Ashes Chapter 11

I tried to concentrate on what Dragon was telling her, but my mind kept dwelling on why she was in a hotel. What happened? When Vicious called to see if she had time to talk to us, we'd all been surprised to find out she was here. The ride here made the need to find out worse for me. I assumed it was the same for them. Her insistence we go first made me think it was something terrible.

Her expression became partial dread when he told her we needed to know how she felt about us and whether she preferred one over the other two or if she needed more time to decide. Shit, did her dread mean one or more of us were about to be given the heave-ho? She glanced from one to the next, then down at her hands. She had them clasped in her lap. We exchanged apprehensive looks with each other.

Her head came up. "I wish I could tell you guys that I've discovered I had more feelings, attraction, or whatever, for one of you as opposed to the other two, but I can't. I don't mean to lead anyone on. I'm usually a very decisive person, but not this time. I truly can't pick one of you over the others. I'm sorry, but I understand if you guys have changed your minds about me or if this is too much to deal with."

"Whoa, wait a minute. That's not what we came here for at all!" I told her quickly.

"No, it's not," Dragon added.

"That's the last thing I want," Vicious said.

Her body sagged. "Okay, then what? I assume this means we'll go on more dates, yes?"

"It depends on your answer to what we want to ask you next," Vicious told her. She waited, but at least now she was meeting our gazes.

"Do you remember our conversation with Alex, Missy, and Ray after our date?" Dragon asked her softly. We'd agreed at home to have him start with that.

Her cheeks pinkened. "Yes. You told them about that?" She gestured toward us. So damn cute.

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did," he stated.

"Yeah, it is because when we all spoke, we discovered almost the same conversation happened between Bullet, Phalanx, and Vicious. What are the odds of that? The two of them said they saw our interest in you and decided to mention it to him. One thing led to another, and they asked if he'd consider having a relationship like theirs. It got him thinking, so when Dragon told me about that triad group you met, we spoke to Vicious about it. That's when V told us about talking to those other two, and we agreed we had to talk to you about it. We decided to wait until after your date last night with Vicious to talk to him, though," I added.

"And what do you all think of it? I admit I was startled to meet others in the same kind of relationship as Phalanx, Raine, and Bullet. I guess I thought it was rare," she shared sorta hesitantly. She was careful not to give anything away to us. I figured it was so she wouldn't be embarrassed if we told her we hated the idea.

"I was opposed to it when they told me," Vicious blurted out. Her face drooped, but he kept going. "I've never considered it something I'd want or even be willing to do. When they presented it, I told them it wasn't a decision I could give them an answer about right then and there. I had to think, which I did most of last night. We got together earlier today to talk about my answer. That's why we're here. We wanted to present the idea to you and see how you feel about it. We need to know everyone's opinion so future steps can be made."

She squirmed a tiny bit before answering. "Fine, since it seems you want to make me go first, I've thought a lot about it since Dragon and I had our date. Honestly, I never pictured myself with more than one man. In my world, it's one man and one woman or two women or two men who're together. Even though I hadn't considered it, I'm not blind. I've seen since being here how happy Raine and her guys are, and the guys seem to get along great. There's no fighting or jealousy, or at least not that I can see. It gave me hope that with the right people, it works. The one thing I wouldn't ever be able to stand is making someone feel less loved or appreciated or causing jealousy. However, if my feelings were equal for more than one person, and they were agreeable, and they wouldn't feel diminished by sharing me, then I think I'd be open to seeing if a triad worked."

It was our turn to sag in relief. Grins spread across our faces. It was Dragon who spoke first. "I feel the same way, Sunshine."

"Me too, babe," I rushed to assure her.

Vicious was quiet. She was now watching him anxiously. I didn't believe he was hesitating to cause her anxiety. It was his way. "Angel, I thought long and hard about this. I've never had anyone who was all mine. You know, from what I told you last night, love wasn't something I had growing up. There's more I haven't told you, but my point is I truly doubted I'd ever be someone who another would want forever. With this said, if you want me, I'll do it. The only caveat is that these two guys here are the only ones in the world I would be able to try it with, and that's because they're my best friends, and I know how they think and what kind of men they are. Anyone else is a hard no."

A huge smile spread across her exquisite face. The next thing we knew, she had launched herself off the bed and then was hugging and kissing Vicious. He was the closest to her. After she broke their kiss, she moved over to do the same to Dragon, saving me for last. I savored that goddamn kiss when she got to me. I would've been happy if it never ended, but we had more to discuss. Saying yes was only the beginning. She retook her place when she was done.

"Well, those kisses make it appear we're all on the same page." All of us chuckled before Vicious continued. "Now, we go forward with the understanding that it is…What did you call it, Dragon?" he asked.

