Chapter Six

Rhea

One week later

What’s better than being fucked by your man every day? Oh, right. Being fucked by both of your men every day. It was unspoken before, but as of a few nights ago, we are officially dating. I couldn’t be happier either. I love every minute of every day and it’s starting to feel less like a prank and more like my new reality. I know I have many obstacles to overcome, but I feel secure in the fact that under their watch, I am safe.

Rowan, Anika, and Mia have been working from home. Max is helping Emma from the house. She still has to appear in court and be at her main office for meetings with clients, but the manager at The Cherry has been running things in her absence. Theo has switched to virtual appointments for his patients, but most of his were already virtual. Quinn and Jace have been with me, and I’ve been writing. I’ve scrapped the same thing at least twenty times now, but I’m writing. It feels nice to create worlds again, even if I have no idea what to do in this new world of mine. They read everything before I scrap it and encourage me to continue, even if I keep starting over.

I am sitting cross-legged on the couch. No one else is in the living room. I believe they’re fixing dinner, but I am stuck in this world I’ve created. I’m finding a rhythm finally, and it’s an incredible feeling. I love writing because it helps me escape reality and dive into another world where I can make anything come true. Everyone does exactly what I say… well… not always. Sometimes, the characters go off on their own adventure, but I love to tell their story. Even through all the pain and suffering, I lead them toward happiness and peace. In reality, not everyone gets a happy ending, but in the worlds that I create, everyone finds happiness. They find a way to navigate the darkness. I think by helping them achieve happiness, I’m teaching myself that I am in control of my own happiness in the real world. I am the one who decides how much pain is too much and if I’m not fighting for myself, I’m allowing it to happen. Maybe that’s a warped way of thinking about it, but it helps.

“Hey,” Theo says as he stands behind the couch and leans over to look at my screen. “How’s it going?”

“Uhm… I think I’m finally getting somewhere,” I say, still typing.

“You’ve written a lot today. I’m proud of you,” he says, gently kneading my shoulders. I close my eyes and drop my head with a groan when I realize how stiff my neck is. “Mhm. I think that you should take a break.”

“But he’s going to get kidnapped,” I mumble.

“He will be there waiting to be captured tomorrow,” Theo says. “Come eat dinner.”

“I ate so much at lunch. I’m okay,” I say.

“Are you still full?” he asks

“No, I just don’t think I should be eating that much,” I say.

“Why’s that?” he asks.

“Don’t answer that, it’s a trap,” Anika laughs.

“Oh, oops,” I laugh and try to get up. Theo grabs me by the hair and yanks me back before taking my face between his hands. I am looking at him upside down and I can’t help but giggle. “You look funny like this.”

“Why don’t you think you should eat dinner?” he asks.

“Because my lunch was over a thousand calories,” I say.

“What did you eat for breakfast?” he asks.

“Oh, hell yeah. Did she finally piss off Theo?” Jace asks. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

“Breakfast,” he says. “What did you eat?”

“A meal bar,” I say.

“One hundred calories,” he asks. “Seriously?”

“What?” I ask when Theo lets go of my face and walks around the couch to stand in front of me. He motions for me to stand, so I set my laptop aside and stand.

“Rhea, you expressed that you desired to lose weight. So me, you, Quinn, and Jace agreed on a reasonable number of calories. No one wants you to be counting them, but at least this way we can make sure you eat,” Theo says.

“What’s your point?” I ask.

“Rhea,” he says. “You’ve had eleven hundred calories today. How many did you have yesterday?”

“The same,” I say.

“Why are you starving yourself?” he asks.

“I’m not. I’m eating,” I say.

“Go sit at the table,” Theo says, stepping aside and pointing to the kitchen.

“No,” I frown.

“Excuse me?” he says.

“You say that I have autonomy over my own body. Why am I being forced to eat when I don’t want to?” I ask with an attitude.

“You know what,” he says. “Fine.”

“Fine?” I ask.

“Yeah. You do whatever you want, and we will go have dinner. We’d like for you to join us, but I won’t force you,” Theo says.

