who am I kidding? I haven't been able to stop thinking about the night a few days ago with Ella. I never imagined being able to share a woman with three other men, but Ella makes it easy.

She's the flame that burns for us all night. I can't wait to feel her heat again.

We make it out to the manor as Ella is swaying Lily and humming her a lullaby. She greets us with a happy smile as she rubs Lily's back.

"We make it in time to tuck her in?" Marcus asks, dropping his gear by the front door. I do the same, following him into the playroom as Cap lifts his daughter from Ella's arms. She doesn't stop rubbing the baby's back, the humming transforming into words that I don't recognize.

Lily nuzzles Marcus's chest, her tiny hands grabbing his shirt the same way Sarah had mine, and I find myself thankful for how the day turned out again.

"I'll make her bottle if you haven't given it to her yet," I offer.

Ella shakes her head. "I haven't."

It only takes a few minutes to heat up the water and mix in the formula. We march up the stairs to her room silently, and the process of putting her to bed is made easier when all of us are here. She's snoozing in less than five minutes.

Dinner is already waiting in the oven when we return downstairs, and the scents of turmeric, garam masala, cumin, red pepper, and ginger mingle with tomato, butter, and cream. My stomach rumbles.

"Butter chicken?" I ask hopefully. I haven't had it homemade in so, so long.

"With naan and cilantro rice. Plenty for everyone to have their fill. My mom used to make it when either my sister or I had a bad day. Even though today turned out to be a good one, it still felt right."

"Smells good, whatever it is. I don't venture out of what I can find via takeout unless our man Theo cooks for us." Ethan is rubbing his stomach and taking in big inhales of the savory scent.

Will pulls the corks on a few bottles of wine and sets them on the counter to breathe as Ella dishes out five bowls. When we sit, we all eat happily, then we toast Ella for her bravery.

"She's got guts, and she's got brains. And she's got the beauty to top it all off with. To Ella and her quick thinking." Ethan lifts his wine glass, and we all cheer with the clinks of glass on glass.

Ella's face lights up with laughter, and it's my new goal to see more of that, to ensure it's a regular occurrence.

Her food is fantastic. The chicken melts against my tongue, the sauce thick and creamy and packed with traditional Indian flavors. It's too easy to pack in seconds, and the guys do the same. Marcus takes a third as the rest of us finish off the last bottle of open wine.

Ethan is doing his best to make Ella blush, and as she stares him down across the table, I gather my plate and the serving bowl from the center. It prompts Ella to stand and do the same, reaching for Marcus's plate beside hers. He bats her hand away and stands. Will and Ethan follow.

Ella washes, and I dry. Marcus packs up the leftovers. Will wipes off the table, and Ethan disappears. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's plotting something that the four of us have in mind for Ella. The way she bites her lip at me tells me she's been thinking the same thing. When her hands are submerged in the suds and mine are empty, I slide closer, sinking my fingers into the taut muscles at the base of her skull.

Her head drops back a little, and her soft moan makes my blood pump harder. "You did really well today. I'm impressed."

She opens one eye to shoot me a teasing glare, but she must see how sincere I am. It's not that I didn't think she could do it. It's that she continues to show us just how competent she is. How she's one of the best people I've ever met. Besides my brothers.

I give her another squeeze before we return to finishing the dishes. After a few minutes, she turns and steals my towel to dry her hands, and then I have her pressed close between me and the counter beside the sink. Her touch crawls up my chest, and I drop a soft but hungry kiss across her mouth.

Ella perfectly opens to me, and she tastes like wine. I sink my hand back into her hair and kiss her harder. Soft noises vibrate against my tongue, and she lifts her knee over my hip. I lift and set her on the edge. I fit perfectly between her thighs and groan weakly at how hot she feels even through her skirt.

I'm selfish, and I take this moment for myself, keeping her trapped until I'm done with her. Grinding us together makes my cock throb with the need to disappear inside her. Ella grabs at my fly with the same kind of eagerness. When her fingers wrap around my length, I thrust into her grip with a groan, and she breaks our kiss to watch how her hand glides up and down my shaft, her thumb running circles over my head with each stroke to spread the precum down my flesh.

Gathering her bright red skirt, I finally have access to her skin, running my thumb and pinky over either side of her deliciously nutty brown skin.

"Are you ready for a long night?" I ask, giving her my sly smile. The one I have before every adventure.

She purses her lips as she peers up through her lashes at me. I lean in to kiss her again, once, twice, before I pull back and let her answer.

"If we have a repeat of last time, I'll be more than happy."

Ella squeezes me, and I draw my thumbs up to the apex of her thighs, spreading her open and testing how wet she is. Fuck, she could take me now without much coaxing. My fingers dip in to spread her moisture evenly and I take myself from her grip.

Tipping her head back, she silently asks me for a kiss. I give her one as I push into her, thrusting lightly until I'm mostly seated, tapping her cervix and hearing her small whimpers. I press against her clit and feel her flutter around me.

"Fuck," I whisper against her mouth, knowing I don't have much longer until I will really need to share. Marcus shifts behind me, but he's given me a few extra seconds, and I'm going to take advantage of them.

With a hard swing of my hips, I give Ella a few full thrusts that finally sink me balls-deep in her sweet honey pot. Pressing harder on her clit, I'm determined to make her come hard and fast. She responds perfectly. Knees riding up, legs shaking, toes curling, she holds onto my shoulders. Her teeth bite into my bottom lip as she stifles her cries.

With her core strangling my cock, Ella shatters, pulsing and bucking in an attempt to keep me inside her. I give her exactly what she asks for, grinding my pelvic bone against her throbbing core and holding her against me.

Sex with Ella is everything I've ever wanted.