CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHRISTIAN

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I wake to absolute confinement and intrusive sunlight crashing through unclosed blinds. Satin limbs are hooked over my hip and draped possessively across my chest. The owner is wedged against my back, tits soft, face breathing gently into the place between my shoulder blades.

Mira.

My body instinctively turns to gather her up, pull her closer. I smooth back tangled strands of caramel off her slumbering face and brush a kiss to her temple.

Daniel’s arm is anchored across her middle, hands splayed under the downy curve of her breast. His face is buried into the back of her neck, but his eyes open when I face them and meet mine.

This is it, they say. We found her.

I don’t think we were ever actively looking for this. Having a woman together was a fun thing we occasionally did if it happened, but we never sought women out together. We never talked about finding one, only one, for both of us to keep forever.

A week ago, I would have had to really consider the idea, overthink the situation and immediately shut the idea down on the sole bases that there was no such woman. It wasn’t possible. Daniel and I are wildly different. How can we possibly pick one that would fit, never mind, want two men with our unique taste? The whole situation was complicated.

But Mira ... she has met every sharp, jagged part of us without batting an eye. She has accepted each of us exactly as we are and has managed to add her own level of strange to our bundle, making it all fit.

Making us fit.

With a content sigh, my little demon shifts. She wiggles out of my hold and turns to burrow into Daniel’s chest.

God, she’s perfect.

“Breakfast,” I mouth to my brother as he’s dragging the sheets around Mira.

He nods and I roll off the mattress.

Shower is at the top of the list. We washed Mira and we did a quick scrub of ourselves the night before, but I do a thorough cleaning, dress and hurry down to the kitchen.

I don’t cook often. In a month, my time at the apartment consists of a week, maybe two before I’m gone again. My food and hotel are paid for so I find something new to try wherever I am. But I know the basics and I know how to use a phone. It’s been enough to keep me going the last thirty years without starving.

But that’s going to have to change. Definitely a conversation that needs to be had once Mira wakes up and has had breakfast. There’s a lot we need to discuss and sort out.

Like where is she going to live? Do I get her every other weekend? I need a bigger apartment. My one-bedroom bachelor pad won’t be big enough, but she’ll be in my room so maybe I only need another dresser? Maybe I’m supposed to move closer. I have no ties to my neighborhood. I can take my job anywhere, but she might want to stay in her mom’s place. Should we all move? Find a place together?

What if she’s changed her mind?

My hand stills with the whisk still clutched between my fingers. Strings of scrambled egg drip into the ceramic bowl. I watch the froth bubble and pop with my head buzzing.

What if she wakes up and realizes she’s made a mistake? What if I went too far last night? Christ, what if we really hurt her and she decides she never wants to be with either of us again?

Fuck!

I should have started small. I should have eased her into literally half the shit I did to her.

“Goddamn it, Christian. You stupid fuck up. Always screwing shit up since the day you crawled out of your mother’s cunt.” My dad’s voice is a prominent engraving watched into my soul, the worn threads on a record player.

He wasn’t wrong.

I did fuck shit up. I fucked things up with Lucy. I fucked Daniel’s whole life. I most likely fucked things up with Mira. I probably fucked any chance Daniel had with her too, which he would hate me for. I probably scared the fuck out of her, crawling into her bed with a fucking knife ... what the fuck was I thinking? Oh my God, am I really that fucking stupid?

“Christian!”

Something blurs past me. I blink and am immediately assaulted by the sharp stink of burning meat and grease. A thick, black cloud billows from the pan containing the bacon now tiny pieces of shriveled coal at the burnt bottom.

Mira snatches the handle and rushes with the ruined strips out the back door.

The kitchen is thick with a dark, rancid fog that burns my eyes and scratches my throat.

My tiny brat bolts back into the room and snaps the element off before spinning to me with wide, concerned eyes.

“Are you okay?” She snatches the bowl and whisk from my numb fingers and sets them aside. Those same slim fingers reach for me. “Christian?”

My hands find their purpose first and close into her sides. I hoist her up onto the counter and fill her thighs with my hips.

My face drops into her chest, over the patter of her heart. I feel her stiffen, but where I brace myself to get shoved aside, her arms come around me.

I exhale for what feels like the first time in my life.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she whispers into the top of my head. “Not even once. That’s a lie,” she corrects and I lift my head. Her grin is adorable and mischievous. “There was a moment towards the end I definitely give zero stars, but the follow through was perfect.”

Despite the continued churning in my gut, I feel my lip twitch. “You’re okay though?”

“Why do I smell burning?” Daniel’s voice bellows from upstairs. “Chris? Mira?”

“We’re okay!” Mira shouts back, gleaming blue eyes never wavering off my face. “Christian murdered the bacon.” She grins when I mock scowl at her.

We hear Daniel huff, “Not the bacon,” before marching back up the stairs.