“Enjoy your dinner,” I say before sitting back on the couch and pulling the laptop over to sit on my legs. Theo walks away and disappear into the kitchen. Everyone else follows, but Quinn and Jace hang back.

“I hope you know you just fucked up, Rhea,” Jace says.

“Don’t let your food get cold, Jace,” I say flatly as I resume typing.

“Rhea,” Quinn says with an amused tone. I sigh and look up at him.

“What, Quinn?”

“You are the cutest little brat,” he says as he leans down and kisses me. “I’ll put an ice pack in the freezer for you.”

“Why?” I ask, confused.

“Because you’ll need it after Theo is done teaching you what happens when brats disrespect themselves,” he says with a grin. “Theo is comin’ for you, Little Star. Better rethink your decision to be defiant.”

“Go eat,” I say flatly.

“Oh, sweet girl,” he laughs and stands up. “You’ll learn somehow.”

Quinn turns and they go back to the kitchen. I don’t know what they are going on about, because if I can handle Quinn and Jace, I can handle Theo. How bad would it really be?

I spend a while typing before I go to the kitchen and start cleaning up as they finish eating. I put the leftovers away and load the dishwasher before I wipe the counters down. I have grown comfortable with cleaning. It helps me focus because it’s a mindless activity.

When I get done, I leave the kitchen and grab my laptop to put it away. “What are you doing?” Max asks.

“Putting my laptop downstairs,” I say. “Why?”

“Girl, don’t intentionally corner yourself,” he says. “Theo is not going to let that go.”

“If I can handle Quinn and Jace, I can handle Theo,” I say. Max laughs and takes the laptop from my hands to toss on the couch behind me.

“Rhea, baby. Please believe me when I tell you that you are so wrong,” Max says.

“Telling her how Theo is going to wreck her pussy?” Anika asks.

“Honestly, how bad could it be?” I ask.

“Girl,” Anika says. “He’s just as big as Quinn, he has piercings, and he is far more aggressive than I’ve ever seen Quinn. It’s called a punishment fucking because he’s going to fucking wreck you.”

“Okay,” I say. “I’m going downstairs.”

“Let her go,” Theo says. “She made her choice.”

I shake my head at them and grab my laptop before walking past everyone to go to the basement. “Hey,” Quinn says before I get to the basement door.

“Hi,” I say.

“What are you doing?” Jace asks.

“Putting my laptop up,” I say. “Probably going to take a shower. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Quinn says with a soft smile.

“Are you going to try and scare me into eating, too?” I ask.

“No,” Quinn says, tucking my hair behind my ears. “Theo will feed you once you wake up from your coma.”

“All of you are dramatic,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“You can’t say we didn’t warn you,” Jace says. “The fact that you keep getting an attitude with him and everyone else isn’t helping your case any.”

“She has autonomy, Jace. Remember?” Theo says from behind me. “She’s free to try and starve herself if she wants.”

Try? What the fuck does that mean?

I turn and roll my eyes at Theo before hugging Jace. He kisses me and cups my cheek. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

I step past him and walk downstairs. I set my laptop down before going to the bathroom and undressing. When I step into the hot water, I sigh and lay my forehead on the wall. I took a shower this morning, but I wanted to just stand in the hot water for a while. It’s scalding, so my skin is blazing hot.

The water suddenly goes ice cold, and I gasp. “Jesus Christ, Theo,” I scold. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Get out,” he says, opening the shower door. I scowl at him and step out so he can wrap me in a towel. He says nothing as he steps me over to the counter and starts brushing my hair. When he’s done, he sets the brush down and dries my hair. I have no idea what he’s doing, considering he looks like he’s mad at me. I keep my mouth shut because I have already made the situation bad enough.

“Theo,” I say quietly.

“Yes, Rhea?” he asks as he turns me to face him.

“Are you angry at me?” I ask sheepishly.

“No, Rhea. If I was angry, I wouldn’t be down here,” he says. “I am upset, but I also recognize that something is going on inside that pretty little head of yours and you don’t know how to open up about it.”

“I’m fine,” I say.

“I thought you’d say that,” he says. “Go to the bedroom and stand at the end of the bed.”

