He holds it in front of my face, not letting go until it’s unlocked. Again, feeling numb I don’t question his behavior, even when he goes to an app and starts scrolling, typing things in, and then repeating the process. By the doors to the deck, Brecken’s phone starts dinging in the pocket of his ski pants.
“I’ve forwarded the emails to you,” Luca says, looking down at his hands and my cell between them. He doesn’t make a move to give it back. Instead, he seems to toggle between apps, and when I hear the sound of Hal’s rasping voice, I know he’s rewatching the video.
“Don’t,” I warn.
“Are there any other videos?”
“No.”
“Do you miss threesomes?” The video stops, and I feel like I can finally breathe. Concentrate.
“Luca,” I plead, wishing he’d drop questioning me now that he’s stopped watching me lose my dignity. “Not with them.”
“Were they strangers, brothers, friends…”
“Friends,” I confirm.
Finally, Luca lifts his eyes to mine.
“It wasn’t really a full threesome," I point out. “There was no DP. Just some kissing and oral while the other, you know…”
Oh god. Floor, swallow me now.
“That’s still two naked guys in a room with you,” Reuben points out. “Fucking you.”
“Yeah, okay,” I concede. I was trying to point out that no one was crossing swords so to speak, but a threesome is a threesome.
My hands tremble as I run them through my hair. The atmosphere feels strained and it’s all my fault. “Where does this leave us?” I venture, terrified of the answer.
“It means you’re fully lawyered up now,” Brecken confirms, looking lethally calm as he moves deeper into the room. “These guys will be crushed, and your video will never see the light of day again.”
“What? How?”
“I’m a corporate lawyer,” he explains, coming to sit beside me. He’s been standing sentry, looking on at the scene as if a bystander for the past couple of minutes. When I dare to look at Luca, his attention feels so hot, so intense, it’s like I’m orbiting the sun. And Reuben looks like some kid swiped his favorite toy.
“Really? So, you’ll help me?”
Brecken scrolls through his phone, and I’m able to see the forwarded emails sitting in his inbox. Luca did that, I remind myself. He made sure Brecken had all my unanswered emails so that he could take action. “I’ll fucking ruin this firm. There are tough laws about this in the U.K, and there’ll be damages for sure. Plus, we can sue your ex if you want to take this further. Which you should,” he stresses, darkness lacing his voice.
“Oh god, please. I want him dead.” I pause. “I mean, metaphorically speaking. I want him to pay for my humiliation. For what this has taken from me.”
Softly, those smoky-blue eyes settle on mine. “Consider it done.”
For the first time in a long time, hope unfurls in my chest. My pulse starts to slow, my breathing more even. Carrying around the fear of Stein management finding out about this as well as more people seeing my video, has been beyond stressful. When I was first aware of it, I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. I turned into a wraith, burning through sick leave.
“Thank you,” I tell Brecken, then look across at the others. “Thanks. I can’t tell you what this means to me.”
Leaning back into the couch, Reuben’s face transforms into one I’m more familiar with. “Is it too soon to ask if you’ll make a porno with me?”
“Roo.”Brecken scolds, just as Luca grits out, “For fuck’s sake, Reuben.”
Smirking, he boasts, “It’ll be way better than that one. I can get a bunch of cameras set up so we get all the best angles. It’ll be dirty, and a great keepsake,” he adds on the end, winking cheekily.
Shit, that shouldn’t sound so appealing, but it does. Getting dirty with Reuben has my blood pumping fast and my lady bits perking up. “Let’s put that on hold,” I tell him, open to the idea. “But it sounds fun.”
Reuben nods, looking deadly serious. “My lawyer boy here,” he hikes a thumb at Brecken, “will make sure I sign over ownership and all other kinds of legal shit.”
“Too right,” Brecken replies. “If you want to do it, I’ve got you covered. But there’s one thing I can categorically confirm: never doubt these guys’ integrity. Their word is their bond.”