Shawn shrugs and swallows, throat going tight. His jaw muscle clenches and he looks at me differently, as if I’m not who he thinks I am.
“It could be. It could be many different things. Why does Alexi think that you know something about it?” Shawn asks, voice colder than I’ve ever heard it before. It reminds me that although I don’t see the darkest sides of them, that they have killed and will kill again. I am also reminded that they head an entire corporation of conmen and at every given moment they are following criminals and deciding whether to lay waste to these people and their operations.
“At the airport…” I start to say, and Alexi sucks in a breath, hating every vile word that comes past my lips. “A man bumped into me. I didn’t really think much of it…I didn’t want to think anything of it. But I think Penny might have known him.”
Shawn’s soft brows lower, their perfectly shaped peaks dropping into soul-crushing condemnation.
“Why do you think that?” he asks.
Each of the men are nearly breathless, and the silence splits through my mind and nearly kills me.
“Fuck,” I say, heaving a shaky breath into my lungs. “I don’t know. I don’t—I just thought he looked familiar. I’m assuming Penny would be the one to know.”
“She can’t remember anything, can she?” Rhett speaks low, only for Shawn’s ears. He’s facing Shawn, his leanly muscled back toward me. A stray glance tells me that this is something they all have wondered. Perhaps it’s why Rhett questioned me at Big Sur, telling me about the girl who betrayed them. That girl being the old me, Penny.
“Have you had anything else come to you like this?” Shawn asks me, trying to contain his anger, his tone clipped.
“No,” I shake my head. “I tried to ignore it. That’s the last thing I want. I don’t want to remember anything from before.”
“Why not?” Rhett asks me, turning so that those calculating chestnut eyes can take in my reaction.
How can I explain it? The tearing, ruinous feelings I’ve entertained over this very thought?
“I just don’t want to. I’m afraid it’ll change things,” I explain. What I don’t explain is the nagging fear inside me that Penny’s memories could completely undo me, and I don’t want to lose myself to her.
Each of the men show their understanding but seem to shift awkwardly, as if something I’ve said has either disgusted or offended them.
“What? Was that the wrong answer?” I quip, mildly annoyed.
But how could it be? Wouldn’t they rather leave the past in the past?
“This throws a wrench in the plans,” Shawn says and clears his throat, ignoring me. “I was going to work on something else tomorrow, but I guess it will have to wait. Both Alexi and Rhett have things to do tomorrow too, so you’ll have to come along with one of us.”
“Teach me how to defend myself. I can’t continue to rely on each of you to protect me,” I say, angrily clutching the blanket. “It’s not like I’m never going to be alone. I thought the babysitting was over.”
Shawn exchanges glances with the other two, and Rhett hides a rotten smile. Slowly Shawn shifts his weight and begins to walk towards me, his naked chest still glistening with drops of water that I’d like to lick off of his chest like a dehydrated dog. I admire the deep v-lines at his low waist and find myself holding my breath as he stands over me, shadowing me with the full force of his dominating masculinity.
“Although I do think that’s a good idea…you’re not going anywhere out of our sight,” he says, and then rips the blanket away from my hands. He then leans down and whispers in my ear, “Take a swim, honey. Cool off. Let us watch your body for a while. I’ll have to deal with your secrecy later.”
My hands are shaking in my lap, not from fear…but from the hard pressure of lust in my crotch. I tilt my head up to peer into his Icelandic gaze, and he denies me his kiss. Fine. I can live without it. I rise from my seat on the edge of the memory foam mattress and amble out of the room towards the pool.
I’m shocked knowing that this man must have known Penny and is now attempting to track her gives me goosebumps. I shouldn’t be afraid, but I am. He must have cared for her; otherwise he would have killed me right on the spot. Or maybe he needs me alive for whatever plans he has. Needless to say, I am entangled in things I don’t even have a recollection of. What if I’d screwed him out of money? What if I’d killed someone he cared about? What if he’s just a bounty hunter looking for a nice chunk of cash?
Questions parade through my skull like a marching band, only the tune is off-beat and terrorizes what should otherwise be a calm evening.
Outside the glass double-doors, I’m immediately met with the sight of stone steps into the glassy pool, a dreamy daybed off to the side, an outdoor kitchenette, as well as a living space built into the white stucco structuring. Blue and white pillows puff up the seating, and I sigh as soon as my feet submerge into the water. A breeze flows over me, and I look back through the doors to see that all three of the men are watching me. In the main living space there is a spacious area for relaxation, and this is where they’re all now posted.
Shawn told me to allow them all to watch my body. I wonder if it turns them on to imagine my pussy being used by three different men. Maybe in their minds they call me their dirty little slut. Maybe they like the idea of me always being a sopping wet sex kitten. Whatever it is, I know exactly why I like it. Exactly why it turns me on.
Having three delicious men, each of their unique bodies and minds attentive to me alone…knowing that each of them would kill for me and devour my cunt any chance they get…it thrills me. I can’t deny it. I like the fucking attention. So yes, maybe I’m still that greedy little bitch who needs all of it. Who needs everything that they are just to fill the void inside of me.
So, swimming out to the edge of the pool, I decide to give them a little show.
Fuck the fool who thinks he can hurt me while these men are my keepers. And fuck him if he ever thinks he’ll hurt them to get to me. I’ll learn how to shoot a gun, to fight, to do everything I used to do. Penny would be proud. I raise my arms, letting my breasts rise as I stretch. But I’m not Penny. I’m Allie. Allie’s been through hell and she knows how to survive it.
I hang my arms over the glass edge of the pool, looking out over the rocky cliffsides and the gemstone seas below. I allow my ass to pop up on the surface behind me, and I fling my hair back sensually. I like to think they’re watching me, their cocks stiffening as they trace the curves of my barely concealed ass with their eyes.
Three
Show Me You Want Me
I’m using a real goddamned treadmill and every fiber of my body is telling me to stop. But I can’t because stopping means dying. Or could mean dying, if someone real were chasing me. But it’s the thought of someone searching for me, of many someone’s searching for me, that spurs me to run until I’m slick with sweat and my whole body is trembling and I’m gasping for breath.
There’s a small gym setup on the side of the villa under a shaded area, and I focus on the sea as my muscles burn and I consider after each minute passes, that this is the time I should stop. But I’m stuck in this mind over matter struggle.