"A reverse harem."

"Yeah, one of those. I want it clear and for us all to agree that if, after more time, any of us determine we no longer feel the same, then we promise to tell the others right away. This means if we no longer want a relationship at all, or we can't be part of a harem," he added.

Her smile dimmed. "Before we get carried away, I need to tell you something important. It might change your minds after you hear it."

"Baby, it's not gonna happen," Dragon told her. V and I were shaking our heads in agreement. I couldn't imagine she'd say anything to change mine.

"It might. Daredevil isn't gonna go for it at all. I don't want to come between you and any of your club brothers."

The three of us had already talked about the pushback he'd give us. We knew he wouldn't be automatically for it. Hell, he might not even be for it if only one of us wanted his sister. We were prepared to do whatever it took to change his mind.

"Tell us why you're here," I insisted. My gut was telling me that answer was essential to know first.

She concisely gave us a rundown of her meeting with her brother and what he said. She did it in spurts because she'd get choked up and have to pause. Tears were in her eyes, even though she kept them from falling. When she was done, suffice it to say, we were all beyond upset. Fury was rising inside of me. How dare he insinuate she was anything like the old bunnies or the hang arounds? She was so far from one of them that it was stupid to think about it, let alone say it. I wanted to go find him and beat his ass. From the looks on my best friends' faces, they did too. What the hell was he thinking to lash out at her and say those horrible things to her? I was doing everything in my power not to jump up and storm out the door to go find him and let my fists talk for me.

Dragon swore under his breath and was scowling hard. Vicious was shaking as he came to his feet. His hands were clenched into tight fists. His knuckles were white. Dragon rose up and went to stand by the door. I knew it was to keep Vicious from bolting.

"I don't care if he is your brother. Nothing gives him the goddamn right to speak to you the way he did! What the fuck is wrong with him? Who the hell is he to question your personal life? It's not as if he's an angel. He's fucked more than one woman at the same time and shared a few, too," Vicious snarled.

It probably wasn't something he should be sharing about a club brother, especially to the guy's actual sister, but V had a point. Daredevil had done some things most people might not see as normal.

She grimaced and held up her hand. He stopped. "I really don't want to know what my brother gets up to in the sex department, but I can't say I'm surprised he's been part of a ménage situation with more than one woman or another guy. Just please, if you were one of the guys he shared a woman with, don't tell me. I'm not na?ve enough to think any of my brothers or you guys are innocent or not sexually adventurous. And I get it was hard for him to hear I'm interested in the three of you. He has a right to be concerned about how others will react, but for him to say those things like he was an outsider judging me hurts more than you know. After he said it, I couldn't stay in that house with him. And it wouldn't be fair to stay on the compound. It's his home, not mine, so I came here to determine my next step."

The way she said the last part concerned me. "Micaela, what do you mean about the next step?" I asked.

She curled her lips inward and then relaxed them. "I wasn't sure if I should stay here and continue to see all of you if you still wanted to see me. Or if I should get on a plane tomorrow, go back to Florida, and give up on trying to find a way to move here. If he hates the idea so much and we continue this, it'll end up wrecking your friendship and brotherhood, and I don't want to do that to any of you."

Instantly, I stood with the other two, and we all voiced our heated objections. It was loud, and none of us could clearly understand everything the others were saying. It took a couple of minutes to wind down.

"There's no way we can let you leave. Not unless you want nothing to do with any of us, which you already admitted isn't the case. As for Daredevil, the compound isn't just his home. It's ours. I know being near him when he's acting this way is awkward, to say the least, but I gotta tell you, I don't like the idea of you staying in town and in a hotel to boot," Dragon informed her.

"Neither do I," I added. Vicious was shaking his head but not saying a word. His red face told me he was staying mute to keep from exploding and saying something he shouldn't about Daredevil.

"Staying in Tenillo, even if it's in a hotel, isn't any different from me moving here and living in an apartment in town," she objected.

"You're not staying in an apartment in town when you move here," Vicious said gruffly.

"What?"

"You heard me. It doesn't matter if you end up with one or all of us. There's no damn way we want you living miles away from us," he stated. I agreed, but he should've phrased it differently.

"And you think Sin will let me live in one of the trailers when my brother objects to this? No, I won't ask that of him."

"He'll let you stay wherever you want on the compound because you would be ours. Babe, I know we're still working this whole relationship out, but I gotta tell you. I see it as a foregone conclusion. You will be ours, and as such, your place is with us. I'd prefer you to live in the same home as us, but if you want your own space at first, then it's gotta be within the compound. You'll be kept just as safe as the other old ladies and kids," I explained.

