“We got to her in time. That’s what you need to focus on,” Graham said to him. Their friends were all there. All in shock, all pissed off and still fired up with what they came upon. Multiple women being auctioned off like fucking cattle. All those men were going to jail. Except for the ones they shot and killed who tried to stand in the way of them getting to their woman.
“Be strong for her, Mercury. She’s going to need all of you to be here for her and to help her get through this and to heal. You love her and she loves you, remember that,” Graham said to him. He nodded his head and watched his brothers staying close and watching over her. He would never fail her again. She was probably going to get mad, but he was going to be even more protective now and he didn’t care what she said about that.
Epilogue
“You need to do this. You’re more than ready for it. It’s been six months,” Slade said to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. She stared at him in the reflection of the mirror. He looked so handsome and sexy. He got dressed up in his tuxedo and she was in a gorgeous green gown that her men chose for her to wear to the gallery event. She was nervous. Didn’t like crowds or even being around other people except her friends and her men. Even her birthday had been a small celebration with friends and her men but she hadn’t been emotionally stable yet and it nearly turned into a disaster.
She took a deep breath and gripped his hand. “You’ll all stay close, right?” she asked.
“Of course we will. You won’t be out of our sight or out of our reach,” he added. She gave him a smile and then turned around and kissed his cheek. She took his hand and he led her out of the back room of the gallery. When she saw the others they each came to her quickly, kissing her cheek and telling her how beautiful she looked. Her friends were all there and Mulgoff too, who greeted her with kisses and a hug. If it weren’t for him, her men would have never found her in time.
As she walked through the gallery people greeted her and praised her work, and she found out almost all the paintings were sold and for exorbitant amounts of money. She was thrilled and felt like she was finally a successful painter, but surprised that it hadn’t felt as special or as wonderful as falling in love with her six wealthy, sexy men. She reached for Mercury’s hand and pulled him closer. She grabbed his arm and helped him to wrap it around her waist and she kissed his neck. “I love you so much. None of this means more than having you and your brothers in my life.”
“Is that so?” he asked her.
“Well, it’s either your love, or you’ve been slipping some love potion into my drinks all this time,” she teased.
“Maybe it’s the lovemaking that puts you under our spell?”
“Hmmm, I think further research is necessary to come to a concrete conclusion. If you’re up for it tonight?” she teased and then felt his hand tap her ass.
“Be careful, little painter, or they’ll be some punishments coming your way and you may not be ready to handle them.”
“Bring them on, Merk,” she said and he widened his eyes at her use of the nickname only his brothers and close friends called him.
He chuckled and she was shocked.
“I love you so much, woman, and tonight my brothers and I are going to show you just how much.”
He kissed her tenderly and then the others gathered around her, walking her through the gallery, remaining by her side, protecting her like she knew they would always do. It would take time to not be afraid and to get over the fear of being a victim, but she also had the knowledge that she fought when she needed to. That her men were right and that their training, teaching her to shoot, had saved her life and bought them the time they needed to rescue her from harm.
As they walked around the corner a special setup was on display of Rose’s work, including the painting of her first picture and a few others she did. It was the one on the right that grabbed her attention immediately. She hurried toward it and smiled wide. “Oh my God, how did this get here?” she asked, knowing that it was the painting from months ago that sold in a silent auction at the museum and art school.