“Wow.” I tip sideways on the couch and curl into a squealing ball. “I’m really glad we’re not arguing anymore.”
The water stops in the bathroom and Zeke’s mouth finds my ear a few seconds later. “You have no idea.”
“Be good and stay inside.” Nick’s hands settle on my knees, sliding up the insides of my thighs, a single knuckle brushing my juncture, up and down the seam of my shorts. “One of us will be home to drive you to school in the morning. And when we’re all together tomorrow night, we’ll take turns eating this sexy pussy.”
“Okay,” I manage, flustered. “Sounds ideal.”
Zeke laughs. “Your bath is ready, baby.”
I make no move to stand. I’ll get there eventually. “Thank you.”
My face really wants to pout when both men head for the door with clear reluctance, but I do my best to smile. Until Nick is walking out into the hallway and I shoot back into a sitting position. “I meant what I said,” I call out, my voice softening when they turn. “I love you. Both of you.”
Some people go their whole life time without having another human being look at them the way Nick and Zeke look at me right now. As if they can’t stand to be existing in a world where they’re not touching me.
“We love you, too.”
They say it at the same time, truth in every syllable. Their love hangs in the air and when the door closes behind them. I hug myself and slump back down, already counting the minutes until I see them again. A short while later, I’m just about to drag myself into the bath Zeke thoughtfully drew for me when there’s a knock at the door. Excitement tripping along my nerve endings, I jog for the door, twist the locks and throw it open.
“Did you change your minds—”
Horror clouds my throat and cuts me off mid-sentence. Because it’s not Nick and Zeke on the other side of the door. It’s the face that has slowly been revealing itself during my nightmares of the fire. A shiny bald head and the flat, emotionless mouth. It all comes back to me—his smiling face looking back at me through the smoke, a cigarette dangling from his lips. And the laughter. It’s coming from him and my memories at the same time. There isn’t a doubt in my mind.
This is the man who killed my father.
I must say it out loud, because he pulls a weapon from his coat and backs me into the apartment, saying, “Smart girl.” His eyes are a little wild, the humorous tilt to his head making my sick. “I’m the man who’s going to kill you, too.”
“H-how did you find me?”
“Followed you from school. Your father was always going on about his intelligent college girl and her designs,” he responds, casually surveying the apartment, the red container sloshing where it dangles in his right hand. “Had to wait, though. Your guards never leave you alone.” He looks back at me with a wink. “But they can’t help you now.”
CHAPTER NINE
Nick
M y arms burn from holding the hose, but I only hoist it higher, aiming it toward the burn. We’ve almost got it under control, keeping the fire isolated to a single building. Across the street, I see Zeke lowering the ladder from a different truck while shouting at civilians to stay back. He catches my eye and we trade a nod.
We didn’t speak on the way back to the fire, but there was relative peace between us. Not to mention, I think we were both still reeling from Penny asking to be taken to her aunt’s house. It’s only our second night having her all to ourselves and we risked the newfound happiness only she can give us. Fair to say it scared us pretty damn good. What I said to Penny was true—there will be times the possessiveness rears its head and gives an animal roar—but there’s no question that the possibility of living a life without her will always roar louder.
God, I just want to get home to her. It’ll be dawn by the time we walk through the door and she’ll probably be sleeping, but maybe there’ll be enough time to at least make out with her. Yeah, I said make out. I’m a forty-year-old man and I want to dry hump Daddy’s little girl on the couch. I want to watch her eyes widen in disbelief when I make her cream in her panties. And afterward…yeah. Afterward, I want to watch a movie with her on my lap, feeding her popcorn. Comforting her during the scary parts.
Zeke will be there, too, won’t he? She’ll want to watch the second half of the movie from his lap. But I’ll rub her feet. Or hold her hand. That image of us three—instead of two—doesn’t bother me as much as before. No, it’s dangerously close to satisfying. Because I can see Penny’s relaxed smile and I’m growing more and more confident in the fact that she needs me and Zeke equally.