Chapter Twenty-Five

Shelby

“Did you use condoms?” Blake demanded, pinching his nose as soon as he unceremoniously walked in uninvited.

The three of us froze in place, the smiles and laughter falling from our faces in an instant. I hadn’t even considered asking about them. I hadn’t dared with—

“Shelby! Breathe.” I sucked in a lungful of air at River’s shout and found myself sitting on the edge of the bed with my head nearly between my knees, River and Rain on either side of me.

My panic morphed into mortification as I noticed Blake had knelt in front of me. Why does he always have to find me when I'm naked? There was little doubt, with the front row seat he had, that he hadn’t cataloged the aftermath of the morning’s sexcapades.

“What happened?” I asked, attempting to unobtrusively close my legs and wrestle a corner of the sheet from under Rain.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Blake replied. At first, I wasn’t sure if he meant the current situation or… I blushed and just about passed out from the head rush.

“I think I need some water.” River was up and crossing to the little fridge before I’d finished. He was blithely unfazed about his nudity, not that he had anything to be ashamed of. Fingers snapped in front of my face, and I sighed in disappointment when he turned and blocked my view of his toned ass and…nail marks? I ignored Blake’s attempt to get my attention when I saw what I’d done to River’s shoulders, neck, and chest without the haze of lust clouding my vision. “Oh my goodness,” I whispered, trying to sort out if I should apologize.

“Ha! Just wait until you look in a mirror, Shelby,” Blake grouched, poking at a tender spot on my collarbone. “What the hell did you three do, and why was she having a panic attack?”

River raised a brow at Blake’s vitriol but didn’t say a thing until he retook his position and offered me the opened water bottle. “I do believe it’s obvious what we did, and Shelby was apparently having a little shock at forgetting condoms.” He frowned and tipped his head to look at me, searching my eyes for what I assumed to be regret and worry in his. “We’re clean. Blake checked a while back and has the proof in his office.”

I’d sucked down half the water while taking surreptitious glances at myself and the boys while he filled Blake in. We’d done a number on each other, but I was wholly unrepentant about it, so I was quick to shake my head and dispel his concern.

“Just a flashback when Blake mentioned condoms,” I said quietly, not wanting to explain further. They didn’t ask either; each simply wrapped an arm around my back while Blake patted my knee. I was sort of taken aback at his lack of concern over our nudity. “Uh, Blake? You might not want to touch, well, much of anything in the vicinity of the bed.” I ducked my head at my boldness, but I’d had to warn him. “Oh, and the floor pillow, don’t touch that.” My cringe was visceral. The boys were right. They could burn it if that meant I never had to worry about someone accidentally touching it again.

Thankfully, when River and Rain busted out laughing it broke the anxious tension in the room.

“I don’t even want to know what that is, but once everything is settled down, we need to address your birth control options since you’re very clearly sexually active again. You cannot get pregnant right now. Your body can’t handle it for one, and…” He trailed off and grimaced like he’d stepped in a pile of shit. It was how I regularly felt about my life, but I wanted to know what he meant. River beat me to it though.

“When what settles down? Didn’t Gavin and—” He looked at me, an apology in his eyes, but I nodded for him to continue. “Didn’t Gavin and Carter already take care of it last night?”

Blake cocked his head, his expression plainly displaying that he thought River was an idiot. “Oh, they took real good care of those three, so they won’t be an issue ever again, but, River, Carter is still here. He wants to see Shelby before he leaves.”

The blood drained from my face when I realized that he meant Gavin and Carter had killed that woman and her two unwitting accomplices, but my stomach dropped too when he mentioned having to see Carter. “No!” I snapped, shaking my head. “I won’t do it.”

“Shelby,” he said gently, taking my hands in his despite my effort to tug them away. “He isn’t going to take no for an answer, and he’s going to flip his shit when he sees your neck.”