Her cool fingers graze my cheek, smooths into the hollow the way Mom used to. I don’t know if Daniel has told her about that or if we’ve done it to her so often she’s picking up on it, but I lean into the touch. “I’m okay. A little sore, but...” her face glows an endearing pink. “I really liked everything you did. A lot.”

My arm tightens around, and I pull her deeper against my chest.

“Swear.”

Her chuckle is sweet, but nothing to the gentle bump of her nose against mine. “I swear you and Daniel have ruined me for all other men.”

I growl deep in my throat. “Good!”

Not sure who kissed who first, but her lips are under mine, and I’ve never felt so much peace. Every fear in my head collapses to ash. Every doubt turns to smoke. Her arms hooked tight around my neck gives no room for my dad’s voice to slink in.

“Did you think I would be upset about getting fucked senseless?” she teases when I finally allow her mouth freedom.

“More worried I scared you, or hurt you,” I confess. “That I did too much.”

She blows out a breath. “Well, I mean, you did put on quite a show. I don’t know how you’re going to top that.”

I capture her bottom lip between my teeth and bite just hard enough to make her moan. “That was nothing, brat. You have no idea the things I have planned for you.”

Her secondary moan has nothing to do with my biting. “God, you need to stop. My body thinks it’s ready for round two but...” her fingers curl in my hair and she drags me closer, her eyes hot and dark fixed on my mouth. My cock is a brick in my pants, ready to do whatever she wants. “Maybe you can kiss—”

A bang makes us both jump.

“Daniel!” Mira gasps, already struggling to hop off the counter.

I grip her in place, ears straining. The sound had come from the front of the house, not upstairs.

“Don’t move,” I tell her.

I know she’s not going to listen, but I bolt to the backdoor and slam it shut. The new locks and chains Daniel installed yesterday are snapped into place before I stalk from the kitchen.

I double checked the front locks last night before following Daniel and Mira upstairs to bed. I’d made damn sure no one could get in, and they hadn’t. The barricade is still firmly in place, keeping the outside world out.

But that only means they have us caged.

They have us exactly where they want us.

It sounds paranoid and crazy, but Daniel and I lived through the barrage of rotting vegetables, raw eggs, pig’s blood hurled at the porch. The rocks that would shatter the windows all the way up on the second floor in the dead of night.

Bangs in this house means someone wants to hurt us.

Hurt Mira.

Over my dead body.

I shove back the lace curtains and peer out at the suffocating embrace of wilderness, the smear of endless green broken by a singular path of escape.

No sign of an attack. No sign of another person. I don’t trust opening the door.

The floorboard creaks behind me and I whirl. I’m not surprised by the tiny brat standing in the kitchen doorway with a knife fisted at her side.

“Woman, I told you to stay,” I bark.

Mira frowns. “Then what?”

I blow out a breath and shake my head.

Damn woman is going to be the death of my patience.

“Go get dressed. I’ll finish breakfast.”

Her eyes narrow, not falling for my nonchalance. “What’s out there?”

Nothing as far as I could see, but I don’t want her around when I go check. I don’t want her to see the extent of human malice. Not for her peace of mind but my little demon might start killing people and we’ll both end up in prison because I’m not letting anyone put cuffs on her ... except me.

So, for Daniel’s sanity, it’s best for all if she lets me do this alone.

“Bird flew into the house,” I lie.

A single eyebrow lifts. “Big bird.”

I shrug.

She moves towards me. It’s probably not supposed to be seductive, but her marked and naked body covered only by a solitary t-shirt and panties, wielding a knife and cool suspicion has me a little distracted when she backs me into the door and levels the blade at my face.

“Are you lying to me, MacAllister?”

Fuck, she makes me hard.

“Yes,” I tell her evenly.

The corner of her mouth curves in amusement she’s trying not to show. “What’s out there?”

“Dead bird,” I repeat, knowing she knows I’m lying but that’s the lie I’m sticking with.

She huffs and rolls her eyes. “You shouldn’t go out there alone. I don’t hear the water running anymore. Daniel will be down in a minute.”

“You’re right. Go get him.”

Mira scoffs. “Seriously? You think I’m that stupid?”

With a motion that startles her into dropping the knife with a noisy clatter, I capture her wrist and spin her to take my place against the door. I resist the urge to force my knee between those supple thighs.

This is not the time.

Doesn’t stop me from kissing her though.

“Not stupid,” I growl into her mouth. “Brave. Protective. Stubborn. Fucking hot headed. You’re dangerous.”

“Don’t pacify me,” she grumbles.

I shake my head. “Cross my heart. I can’t think clearly if I’m worried about you, brat. You need to stay when I tell you to stay.”

Her annoyance doesn’t recede. It only bubbles higher behind her eyes in a flare of anger.

“That’s ridiculous. I can’t hide knowing something could happen to you.”

I kiss her again. Softly. Sweetly. Tiny sips of her anger until she’s kissing me back.

