Page 100 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

Ryan kisses my temple as the tears roll over the bridge of my nose and onto Travis’s pillow.

“I’m going to make us all some sandwiches, then we will sit down and devise a plan. Yours will be on the table in five minutes. I expect you to be there to eat and have a glass of water, if not for us, for him.”

I feel the bed dip again as he climbs off the other side and listen as he walks out of the door, closing it quietly behind him.

I look at the letter in my hand and reread it, memorising every word like I have my own. I need to do as Ryan asked; I need to survive this for all of them; I just don’t know how. The ring on my left-hand catches my attention, and I look at it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m engaged to the Donavon brothers; no one could tell me otherwise now. But I don’t plan on having only two husbands; I want all three.

I climb off the bed and walk over to Travis’s wardrobe. I look at his clothes still hanging up and wonder what he’s taken until I notice the missing backpack from the bottom. He always planned to leave in a hurry if he had to. I should have known he would be prepared for every situation.

I look through the clothes he’s left and pick out a hoodie he wore a few days ago. It still smells of his deodorant and aftershave. Pulling it on over the pyjamas Ethan helped me put on earlier, I bring the fabric up to my nose to inhale his scent, closing my eyes to picture him. The way he looked into my eyes last night as we made love. How he laughed as he caught me attempting to draw a picture the other day, even though I can’t draw more than a stickman. But most importantly, the way he looked the moment I realised, I was as in love with him as he said he was with me.

We need to find him; our family isn’t complete without him, and I need to tell him he is mine, and I refuse to give up on us. Not now, not ever.

51

Travis

Well, isn’t this just fucking wonderful. Not that I was expecting anything different, mind you. What did I think was going to happen when I strolled up to the front gates of a notorious drug lord and demanded to speak to him? I wasn’t going to be invited in and offered a tray of cake and sandwiches whilst we sipped tea. I had a feeling I would end up locked in a fucking room with nothing but a chair and a barred window.

At least I’m not chained up or dead. I suppose that’s a bonus. ‘Look for the silver lining’, my grandmother would always say. Well, right now, I’d just be happy to see anything other than these four fucking walls.

I look up at the clock on the wall and wonder if it’s even moving. I’ve apparently been in here for two hours, but it feels more like six.

I have no idea if Nicholson is here or if he even knows who I am. To them, I’m probably some junkie looking for a hit.

I rub the back of my neck as I walk over to the window and look outside into the dull, wet day. My mind wanders straight to Verity as it has since I left. Is she okay? Does she understand why I’m doing this? Will she ever forgive me for leaving her, even if only temporarily? I might not plan on dying, but I do know it’s a real possibility; that’s why I left my grandmother's ring with her.

Granny always hated our mother, so she gave me the ring instead of her and told me to give it to the love of my life. I bet she never dreamt the love of my life would also be the love of my brothers as well. I smile as I picture the way our Granny would shake her head in dismay at that one.

She would have loved Verity, as would my father. If he had a daughter, there’s no way he would have ever treated her how Henry has treated Verity. My father loved his kids more than life itself, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for us. That is how a parent should be and how I will be when we have kids. But first, I need to get Verity out of this fucking arranged marriage and leave here, ideally with all limbs still attached.

The door flies open, and I’m greeted by the arsehole who escorted me in here with a more presentable guy behind him. I could take them both easily. The new guy’s not thin, but he’s not as built as me, plus I’m taller and know how to fight. I bet this guy relies on his gun shoved in the back of his trousers.

“Is he in, or am I just to wait patiently until he arrives?” I ask, crossing my arms and leaning back against the window.

“Like I’m telling you shit. Apparently, you haven’t even given us your name!”

“Actually, I did; your mate there just wasn’t listening,” I sigh, rolling my eyes. When he just stares at me, I shake my head and try not to lose my composer. “It’s Donavon, Travis Donavon. I have something that the boss might be interested in.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?” the guy who brought me in here asks as he tries to appear relaxed and leans against the doorway behind the new guy. Instead, he looks like the class nerd trying to copy the cool kids and failing miserably.

“A deal, I get what I want, and he makes a lot of money. It’s a win-win.” One good thing about working with some of the people I do accounts for is that I’ve learnt how to handle the rich and dangerous. I know when to be cocky and when to suck up. There's no need to suck up to the guy they send to do the digging. The guy who brought me in here is nothing but a cheap security guard who probably gets paid in whores and drugs. There’s no need for pleasantries. This new guy, however, seems to be higher up the chain and could even be Nicholson’s second. He has the suit and the attitude of someone above the other guy's paycheck.

“Alright, Donavon. I’m Justin, the second in command. The guy behind me is Phil. Don’t mind him. He doesn’t get to throw his weight around much and is hoping he gets to fight someone soon. If you want to see the Boss, it’s my rules you need to play by.”

Great, a second who is up his own arse, just what I need.

“Would I be right in thinking what you want to see the boss about is something to do with this one?” He turns his back to me as I push myself away from the wall. I know he’s up to something, but I don’t know what until I see who is being held behind him.

“You put him in here, and I will kill the fucker,” I warn through gritted teeth.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The boss wants to speak to him, and I have a feeling you will want to be in the conversation,” Philip laughs as he pushes Henry into the room. My blood boils as I look at the guy who has sold his own daughter to these lowlifes.

“Have fun, and try not to spill any blood; it’s a bastard to clean off the carpet.” Justin slams the door, laughing before I hear the sound of the key turning in the lock.

“Where the fuck is she?” Henry hisses through his teeth.

“Somewhere you won’t find her,” I reply as I lean back against the wall, trying to put as much distance between me and this piece of shit. It is taking everything in me not to kill the fucker where he stands. It wouldn’t be hard; this man has never had a fight in his life, and it shows. But if Nicholson wants him alive, then I have to keep him that way. For now, anyway.

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