“Am I being punished?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says. "Go, please.”

“Yes, Sir,” I say quietly.

When I get to the bedroom, everyone else is in here. Panic washes over me when I am naked, but no one else is. I’ve been made fun of and tormented by my dad and Marvin so many times that this feels like a trap. I still do as I’m told, but I don’t look at anyone.

“Alright, Rhea,” Theo says, as he gently rests his hands on my waist. “Do you know why you are being punished?”

“For not eating dinner,” I say.

“Wrong,” he says. “You are being punished for blatantly disregarding your health, knowing there would be consequences. You continuously degraded yourself and then got an attitude with me when I tried to get a better understanding of what was going on. Also, for lying.”

“Lying?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says. “You lied when you said nothing was bothering you.”

“You’ve known me a week,” I snap. “How in the fuck are you supposed to know what is going on in my head?”

“Feel better?” he asks.

“What?”

“Do you feel better? Does being a brat to me help whatever is bothering you? Does it solve the problem?” he asks.

“No,” I admit.

“I thought so,” he says.

“Bend over and put your hands on the bed please,” he says.

“No,” I say, turning to face him.

“Are you calling your safe word then?” he asks.

“Well, no, but…”

When I say no, he shoves me back on the bed and has me pinned before I can even attempt to sit up. He has my arms pulled above my head with one hand and forces my legs apart with his knees. I realize that he is already naked, and I fully understand why everyone was warning me. Quinn and Jace are huge, but so is Theo. Adding his piercings, my insides are about to be mush. Theo has a feral look in his eyes, and I smile.

“Something funny?” Theo asks as he lets go of my wrists and grabs the backs of my knees to push them to my chest.

“Is it too late to go eat dinner?” I ask with a sweet smile.

“It’s way too late for that,” he says. “What’s your safe word?”

“Banana,” I say.

“Don’t be afraid to use it,” he warns.

I open my mouth to ask why, but a scream comes out when he slams into me. He is fucking me unimaginably hard almost immediately and all I can do is yell out as he forces an orgasm to surface.

“Fuck. Theo,” I yell. “Slow down. Fuck. Oh my God.”

“Cute little brats who degrade themselves get fucked like toys,” Theo growls as he continues to rail me into the bed. “Is that what you want? You want to be my toy, pretty girl?”

“Yes,” I choke out. “God, yes.”

He growls at my response and drops my legs before abruptly flipping me. He pulls me up to my knees and my chest stays on the bed as he pulls my hips back, slamming back inside of me. This time, he pushes deeper and thrusts with even more aggression.

Each bar of his Jacob's ladder piercing is tortuous but amazing. The Prince Albert piercing is equally as incredible, but together it’s mind-blowing. I push my hips back and meet his thrusts, making myself scream out as I help him fuck me harder. Theo grabs me by the hair and pulls me up. My back is arched dramatically, and I am suddenly snapped out of my daze when he wraps his hands around my throat. Panic washes over me and I fight him.

“Stop, Rhea,” Theo commands softly.

“Let go of me,” I scream. I instinctively throw my elbow back to try and get him off of me. As soon as I do it, I know it’s a bad idea. I don’t know why I’m fighting him. I don’t know why I’m panicked. Theo forces me back to my back and keeps his hands around my throat. I understand and accept that my punishment is him pushing my boundaries and forcing me to talk. I know I need to speak up about what bothered me earlier, but I can’t find the words. I don’t want anyone to think I’ve betrayed them. Have I? I feel like I’ve done something wrong, so I’m avoiding everyone.

“I can’t breathe,” I say tearfully as I grip onto his wrist.

“Say the word, Rhea. If you want me to stop, say it,” Theo says firmly as he slams back into me. I try to push him away, so he pins my wrists above my head with one hand. “Say it.”

“I don’t want to,” I say tearfully as I relax.

“Then trust me, pretty girl,” he speaks softly. He releases my wrists since I’ve stopped trying to hit him and leans into me more. “Trust me.”

I nod and he tightens his grip, completely cutting my air off. He starts back in on slamming against my cervix, only this time I am silent. I can’t draw in a breath. I can’t scream. I can’t do anything besides trust in him.

