Page 2 of Fatal Vengeance

“Mm-hmm,” I hum with a nod.

Griffin looks over at me, his lips crooked up into this delicious half smile. He grabs my thigh and strokes his thumb over my bare skin, as if silently saying, I'm glad, I did too.

“Good, baby,” Creed replies smoothly, and a rush of relief hits me that he genuinely doesn't care that I just spent the night in another man's bed. I didn't know what to think when Creed encouraged this, but seeing him now, so relaxed and at ease, has something clicking in my chest, this sense of right spreading through me. “Let’s go. Breakfast is being served in the lobby, but not for much longer. I let you guys stay in as long as I could, but now I need to get you some food.”

My heart flutters at the consideration and care Creed gives me. I love the way he feeds me. What started as something trivial and meaningless, I’m sure, has developed into a bit of a love language between the two of us. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the way he pampers me when it comes to food. Maybe I'm spoiled, but fuck if I haven't earned that right.

Creed arches a brow in silent warning for me to get my butt moving, and then he leaves through the open door, closing it behind himself like a gentleman. I have no doubt that if I take longer than three minutes to meet him in the hallway, he’ll be back inside Griffin’s room to drag me out of this bed himself.

With a content sigh that feels misplaced on my lips after all the shit I’ve survived, I turn to Griffin and press the quickest kiss to his delectable lips. “Thanks for last night. We’ll talk about you and Asher another time? Clear the air and figure this out?”

Griffin smiles, stealing another kiss, and hums happily against my lips. It sets a whole swarm of butterflies loose in my stomach. If I don’t get out of here right now, I may end up asking for a repeat of last night.

I slip out of bed and pull on my discarded pants before leaving the room. Creed is leaning against the wall opposite the door, and his amber eyes light up when he sees me. Jesus, these men are going to inflate my ego. “Let’s go then. I’m starved,” I tease, which lights a fire under his ass.

“Oh no, baby, we can’t have that. I’ll get you fed,” he promises with a cheeky smile, pushing off the wall and wrapping an arm around me. As he guides me down the hallway, following the smell of food, he leans down and whispers, “I know it was my idea, but this sharing thing… I’m going to have to fuck you senseless later to make sure you don’t forget all about me in favor of Griffin.”

My pussy tingles, maybe even floods, but I’m not going to comment on that. I lean into Creed’s side, inhaling his comforting scent. “I could never forget about you, Creed, but I’m happy for you to make good on that threat, anyway.”

“Threat? Ember, baby, that wasn’t a threat. Now, if I told you what I wanted to do to your ass? That might be a threat,” he purrs, nipping my ear and sending shivers up and down my spine.

“Hmm. You talk a big game. I guess we’ll have to see if you can back it up.”

Whatever response might have fallen from his filthy lips is cut off when I shrug out of his hold, wink at him, and go on to find breakfast. I really am fucking starving, and from the sounds of it, I’ll need all the energy before Creed has his way with me.

2

Prudence

The morning is as perfect as it possibly could be. Waking up next to Griffin, having breakfast with Creed, and feeling so loved between the two men. I know shit has gone real south in my life lately, but being here with them almost feels like a brain vacation. Being this far away from The Celestials has me breathing easier and blocking out all that trauma like a pro. As I shovel pancakes into my mouth, I genuinely don’t think anything could spoil it.

But then Asher walks in and sits at our table.

Griffin is seconds behind him, taking the seat directly across from me and giving me this look that I interpret as relax, he’s not gonna kill you for getting your pussy eaten by me last night. Honestly, I’m not sure so many words could actually fit into a single look, and maybe I’m way off base, but that’s how I read his expression.

Asher’s face is blank, so I can't get a read on his mood, which instantly has me on guard. But then as he sits next to Griffin, across from me and Creed, he looks right into my eyes and softly asks, “What are plans moving forward? We can’t live in a hotel indefinitely. I know you need time, but your safety can’t be jeopardized.”

It takes me by surprise, because who is this man and what's he done with Asher the Asshole? I blink at him a few times, wondering if I misheard him, but when he tries to give me a gentle smile, like he's just full of patience while I sort through the mess in my head, I decide two things. One, I did not mishear him. And two… he's clearly been body snatched.

I almost laugh at myself for that thought, but I mean, come on. This is so not the Asher I know.

“Oh, um, I’m not sure,” I say slowly, giving it some thought, even though every cell in my body wants to think of literally anything else. I don't want any reminders of the shit few weeks I've had, and thinking about how we keep running just to stay safe is only a reminder of everything.

I met my dad, only to realize he’s a fucking lunatic who was more than happy to murder me. Heather kidnapped me and strung me up like a pig for slaughter, taunting me about anything she could to get under my skin. And worst of all… my mom is gone.

Even though our relationship was different, sometimes strained, I loved her and I know she loved me the very best she could. It was never her fault that she got sick, and the only thing I’ve wanted for most of my life was to find a way to offer her some peace. But I can’t, because of The Celestials. She’s gone, and now whatever secrets I uncover, whatever I endure to find the truth, it will all be for nothing.

What’s the point?

My lungs constrict painfully, panic and despair fighting for their place in my heart. I take another slow, deep breath, begging the image of my mom hanging from the ceiling to go away. I don’t even realize my eyes have slipped shut until a hand rests on my clasped ones on the table. A second later, an arm bands around my shoulders, pulling me close, while yet another hand circles my wrist, a thumb smoothing over my scars there.

When I open my watery eyes, I look at each of the guys, even though they’re a bit blurry right now. Asher was the first to make contact with his hands on mine, almost like a silent truce, which I don’t know how to feel about. Creed, of course, has his arm around me like he wants to curl over my body and protect me from the world. And Griffin’s caressing my scars from the car accident, the ones on my wrist that I had shown him in confidence one night. All three of them are offering their strength, understanding, and comfort, and it honestly tilts me a bit.

Going from no experience in the guy department to this very moment is a mind fuck. How did we even get here? And where do we go after The Celestials have been dealt with? Love triangles are very much not my thing, but the thought of giving up either Griffin or Creed for the other makes me want to vomit. Would they just… share indefinitely? I flick my eyes over to Asher, who’s being oddly gentle with me. Clearly he and Griffin have something, and I can’t see Asher being into sharing. He’d be more inclined to murder me. My heart stutters a bit at the thought, but now’s certainly not the time to worry about things like that. Hell, The Celestials might just slaughter me one day soon, and then the concept of a group relationship dynamic would be null and void, anyway.

Griffin grips my wrist a bit more tightly, like he can sense my mind slipping away and wants to keep me in the moment. I blink as I look over at him, into his eyes that seemed so cold when we first met, but now are a tranquil, warm pool of all the things he feels. I open my mouth to say something — that I’m fine, that I don’t need to be coddled, that I won’t break down and go crazy — but not a sound comes out.

Instead, Asher shocks me for the second time this morning when he gives my hands a gentle squeeze and says, “You’ve been through so much, Prudence. It’s okay if you’re not okay.”

---