I was more than hurt; I felt betrayed. “How can you let him make me do anything? Do you all not care about what he did?” My eyes tried to fill, but I blinked the moisture away. I wasn’t going to cry in front of them, not naked and covered in who knew what all. That would be too pathetic, even for me.

“No,” he denied, echoing River and Rain’s, and let my hands go when I struggled against him. “We’re working on—I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that, but I promise we all care. It would be dangerous to refuse him. He could take you from us—from here.”

I didn’t miss his slip-up but didn’t comment on it. What I couldn’t understand, but wouldn’t underestimate, was Carter’s insistent refusal to let me go. I did fully believe Carter would take me away, especially when I’d maybe found a place to be happy.

“Right,” I finally said, forcing myself to face my demon in the flesh. “Let’s get it over with.”

***

Shelby

I followed Blake through the lodge only to find the halls were empty. He’d stayed close and waited on me while I showered and dressed—apparently orders from Gavin to make sure I was safe. However, he’d also let on that he’d rather I not be alone simply for his own peace of mind after the night before.

I couldn’t blame him since I knew exactly what would have gone down had there not been anyone to save me then.

“Where is everyone?” I asked when we crossed the dining room. Blake looked around with a hard stare as if the very walls were suspect. “They’re all making themselves scarce, as they should, after Carter’s very clear warning.” Curiosity almost made me ask, but I really didn’t want to have to approve of anything he’d done. It was bad enough I was being forced to see him.

I hummed my agreement and stepped into the equally deserted kitchen. “Please tell me Dimtiri left food.” I said it under my breath, mostly to myself, but Blake answered anyhow.

“He did. He’s quite upset that he didn’t notice you were in trouble when you were so close. He made enough of your favorites to last at least a week.”

“It’s not his fault,” I replied absently while perusing the fridge and pantry. My mouth wanted all of it; my stomach wasn’t sure it would allow any of it.

I finally settled on a yogurt pudding thing with berries, something Dimitri had had me taste test one night as a new breakfast dessert, and followed Blake back out with my spoon already digging in. I was starving , especially after the impromptu workout.

I liked the concoction so much it was half gone before I knew it. I sort of felt bad I wasn’t going to eat anything else yet after he’d gone to the trouble to stock it up, but I didn’t want it to come back up either. My distraction with my food and guilt were the only reason I didn’t notice we were about to step outside into the back courtyard.

“Are we not going to Gavin’s office?” I asked, a tremble making my spoon clatter against the cup. Blake looked over his shoulder as I retreated, nearly stumbling over my feet in my haste.

His eyes widened at my state, and he held his hands up. “I thought you heard me say to hold on a second. I’m just manually checking that the gate is locked.”

I nodded, and when my back met the wall, I slid down until I reached the floor, feeling like a miserable idiot. “I’ll go out there again,” I whispered, my eyes pleading with him to believe me. “Just not today.”

“Hey, I know you will. Even if you don’t, no one is going to blame you, Shelby,” Blake reassured me, crossing to crouch down to my level.

Shaking my head, I revealed what worried me the most. “They made that spot for me.”

Blake laughed, though it was subdued. “Shelby, babe, they don’t give a shit about that as long as you’re happy. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

I blinked, getting a bit warm and fuzzy inside while I tried to process his claim.

“You stay right here. I’ll be back in under a minute. Gavin is taking all precautions so that means making sure we don’t have a cyber breach concealing a physical one.”

I nodded, letting Blake leave, but I didn’t really understand. Unless the surveillance had been tampered with? Either way, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. No matter what, it wouldn’t make me feel safe enough to go out there.

With my cup empty, I stood, and a moment later, Blake was back. He led me down the familiar hall, but my footsteps picked up when I heard raised voices I knew intimately.

Gavin’s office door stood slightly ajar, likely because he’d been waiting on us. Blake held an arm out to stop me from pushing it open then put his body between me and the ruckus inside.

“Knock it off, you two,” Gavin snapped as Blake walked in, me a step behind him.