“Fuuuck, Rhea,” Theo growls through gritted teeth as his rhythm falters. “Come with me.”

Something massive is building, but it won’t break. My brain is swimming with a thick haze from lack of oxygen. When Theo releases my throat and moans from deep in his chest, I can feel my soul shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. He kisses me deeply as he forces all of those shards back into place with every thrust of his hips.

By the time he pulls out of me, I have drifted away to a world where none of my worries exist. It’s peaceful here. Marvin isn’t here to sneak into my mind. My parents aren’t here to pretend that they’re not the main source of my pain.

When I manage to drag my eyes open, the room is dark. I am lying on the bed, and I’m dressed in Quinn’s shirt. Theo is lying on his side, propped on his elbow. He is looking at his phone while his other hand is gently resting on my belly. He notices the change in my breathing and locks his phone before looking up at me.

“Hi,” he says with a sweet smile as he tosses his phone down.

“Hi,” I say softly. “Theo, I’m sorry.”

“For what, Rhea?” he asks as he sits up. He grabs a bowl from the nightstand and motions for me to sit up. I groan as I do it, but eventually, I am sitting up with my back against the headboard.

In the bowl is the chicken pasta salad that was for dinner. It’s a cold dish so it keeps well as leftovers. Theo gathers a bite in a fork and offers it to me. I give him a deadpan expression and he only grins. I accept the bite of food and it’s admittedly delicious.

“I’m sorry for fighting you,” I say.

“I triggered you, Rhea. That’s nothing to apologize for,” he says.

“Did you mean to?”

“I did,” he says, offering me another bite of food.

“Why?” I ask.

“Why do you think?”

“Uh. Probably to make me face it,” I say.

“Precisely. Did you reach your limit?”

“No,” I say before taking another bite.

“What happened tonight?” he asks.

“I just didn’t want to eat,” I lie.

“Rhea,” he says. “Don’t lie to me, please.”

“Fine,” I sigh. “Dad texted me and it fucked with my head, I guess.”

“What did he say?” Theo asks. I grab my phone off the nightstand and go to the message before handing it to him.

Dad

I’ve missed you, kid. Let’s get together, just you and I. For old time's sake.

He hands the phone back to me and I set it down. I don’t need to explain what that means because he knows. Dad is trying to lure me away from the others so he can fuck me again. Likely to also hand me off to Marvin and David. Theo continues to feed me, and we sit in silence for a while. When the bowl is empty, he sets it down and turns to me.

“How did you feel when you got that message?” he asks.

“Obligated,” I admit quietly. I drop my head and pick at my nails.

“What else?” he asks.

“Guilty,” I answer.

“For?”

“For feeling obligated. I feel like it’s betrayal that I considered it,” I say.

“Do you understand that what Marcus has done to you is wrong?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he was supposed to protect me, not fuck me,” I say bluntly. “You know I was sixteen when I realized that not all dads fucked their little girls? Dad started the touching and having me touch him when I was very young, and I thought all little girls pleased their daddies like that. He always told me that Mom wouldn’t understand, and she would be jealous of how close he and I were. I wanted to make him happy, so when he said it was our little secret, I vowed to never upset him by telling our secret.”

“Tell me about the touching,” he says. “What did that consist of.”

“Bluntly?” I ask.

“Whatever is easiest for you,” he says.

“The time I didn’t know what exactly he was having me do, but he was having me jerk him off, basically. He eventually moved on to having me put him in my mouth. That gradually morphed into full on oral sex,” I explain. “It got to the point that I felt obligated to do it, so I was seeking it out in a way. It was the only time I got attention from him, so I did it every chance I could. It felt so good to have him praise me afterward. I feel out of my mind for wanting that praise from him.”

“Is it the praise you get from him or just to be praised in general?” Theo asks.

“I think it’s just praise,” I say. “I remember the first time he had me swallow. He told me he loved me for the first time in probably years. Every time after that where I’d swallow, he’d tell me he loved me.”

“How did things change when you were twelve?” he asks.