Her look of astonishment made me want to sigh. What didn't she get? This wasn't dating. It was a claim, and even if it was early, that was the way it would remain. Before coming here, my talk with Vicious and Dragon left no doubt in our minds about what we wanted and what the outcome would be as long as she felt the same about us. Micaela would be the old lady to three of us rather than one or two. Gesturing to my brothers to follow, I went to the bed. We crowded onto the mattress to face her.

I rubbed her lower leg while they each grasped one of her hands. She was giving us questioning looks. "This is so fast. What if we're wrong? Or the club won't allow me to be with you? I know they vote on stuff like this," she told us.

"There's no damn reason for them to say no. Daredevil isn't enough on his own to make it happen. As for the fast part, not one of our club brothers has done it any slower. We're not wrong. I'm gonna ask you something, and you don't need to answer if you don't want to," Dragon uttered.

"Okay."

"Have you ever had sex with more than one man at the same time? Let me say I'm not asking for idle curiosity reasons. If I have my way, I want to know nothing about any man you've been with, but this is crucial as we go forward. The only other time I want to know if it's something you've done is if it's a hard no or you have been hurt in some way," he informed her.

My gut churned. Like him and I had no doubt V, too, I wanted to know nothing about anyone she'd been with before either. Still, these were legitimate instances, and it was vital. I never wished to push her or cause her harm.

Her cheeks flushed before she answered. "I have never been with more than one guy at a time. In fact, I've never dated more than one simultaneously, either. Dating has never been easy. First, my brothers have chased off guys since I was a teenager. Most were too scared of them to try or try very hard. Second, it takes a lot for me to be comfortable with a guy to sleep with him. The fact I'm so insanely attracted to you guys this fast is mind-boggling to me, and it's scary. What about you guys? Have you been with more than one woman at a time or shared one?"

I didn't want to answer that, but I knew we had to do the same if we expected her to be honest. This would never work if we lied or kept things from each other. I answered her first.

"I've never actually dated since high school. Then, I was a stupid kid who was all about sex. I slept with more than one girl, but not together. As an adult, I have done both, though not often. The ones I've shared with someone have always been nothing but hookups for the night, and they didn't mean anything to me. That's not the case with you."

"I dated in my early twenties, and while I was exclusive if the woman and I were dating, I've had sex with different women while being with others, as well as shared a few times during a hookup," Dragon confessed next. She wasn't saying anything, giving us time to answer. She was staring at Vicious, waiting for his answer.

"I've never dated. Yes, I've slept around and not been faithful because that wasn't what the woman and I were about. It was just sex. As for sharing with another guy, no, I have not," he told her.

"If you haven't shared, and I know you had to think about it overnight, how do you know you can do it with me? And what if I can't satisfy all of you at once? Or if I'm not into what you want? What if I want something you don't?" Panic was growing in her tone as she asked each successive question.

"Angel lips, stop. You're freaking yourself out for no reason. I might not have shared, but I thought about this. If it means I can have you, and it's these two, then I can. I'll make it work. We'll talk, compromise, whatever it takes. The one thing I can't do is let my one chance at true happiness and a family slip through my fingers due to fear or bullheadedness. As for you satisfying me and us, merely having you is enough. Giving us you and your body and everything that goes along with it is more than satisfactory. It's wonderful. If you don't want to do something and we do, just say so. And if you want something, tell us. I highly doubt there's much of anything you can ask for that we haven't done or will do again. The only hard no I have is I won't screw another man."

"Fuck no, me either," I said.

"Nope. I don't swing that way. There's nothing wrong with those who do. It's just not me," Dragon added.

She giggled. "Damn, there goes my secret fantasy."

"Woman, bite your tongue and never think that shit again," I warned her.

She fell against the headboard laughing. Wanting to get her back for suggesting it, I leaned down and nipped her thigh with my teeth. She yelped. They must've thought it was a good idea because V and Dragon did the same to her arms. She squealed and tried to wiggle away. What started as fun turned into temptation in seconds. Her wiggling body made her breasts bounce. My desire for her flared.

Lowering my head again, I nibbled on her leg, then placed kisses and licks on her satiny skin. My brothers bowed their heads to her shoulders, although I couldn't tell what they were doing. Her laughter changed to a moan. It made my burgeoning cock harden faster. Christ, we were supposed to be having a serious discussion, not trying to get her naked. It was too soon for that, in her case. I knew the three of us wouldn't mind but rushing her was out of the question.

With the greatest reluctance, I moved away. I cleared my throat so the others would do the same. I saw their unwillingness to do it in how they inched back from her. Not that I was checking for it, but I noticed they were hard like me. Her eyes slowly opened, and she peeked through her lashes at us. Her face was rosy, and she was breathing slightly harder.