“No, they don’t need to be here. I want to speak to Shelby alone ,” Carter snapped.

“What if I don’t want to?” I asked, steeling my voice so it didn’t betray my nerves.

Carter shot me a censuring glance then kept his eyes on River and Rain while he addressed me. “We’re locked down in the safest place you can be right now, Shelby. I think you could give me the grace to have a conversation in Gavin’s office.”

His bossy ass had my hackles rising, and I was feeling brave with a roomful of men between us.

“Why are you still here? You know I don't want to see you, yet you made damn sure I saw you at the clinic too. Why are you stalking me?”

He rolled his eyes. “It's not stalking when it's in my job description, Shelby.”

“Ohh, you ,” I yelled, throwing up an arm to point at him, “are so not my bodyguard anymore.”

“What is that?” he demanded, taking a step toward me only for Blake to protectively edge closer

“Huh? What is what?” I turned my head to look over my shoulder, thinking he was going on about something behind me, but it was just Gavin.

“ That , Shelby. On your neck. Are those…” His eyes widened in disbelief. “Why do you have a bite on your neck? It wasn’t there last night,” he accused, deadly serious in his fury.

I jerked the collar of my top back into place, but it was obviously too late. It had been a crapshoot whether my hair and the lightweight blouse would hide them anyway, but if he saw the extent of them…

I didn't need more problems, but I was also pissed.

“It's none of your damn business, Carter!” I retorted, standing my ground. “Nor did you have any right to spy on me.”

Flags of color popped up on his cheekbones as his ire rose. “It is when they’re my men and you're not theirs,” he hissed, low and lethal, narrowing those bright, cornflower-blue eyes at me. “ You’re mi—”

“The fuck did you say?” Rain interjected, cutting him off.

“Yes, that's what I'd like to know as well,” River reiterated, quite a bit calmer but angry nonetheless.

My gaze flitted between them until Blake muttered, “Ah, hell, not in here.”

“Shelby, darling. Come here,” Gavin called from behind me, speaking softly enough that his voice didn't carry past me.

I backed up into him on instinct, only minorly noticing that I wasn't terribly uncomfortable with him at my back, and let him slip an arm around my waist to draw me firmly into his solid chest.

Carter must have been tracking me even as he faced off with the cousins. “Gav?” The surprise in his voice almost made me smirk, but it definitely wasn't the time to antagonize him further. “Let her go.”

“Nah, he'll keep her safe,” Rain answered, eliciting a groan from the man behind me.

Affronted, Carter jerked his head back like he’d been slapped. “From what? Me ?

“Yes, wouldn't want her getting hurt,” River kept on.

“I wouldn't hurt her,” Carter insisted, incensed but also shamefaced. The hit had landed; he knew that wasn't quite the truth.

I winced when River called him on it.

“But you did, and that's not what we meant, anyway,” he informed a very upset and confused Carter. I hadn’t thought it could get any worse until they rolled their sleeves up in unison.

Turning my head to keep it to Gavin's ears only, I asked, “Are they gonna?” even though it was plain they were about to go at it. “Stop them!” I hissed, trying to step forward to intervene, dropping the cup onto Gavin's desk to free up my hands.

“Nah,” Gavin drawled. “They’re fine. It was gonna happen eventually.” I could not believe him. Then he shrugged, earning himself an impotent shriek from me that sounded like more of a croak when my voice cracked.

I could only watch as Carter and Rain clashed since Gavin dragged me behind the desk and well out of their way. When River and even Blake joined in, I dropped my head into my hands and groaned.

“Don't like seeing them fight over you, Shelby Ann?” Gavin asked with a teasing lilt in his tone.

I turned an incredulous stare on him. “You're enjoying this!” I accused, only blinking when he chuckled and traced one of the bite marks Rain had left behind my ear.

“I'd rather spend some time with you than as a referee, but yes, I’m enjoying watching Carter get his ass kicked. He’s holding his own, and they’re not actually trying to maim him, just equal out the pecking order a bit.”