“I started my period for the first time, and he told me everything I needed to know. He told me everything about anatomy, the process in general, and explained what sex was. I knew, but he told me I was a woman now, and I was ready to understand,” I explain. “He asked if I wanted to be his good girl and help him feel good. I obviously said yes, so he showed me how to put a condom on him. He explained that if I got pregnant, my mom would be jealous because she couldn’t have any more babies. He said she would take me away from him and the baby, so I promised I wouldn’t tell her. It’s odd to look back on and think about because I don’t remember it hurting. I wasn’t on my period anymore, but he explained that I would bleed a little, but he would take care of me. He used lube and started slow. Every time after that, he would go a bit harder. Eventually, it was the time as what anyone would do. Maybe harder. It was so normal that again, I was seeking it out. I wanted his attention, so I would have sex with him to get it.”

“So, when he texted you that, was it the obligation you felt toward him, or were you wanting to feel his praise again?” Theo asks. I drop my head again. Theo gently lifts my chin and swipes away the fallen tears. “It is nothing to be ashamed of, Rhea.”

“It’s not that I want him,” I sniff. “I just…”

“What?” he asks.

“It sounds dumb after explaining all of that,” I admit.

“Try me,” he smiles.

“There is just something special about being brutalized but then praised while you’re on your knees with tears running down your face,” I say. “To be told that you took it like a good little whore is… nice.”

“I’m thinking what I did wasn’t much of a punishment then,” he chuckles.

“No,” I say. “Anika, Emma, and Mia… They are the same way. You brutally fucking us is not a punishment. Knowing that we’ve disappointed you is the punishment. None of us like to make any of you all disappointed. When they intentionally piss you off, they are just wanting your attention the same way I wanted my dad’s attention.”

“You know what that is, right?” he asks.

“What?”

“That’s what it means to be a brat,” he says. “Sex was never the punishment, Rhea. I know full and well that all of you enjoy that. If you didn’t, I wouldn’t do it. I know that sometimes what a brat needs is to have that little attitude of theirs fucked out of them. I know that the intensity of it brings clarity. When the others realize this, I have no doubt that they will use this tactic as well.”

“I don’t know if I’d survive Quinn and Jace fucking me that hard,” I laugh. “I’m sorry I was a bitch to you.”

“It’s okay,” he smiles. “How do you feel?”

“Like Quinn was smart with preparing an ice pack,” I say and Theo laughs. “Did your piercings hurt?”

“Did getting a needle shoved through my dick hurt?” he asks, and I giggle. “Yes, it hurt. Not as badly as I expected though.”

“Now I want to talk the others into it,” I say.

“I don’t know if I can go that long without sex,” Jace says as he and Quinn step off the stairs and walk over to sit with us.

“It’s not too bad,” Theo says. “Worth it for the reaction you’ll get.”

“Tempting,” Quinn says, kissing my temple.

“I need to tell you and Jace something,” I say quietly.

“Go ahead,” he says.

“Dad texted me,” I say, picking up my phone to show them the message. “I considered meeting him and it made me feel confused and guilty. It’s not that I wanted him, I just miss the praise I used to get from him.”

“Baby girl, if you want to be fucked like a back-alley whore and then pampered like a princess, I will happily oblige,” Quinn says.

“We will gladly take you like a worthless piece of fuck meat, but then remind you after that you are the most amazing women we have ever met,” Jace adds. “Gaining pleasure from degradation doesn’t mean you have to believe the things that are said to you.”

“Right,” Quinn says. “I can and will call you my worthless little whore while I fuck you, but you know I don’t mean it.”

“If you call me a worthless whore while wrecking me, I might come,” I say, and he laughs. “Is it… wrong… to want to recreate things that have happened to me?” I ask Theo.

“Who specifically?” Theo asks.

“Any of you guys,” I say. “Although, I’m not very sure that Max and Rowan are real interested in me.”

“I’ll come back to that,” Theo says. “It’s not wrong to want consensual intimacy of any form. There is no wrong way to heal. If you want to heal through consensual nonconsent and the other party is also consenting, then do it.”

“What is that?” I ask.