“Daniel will protect me. I will protect Daniel. We both will protect you. That’s how this works. Now, stop arguing with me and get your pretty ass upstairs before I hook you up again.”

Her damp lips part in outrage.

“Now!” I bark.

She’s defiant. Ready to go toe to toe and, fuck, I love that about her, but I wasn’t kidding. I will hook her up on the bed like I had last night.

She’s only saved when Daniel’s heavy strides hit the stairs.

“What’s going on?” he asks, glancing from Mira to me and back.

“Mira was just about to get her ass tanned,” I say, never taking my eyes off my tiny brat.

“The hell she was. You try and I’ll burn your food for a week.”

I almost laugh at the threat. “That’s fine. I like it extra crispy.”

I can see the almost flare of amusement before she bites back. “I’ll spit in your food.”

My laugh surprises even me. “Oh, my sweet, perfect little brat, we’ve swapped my jizz. I’ve tasted your blood. I have licked your cunt from ass to clit. Save the food. You can spit straight into my mouth if that turns you on.”

Mira tries. She mashes her lips together and tries really hard, but I win in the end when she snorts a laugh.

“What is wrong with you?”

Grinning, I lean in and kiss between her brows. “You like it. Now, go.”

My little demon pokes me in the belly, still grinning. “I sure do.” She steps around me to where Daniel is watching the interaction with bafflement. “But I’m only going into the kitchen where all the sharp things are.”

“Take this with you.”

I scoop up the knife she dropped and press it into her palm to take back with her, just in case.

She accepts it and turns to Daniel. Going up on her toes, she kisses him once before stepping back to eye us both.

“You have five minutes. Then I’m coming to help.” She whirls the blade in indication.

With that, she strolls into the kitchen.

Daniel faces me. “What’s happening?”

All humor gone, I turn to my brother. “Someone was outside. I think,” I add quickly when his eyes harden and jump to the door over my shoulder. “Something hit the side.”

As expected, his head pivots to the kitchen, expression cold and set.

“Stay here,” he says at last. “Kill anyone who gets past me.”

Done, but I still follow him out onto the porch. Both our glances fall to the steps, expecting the neat row of dead animals like before.

No animals. The porch is clear.

Daniel descends the steps, starts around the side. His every motion still and silent, the way Dad taught us to hunt.

I study the tangle of trees concealing the motherfucker. Whoever they are, either they’re long gone or watching with eerie stillness from nearby.

It’s only not to startle Daniel that keeps me from yelling for the fucker to come out and face me like a man.

Never should have come back, I think bitterly. I knew for weeks after Daniel texted me to meet him here that it was a mistake, but a sick part of me was morbidly curious. It wondered if maybe I stupidly imagined the hell we lived in, if my adolescent brain conjured the worst of humanity.

Barely a single day here and I got my answer. I had not been wrong.

I sigh and shake my head, mind made up. Fuck this place. I’m not staying another night. I’m not letting Mira stay here another hour. As soon as Daniel comes back, I’m putting my foot down and getting us—

A scream tears through the house. A blood curdling shriek that raises every hair on my body and slams my heart into my ribcage.

“Mira.”

Abandoning my place guarding my brother, I tear back inside. I thunder across the living room and slam my whole weight into the kitchen door, snapping the hinges and sending the barrier into the wall behind it with a crash.

I come to a halt, fingers coiled in anticipation of breaking someone’s face open. But there’s no one there, except Mira who whips around with a fresh scream before she sees me.

She’s ashen and visibly trembling and my blood scorches in my veins.

“Someone was at the back door,” she pants.

I don’t ask who. I don’t give a fuck. I grab the knife she’s left on the table and undo the locks.

“Lock it!” I snap over my shoulder as I charge through the screen door.

I don’t move off the porch until I hear the crack and snap of the locks behind me.

No one will ever know how grateful I am she didn’t argue or worse — try to come with me. As crazy as I am about her and am fully prepared to kill the fucker who scared her, I would not have been gentle with her.

Something crunches under my boot heel. The gritty grind has me glancing down at the scattered ashes from the burnt bacon. The puddle of grease has stained the rotting wood that runs from the upturned pan a few feet away.

Mira wouldn’t have tossed it. I know judging by the ring of oil marring the railing right above the upturned pan that she’d left it there to air out. Whoever had been on the porch must have knocked it over, and someone had been there; there’s a set of boot prints sprinting down the steps smearing bacon grease and charred remains down towards the path leading into the forest.

“Chris!” Daniel rounds the side of the house, breathing hard. “Where’s Mira?”

It hits me like a truck. The realization that I’d been tricked. They lured us out. Lured me out the back, leaving the front open and unguarded with Mira alone inside.

One glance at Daniel and I know he realizes it, too.

We both scramble to the back door, both pressing against the glass, searching for Mira, but the kitchen is empty, and the door is locked.