I was at a loss for words and just wanted them to stop. Gavin put me in his rolling chair and stepped beside me instead of having me between him and the desk.

If I hadn’t been so upset and ready to hyperventilate thanks to my rising panic from the violence, I’d have been amused when he scowled at the hole they put in his wall. Instead, I lost the battle to blink my tears back.

So much for not crying in front of them.

It took the first sniffle before Gavin noticed, and then it was a domino effect with, surprisingly, Carter being the next in line.

“Knock it off!” he shouted, shoving through Rain and Blake who were letting River have a turn. He didn’t quite make it to me though, with Gavin stepping up to block him. “Move, Gav. Is she hurt?”

I’d drawn my knees up to hide my face, barely able to peek through my curtain of hair to keep an eye on them. I wasn’t about to unwrap my arms from around them, and I shook my head before they tried to insist on checking for themselves.

“No, she’s upset you assholes are fighting in front of her and I didn’t stop it.” His confession almost got me to uncurl just to see his face better. The self-recrimination in his voice was plain, and it had a calming effect on the rest of them.

Various apologies came from all of them, but Gavin refused to let anyone come closer as if he knew that would be my breaking point. He didn’t even try to touch me himself, just stood guard as an immovable, sympathetic force.

Eventually, it quieted and my emotions settled down. I needed tissues, but that would require me to move and face them. I didn't want to see them after crying, but it was becoming more of a necessity by the second. Not only did I need something more than my sleeve, my sore muscles, unused to such activities as I’d participated in, were protesting the position…and my ass hurt. My pussy was as pleasantly sore as the love bites, but Rain’s dick had done a number on my behind, or maybe River was to blame for stretching it that last bit.

Face still tucked into my knees, I blushed furiously, the heat of it making my nose run all the worse.

“Hey, Gav? Would you please give us a minute?” I heard Carter ask.

My knee-jerk reaction was to say ‘no,’ but if they started fighting again… “It’s okay,” I rasped without moving, then sniffed again before using my already gross sleeve to wipe up the excess snot.

I saw Gavin shift then felt his palm on the back of my head. “I’m leaving this here for her,” he warned Carter, then a small clatter sounded on the desk. “Shelby, I set up a panic button after dealing with that mess last night. You press it, and we all get an alert. I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner. I never thought you’d be threatened here… Well, I’m just plain sorry.” He stepped away, leaving me feeling slightly naked without my shield.

I nodded that I heard him and gave him a thumbs-up for good measure. It broke some of the tension when everyone but me and Carter laughed.

“What’s the thumb?” he asked, but no one bothered to answer.

“We’ll be back, Shelby,” River promised.

I heard them leave, then it was Blake crouching down in front of me. “It’s just us for a second. Carter wanted to tell Gavin something.” I assumed they’d stepped out to protect my fragile feelings. I couldn’t even be salty about it since I was certainly being sensitive at the moment. “I’m gonna be right outside, alright?”

I buried my head further instead of answering. I could understand the boys fighting with Carter, but I was mad at Blake for it.

He sighed. “Please, baby, I'll never bitch about it again. Just give me a thumb.” His chuckle was followed by a groan when I complied. “Not down , Shelby. At least accept my apology for being a dumbass and not refraining from devolving into fisticuffs?”

I knew he was trying to cheer me up by being silly, yet I still fell for it. Against my better judgment, I made a fist, stuck my thumb out, then flipped it up.

“Yes, thank you, babe,” he whisper-shouted before punctuating it with a kiss to the top of my head. “I’ll send the d-bag in. You push the button if you need it.”

I lifted my thumb again, and as soon as the door closed, I took the opportunity to snatch the entire box of tissues off the desk. Thank goodness they hadn’t gotten knocked down during their bullshit because I wasn’t about to go hunting for them.

My nerves ramped right back up as the handle clicked, then the door swung open. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since I’d been face-to-face with Carter alone , but my time had run out.