“CNC is basically a forced sex kink. It can be as extreme as acting out a rape, but having a safe word to still end things,” he explains. “It requires a massive amount of trust in each other.”

“So basically, I’m the fighting fuck meat with a safe word?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “Something like that.”

“Interesting,” I say.

“Kink is not bad as long as it is consensual. Healing is not wrong, as long as it is consensual,” he says. “Do not ever let anyone tell you differently.”

“Thank you for feeding me,” I say kindly.

“You’re welcome, Rhea,” he smiles. “What can we do to get you to eat more?”

“I don’t know. I think I don’t eat when I’m stressed out or overwhelmed. Maybe just force me to talk about my feelings and I’ll eat,” I say.

“Why didn’t you eat yesterday?” Quinn asks.

“Uhm,” I laugh.

“Go on,” Theo encourages.

“I felt bad that I wanted to have sex with you,” I tell Theo. “It feels like cheating in a way.”

“It’s not cheating,” Quinn says. “If we ever have a problem, we will tell you. Okay?”

“Okay,” I smile.

“Back to Max and Rowan,” Theo says. “They adore you, but they’re afraid of overwhelming you. Anika has talked to them a few times about it. I think the issues are coming from the fact that they are only ever with her.”

“Not Mia?” I ask.

“No, just Anika. She only recently expressed that she was okay sharing them with you, so I think it’s maybe guilt that they do want you, but don’t want to upset Anika.”

“Anika wouldn’t encourage it if she wasn’t okay with it,” I say.

“Exactly,” he says. “My advice is to pick at them relentlessly until they break. Talk to Anika because she will be able to give some insight on how to get at Rowan. He is…”

“Soft?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he laughs. “It takes a lot to make him anything more than soft. Max is much easier get to. Just be a brat, challenge him, and run.”

“Literally?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Jace says. “That might get Rowan too. They are a lot like me and Quinn and help each other with that stuff.”

“I’ll give it a shot after I talk to Anika,” I yawn.

“Let’s go to sleep,” Quinn says.

“Please,” I sigh. Theo takes my hand and pulls me up to my knees so he can hug me. “Thank you for getting me to talk. I’ve never said any of that before.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” he says, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

When Theo goes upstairs, I lay with Quinn and Jace. I am facing Quinn and Jace is behind me and I’m quiet for a while. “What’s on your mind?” Quinn asks.

“I have a problem,” I admit with a whisper, sniffing back tears.

“What’s that?” he asks.

“I think I like Theo… a lot,” I say, still almost whispering. Quinn cups my cheek and smiles.

“Want to know something?” he asks.

“What?”

“He really likes you too,” Quinn tells me. “Anika pointed it out first and is stoked about it.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Well… Theo was married when they met through Emma. They were in a polygamous relationship as well, but Annie got pregnant by her boyfriend. Theo and Annie had grown apart anyhow, but when Anika came into the picture, he pulled away from her completely. They decided to be friends because Annie wanted to be in a monogamous relationship with Andrew. As soon as the divorce was finalized and she got half of everything, Annie and Andrew disappeared. She was apparently not pregnant after all. I’m not sure what her motivation was for lying, but I think that she just didn’t want to admit that she just didn’t want to say that she didn’t want to be with him.”

“He’s a psychiatrist with his own practice. She wanted his money,” I say. “I bet they had a bunch of savings too, huh?”

“That bitch,” Jace gasps.

“So, Theo is extremely cautious about who he gets close to. He would never admit it, but Annie hurt him. A lot. That doesn’t even include the guilt from when Anika was shot by her ex,” Quinn says.

“She told me about that yesterday,” I say. “He’s a psychiatrist. He should know that it isn’t his fault that she got shot.”

“It’s the whole 'do as I say, not as I do' business,” Quinn explains. “He cares about you so much, but he is being cautious.”

“That makes sense. Here I thought you all were mentally stable,” I laugh.

“God, no,” Jace laughs. “Everyone has had their fair share of trauma.”

“At least I’m with familiar company here,” I yawn.

I feel hands gently shaking me. I gasp and snap my eyes open. “Shit, you scared me,” I sigh when I realize it’s Theo.