She blew out her breath. "Whew, you guys are hell on a woman's self-control. I think you need to move away. If you don't, I might attack you."

"Sunshine, that's not the way to get us to do it," Dragon advised her as he scooted further away. V snaked back, too. When they did, I had no choice but to move closer to the foot of the bed. She sat up.

"We have to behave. Back to our most pressing topic. What're we going to do about my brother?"

"You're staying here, and we're going to go talk to him. We'll come get you and return to the compound when we finish. You don't have to stay with him, but before you argue, either you come back there, or we stay here with you," I informed her.

"No, I don't want you to fight with him. Stay here."

"We're talking to him. There won't be a fight unless he starts one. No matter how much we want to hit him, we promise we won't, except if he throws the first punch. If he does that, we won't gang up on him but will defend ourselves. You can't ask us not to," Dragon stated firmly.

She glanced between us and then sagged. "I see you'll do it even if I say no. Vicious, Ashes, do you swear not to hit him first, even if he might deserve it?"

"I promise," I said.

"It'll be hard, but I won't, I swear," V replied.

"Well then, I guess you can go. We can talk more after you get back."

I didn't want to leave her alone, but I had to be there for this. We all needed to make Daredevil see he was only hurting her and himself if he was obstinate about us being together. We knew we'd have to prove ourselves to him, but he had to let us. If he closed his mind to it, then his relationship with her and us was doomed.

We forced ourselves to get up and make our way to the door. She followed us. It was impossible to leave without giving her another kiss. The others did the same. I waited to see if I got jealous of them. Nothing. It felt right. As she closed the door, I shoved my tender emotions away to get into the right frame of mind to meet with Daredevil. The ride back to the compound was tension forming for me.

Coming through the gates, we passed the clubhouse and went straight to Daredevil and Shain's house. If he weren't there, we'd see if Shain was and would tell us where he was. Parking in the driveway, we shut off our bikes and headed for the front door. Before we made it there, it opened, and Shain came outside. She had appeared apprehensive. She walked down the short sidewalk to meet us.

"I know why you're here. Micaela told you what happened, didn't she? I'm surprised she didn't do it sooner."

"She did. We need to talk to Daredevil," Vicious stated.

"Listen, I disagree with what he said or how he said it, but he's reeling right now. Can't this wait until he wraps his head around it and gets a chance to talk to her again? They're both upset. Besides, he's not here at the moment. He went for a ride, and she's upstairs in her room."

"No, it can't wait. Waiting will change nothing. When will he be back? And by the way, she's not in her room. She left. You guys didn't even know she's no longer in the house?" Dragon snapped.

Shock morphed across her face. "She left? Oh my God, no, we didn't. I asked her to stay or tell me before she did something like that. I heard them yelling, so I went to see what was wrong and overheard some of it. I tried to talk to her afterward, but she was too upset. He and I were kinda arguing after I spoke to her and made him tell me everything he said. He stayed locked in the office for a long time, but when she refused to open the door or talk to either of us when he tried, he left. Is she at the clubhouse or one of your trailers?"

"Neither. She had Colton take her to town and get a hotel room. We called to see if she had time to talk to us and found out she was there. She was contemplating a flight back to Florida before we showed up and talked her out of it," I added.

"Christ, this is a mess. I get it. You guys want to talk to Daredevil about the situation. All I ask is you do it calmly, and if any of you aren't fully certain you're serious about finding someone permanent, then stay away from her. It's enough of a disaster with one of his club brothers liking her, let alone more than one. In the end, not everyone will end up happy. Have you thought about what it'll do to your relationships with each other if one of you ends up with her?"

"Shain, don't take this wrong, but we're not having this discussion with you. We'll explain it to Daredevil, and he can tell you. All you need to know is that we're more than aware of potential pitfalls. And him calling her a whore won't happen again. If he wants to argue, then he can do it with us. Not attack his little sister. He's lucky she only slapped him. Tell him to call us when he gets home. We're talking today. Until then, we're headed back to town to be with her," Vicious snarled before turning on his heel and stomping to the bikes.

I gave her a chin lift, and Dragon nodded to her before we followed him. None of us were in the mood to hear her defend Daredevil more. I understood she had to since he was her man, but he was a fucking adult. He could speak for himself when he got his ass back here.

The entire ride back to town, I thought about the fact they had no clue she'd left the house. They must've been loudly arguing for her to sneak out. Why hadn't Colton texted to alert him to what she asked him to do? It was all a mess and a half. One I knew wouldn't be solved today, but with any luck, maybe it would be started on the right path. Pulling into the parking lot back at the hotel, we found spots together. Hopefully, Daredevil wouldn't make us wait all day.