Smiling, I nodded. “If Jude wants to, I support his decision. We’ll take the car after. We don’t need to be here for anything else.”
Feeling appeased, Atticus stepped back but stopped his sister. “It’s not something you should see, Immy.”
She gritted her teeth, holding her head high. “I want to support my boyfriend.” I noticed Jude’s cheeks tinting red at the mention of the word, and I had to give it to Immy for standing up to her brother in solidarity for Jude. He looked over at me again, and I shrugged my shoulder. They were both almost eighteen and more mature than most adults; they could decide this for themselves even if it was different from what I wanted.
Atticus sighed when I didn’t deny Immy, stepping back to allow us to pass finally. Gritting my teeth, I pushed my shoulders back, preparing to see a dead body. Maybe I should’ve been more worried for myself?
Topher bent down as we approached, lifting a jacket he’d placed over him, making me like Topher even more for that small act of kindness. He’d tried to give Cameron some decency in his last moments.
Jude sucked in a breath, turning his head into me, and I nodded to Topher that he could put it back. Directing the kids over to the waiting car, Monroe opened the door for us as we neared. Quickly the four of us slid in, and the vehicle took off. Jude and Immy were quiet on the drive, off in their own worlds thinking. It was a lot to take in, and the idea to start a group for the teens at the youth center became even more necessary. They needed this. They’d all been through so much, and sadly, they weren’t the only kids who had.
Settling back into Monroe’s arms, I let him comfort me as we rode, but at least this time, I didn’t feel so consumed by my own grief. I’d need to deal with it, but channeling it into something good felt like an excellent place to start.
* * *
The next fewdays passed in a blur as we dealt with the authorities, and we all went back to being closely monitored. Between the wrecked car and now a dead body, we couldn’t discount Dayton’s attempts. Especially with the youth center opening today, causing a battle to ensue over breakfast.
“No,” Atticus said, not even looking up from his coffee. “You’re not going.”
“That’s not fair! We’ve put in more work than anyone. We deserve to be there, to celebrate the opening,” Imogen argued.
“I think it would be nice to get out of the house, too,” Jude offered. He’d been so withdrawn, I’d started to worry about him falling into his grief and not returning to us. The fact he wanted to do this spoke volumes to me.
“Attie,” I started, and his umber eyes swung up to me, fire in them. That might’ve deterred me in the past, but now it just made me want to strip him down on his desk again and have my way with him. “You have extra security in place, and we’ll all be there. It’s probably the safest place. Besides, who’s to say it wouldn’t be worse for them to be here alone? Maybe that’s the plan to lure us away thinking the threat is elsewhere?”
His jaw clenched as he stared at me, and I wondered if the fork he was strangling would ever go back to the right shape. His eyes never left mine, and I stared back, not backing down.
“You know I’m right,” I whispered. I didn’t want to fight him for dominance over scrambled eggs and toast, but this was important, and he needed to let go of control at times.
I watched as he took a deep breath, his eyes closing as his chest raised up and down with the action. After a few of them, he opened his eyes and nodded. The kids exhaled in relief and began to squirm in their chairs.
He turned back to them, stopping their celebration. “You will be accompanied by multiple guards and will not leave the public area. If anyone needs something, send someone else. No going off to places where you can be taken. If you can’t agree to that, you’re not going.”
“Fine!” Immy huffed as Jude said, “We agree.”
They jumped up from the table, heading up the stairs to finish getting ready for the day. Atticus looked over at me, a growl on his lips. “You going to deliver on that promise in your eyes, Bellezza?”
Looking around, I realized that we were alone for the first time in days. Quietly, I slipped out of my chair and slid to my knees in front of Atticus. Unzipping his pants, I surprised him when I pulled out his cock and began to lick it up and down. It was hard as a rock, and I’d have to remember he liked it when I didn’t back down.
“Fuck, I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” he wheezed, his breathing becoming more rapid. Knowing I probably wouldn’t have much time, I deepened my hold on him, sucking him further into my throat. Taking his balls, I rolled them between my fingers as I pumped his length with my other hand. My own arousal began to increase, and I rubbed my legs together to gather some friction.
Twirling my tongue around his dick, my lips wrapped around him as I took him further into my mouth, trying not to gag as I swallowed to open my throat more. With a curse, Atticus began to twitch, spilling his cum down my throat. Licking my lips, I pulled back, a smile on my face at a job well done.
Before I could sit in my satisfaction too long, I was hauled up into his arms, and as he carried me over to the island and laid me back on it. He didn’t waste time, pulling up my nightgown and sealing his lips over my core. I was so wet and turned on by our morning escapades that the moment his finger entered my pussy, I was detonating around them.
“Ah, fuck,” Wells hissed, walking into the kitchen just as I came. I looked at him upside down, a coy smile on my face as my body trembled. Atticus stood, fixing my clothes and pulling me off the counter. He glanced at Wells, who now stood frozen in the doorway, a tent in his pants. Atticus pulled me over to the table and sat back down like we hadn’t just defiled one another.
“Maybe next time you’ll be on time for breakfast,” he said, picking up his coffee to take a sip.
Sputtering, Wells broke his stance and managed to join us at the table. Laughing, I grabbed my mug of coffee, taking a sip, a massive smile on my face. Who needed creamer when you had that to wake up to?