“Sorry. Casey is here,” he says. “Come on.”

“Oh, God,” I complain. “What now?”

“I don’t know. She said she wanted to tell everyone together,” he says, handing me a pair of shorts.

“What time is it?” I ask. “Where are Quinn and Jace?”

“It’s about five. They were running with me, Rowan, and Max. When we got back, Casey was here talking to Emma,” he explains.

“Wait. You just leave us in the house? Do you do that every morning?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he laughs. “You girls sleep like the fucking dead. We set the alarm and stay close by.”

“I tried exercising once. That just consisted of Marvin calling me fat while I cried and tried to do pushups,” I say.

“If you want to exercise, Max and Rowan are your guys. They are good teachers,” he says as we walk upstairs.

“I’ll have to ask them,” I say. When we get to the living room, everyone turns to us. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Casey says as Quinn pulls me to sit in his lap with my legs across Jace.

“You left me,” I say to Quinn and Jace.

“Didn’t think you’d want to run five miles at four in the morning,” Jace laughs.

“Maybe at six,” I smile. “Oh. Max. Rowan. I have a question.”

“It’s too early for you to start being a brat,” Max says. “What’s up?”

“Wanna help me not be fat?” I ask. Everyone bursts out laughing while Rowan and Max glare at me. “Theo said if I wanted to learn how to exercise, I should talk to y’all.”

“We can help you exercise,” Max says flatly.

“Great,” I smile. “Thanks.”

“This is great,” Anika laughs. “I love this for us.”

“What’s up, Casey?” Theo asks.

“David Miller was murdered,” she says simply.

“Damn. Beat me to it,” Jace says. “What happened?”

“He was shot in his sleep with a nine-millimeter,” she says. She is looking at me when she speaks and I don’t understand why until I remember Quinn has a nine-millimeter. That’s what he was going to shoot Marvin with. I keep my mouth shut because if Quinn did do it, I am not helping her take him away from me.

“Ah. I see where this is headed,” Quinn says, as he moves me to sit with Jace. “I assume you want it?”

“Please,” Casey says.

“Quinn,” Emma says.

“Give me some credit, Emma. I’m not going to hand it over if I shot him,” Quinn says and she nods. Jace wraps me in a hug while Quinn goes downstairs to get his pistol. When he returns, he hands it over to Casey.

“The lab will have it for a few days for ballistics, but I should have it back soon,” she says, having him sign a paper. “Guys, I can’t help you if you don’t own up to it. I can easily have this charged as something minor and no one sees jail time.”

“When was he killed?” Theo asks.

“Last night around ten,” she says.

“Oh. That’s an easy one,” Mia says. “We were all watching Theo fuck Rhea unconscious.”

“You could have said that so many different ways,” Theo says.

“Cameras can show we were all in the basement and there isn’t any other way out,” Rowan says.

“Woah. Is there a camera down there?” I ask.

“No,” Quinn laughs. “That almost looked illegal.”

“Can you show me?” Casey laughs and asks Rowan.

“Yeah,” he says, pulling his phone out. He taps around before handing her his phone. She watches for a second before fast forwarding it.

“Okay,” she says. “Email me a copy of that and we will be good. I’ll still send the gun to the lab so there aren't any questions.”

“Not a problem,” Rowan says.

“Tell her,” Theo says to me.

“Dad texted and said he wanted him and I to get together, just the two of us,” I say. “Which is code for him wanting to have sex with me.”

“I know it’s happened before, but when did he start making you do that?” she asks. I look at Theo and he smiles softly.

“If I say, you’ll have to charge him with something,” I say.

“What’s the earliest age that you can remember him doing something that would lead to a charge?” she asks me.

“Uh… six,” I say.

“Oh, Rhea,” she sighs. “Marcus is headed for many charges as it is, so it’s going to be the same timeline. I need to find hard evidence so I can charge him.”

“What if I just set him up?” I ask.

“How so?” she asks.

“I could meet with him alone but in public,” I say. “Marcus will more than likely follow me back to the car or something. Rape is rape, right? At minimum, attempted would get him put away. My admission could get a search warrant, considering he has many years' worth of videos.”

“He videoed that?” she asks.

“Yeah. Started with just pictures, but by the time he was having me full on sucking his dick at ten, he would video it. He even recorded some of the more intense scenes Marvin had with me,” I say.

“You understand that if we don’t get to you quickly enough, he very well could rape you, right?” she asks.

I look at Theo to see if I have gone crazy. “I don’t like it, but I think you can handle it,” Theo says. “I think helping put him away will be healing for you.

“What about you guys?” I ask Quinn and Jace.

“I agree with him,” Quinn says, and Jace nods.

“Everyone else?” I ask.

“I think you can handle it,” Anika says.

“I hate every bit of this,” Rowan says. “But I’ll support whatever you want to do.”

“Alright,” I say to Casey. “When?”

“Today,” she says. “See if you can meet him around three.”

“Okay,” I say. I pick my phone up off my leg and find my dad’s number. I’m not used to having access to everything on a phone, but I like the freedom. Quinn and Jace got me this phone when they got me a new laptop.

“Calling him?” Quinn asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “He will be awake.”

I call him on speakerphone, and he answers almost immediately. “Rhea,” he says happily.

“Hey, Dad,” I say. “Are you busy?”

“I’m never too busy for you, baby. Why are you up so early?” he asks. Anika and Mia roll their eyes when he calls me baby.

“I just couldn’t sleep. I saw your text,” I say. “Do you want to meet today? I have to go into town today. Thought maybe I could meet you somewhere.”

“Just you, or do I get to meet these boys you ran off with?” he asks.

“You know who Quinn and Jace are, Dad,” I say. “And I didn't run off. Marvin hurt me and they helped get me away from him.”

“What did he do?” he asks. I look at Casey. She nods, giving me permission.

“He had us sign divorce papers and took money from some guy for me to go live with him. I ran to the bathroom, and he came in there and started strangling me,” I say. “I already had bruises from him strangling me with a rope. I got scared and let Quinn and Jace help me.”

“Are you sleeping with them?” he asks. Casey immediately starts shaking her head, telling me to say no.

“No, Dad. They’re my friends,” I say.

“Good girl,” he praises. “You know how I feel about sharing my girl.”

I close my eyes and try to calm myself. I am bouncing my leg, trying to not cry. Quinn and Jace lightly squeeze my thighs and a tear slides down my cheek. “I know, Daddy,” I say softly.

“When do I get to spend some alone time with you?” he asks. “You know Daddy has needs, Rhea.”

“I don’t know,” I say. “I’m a little busy today, but I still want to get coffee together.”

“We can do that. What time?” he asks.

“Is three okay? I should have some time then,” I suggest.

“That works perfectly. Text me where you want to meet,” he says. “I love you, Rhea.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” I say, trying to keep my tears silent. When the call ends, I can’t hold it back anymore. Jace pulls me to his chest and cradles me as I start crying.

“Good girl, Rhea,” he murmurs. “I’m so proud of you, honey.”

“I hate it,” I sob. “I hate it so much.”

Jace cups my face and make me look up at him. “You’re so close, baby. Just a little more, and you are free.” He gently kisses me before letting me curl up in his lap.

“Make it the coffee shop on Fifth and Johnson,” Casey says. “I’ll have an eye on the cameras and the car. Absolutely no one else needs to be close by. I don’t want to chance him getting mad.”

“Okay,” Quinn says. “Can we take her back to bed? I think she’s had enough for now.”

“Yeah,” Casey says. “I’ll get with you all after.”

Quinn stands and scoops me up before he and Jace take me downstairs without another word. A few minutes later, Theo, Rowan, and Max come down. I am curled up on the bed practically sobbing. Memories of a lifetime of abuse is flooding my brain and it is unbearable. None of them say anything as they move me to lie on my belly with my head resting on my arms. They start massaging my back, neck, shoulders, thighs, and legs. It’s not about sex or desire. All they are focused on is comforting me through the storm of emotions I’m experiencing.

Eventually, I have cried myself dry and I’m numb. They continue their comfort until I relax, and I fall asleep with their hands all over my body.