Page 20 of Taking It Off

I dry myself slowly, trying to process everything that’s happened today. I can’t keep this up. I need to either cut ties with the guys or come clean about my secrets. I’m not sure which is the better choice. And I know that after tonight, I won’t have time to consider those options for at least a few days.

As much as Luke wanted me around after his father’s death, I’m certain Will isn’t going to let me out of his sight once he gets to me. I throw on some comfy clothes and settle back on my bed to wait. I know I won’t get sleep for a while with everything racing through my brain.

I answer the phone on the first ring, certain it’s Will. “Sugarplum, I need you.” The sadness in his voice rips me apart. It takes me a minute to remember that I shouldn’t know what happened yet.

“What’s wrong, Will?” I don’t have to pretend to be concerned for him. But I do have to remember that I need to keep my secret if I can.

“My dad died tonight,” he says, his voice barely a whisper.

“Oh, no! What happened?”

“They said it looks like a heart attack. Blood work should confirm that or prove it was murder.” He pauses then continues, “Jeremy was with him. Apparently, it happened when he went to the bathroom. He found Dad when he came back but it was too late.”

I mute the phone and breathe a sigh of relief. It sounds like Jeremy didn’t say anything about sensing me. I still haven’t figured out how he knew I was there. No matter how much I want to know, I’m not about to ask him.

“Are you home? I’ll come up,” I offer.

“I just walked in the door. Jeremy went to get food.” Will pauses again, and I’m sure he’s crying.

“I’ll be right there,” I say, hanging up the phone and grabbing my shoes. I don’t bother to put them on but carry them with me as I race up the stairs. I’m tempted to shift so I can get there faster, but I don’t want anyone to see me materialize, and I can’t risk exposing myself to my guys like that.

The door opens before I can knock, and Will drags me into his arms. “Thank you.” Guilt surges again, and I’m uncomfortable with being the person to comfort him for something I did.

“Don’t thank me. Being here for you is the least I can do,” I insist. In my heart, I know the truth of my words. I could have refused the job. I could have ended the relationship. Being here is the very least I can do for any of them right now. If only I was stronger, then I could walk away.

My heart jumps inside of me as he holds me tightly. I’m in way too deep now to leave. I’m going to have to tell them everything. It’s just a matter of timing now. Falling in love wasn’t in my plans, but here I am, head over heels and unable to fight it.

I place my hands on Will’s cheeks, forcing him to look at me. “I love you, Will.” I kiss him gently, tenderly, reverently. I want him to understand that I mean everything with those words. Because soon, he’ll have to decide if it’s enough.

“I love you, sugarplum,” he responds, pressing his lips to my forehead. I let my tears fall, mixing with his. There’s no reason to hold back my emotions now. I need to soak up every moment before I ruin it all.

After a long moment, we head into the living room, where Luke waits for us. Will sits next to him, and I take the empty spot beside Will. My heart swells again when Luke threads his fingers through Will’s and leans over to kiss my shapeshifter’s cheek. There’s nothing sexual about the contact, but it makes me wetter than I want to admit. I shouldn’t be thinking about sex right now; not after what I’ve done.

I am a monster. I get off on killing sick and twisted men, then get turned on by watching their relatives pick up the pieces. I’m suddenly disgusted with myself. What kind of person does this to people they claim to love? I don’t deserve to be here; I deserve to be locked up, or worse.

Luke and Will stare at me, and I wonder what kind of face I’m making. I relax my muscles, letting my expression go. “I’m so sorry. This sucks so bad. Both of you losing your dads like this. I wish I could fix it for you.”

eight

THE TRUTH COMES OUT

EMILY

The moment Jeremy walks into the apartment, I feel his eyes on me. Guilt surges again, and I don’t think I can do this. I need to find out what gave me away, but I can’t just ask him. I have to wait and see if he mentions it.

Luke darts over and grabs the bags of takeout from him. I do my best to act like usual, so I walk over and kiss him. He pins me to the wall and whispers in my ear, “We need to talk.”

“About what?” I ask, knowing that my secret won’t exist much longer. He locks eyes with me and stares.

“I think you know,” he replies, too low for Will or Luke to hear unless they’re actively trying to listen in. I can’t speak because of the lump in my throat. I nod, trying to hold off the terror I’m feeling. He wraps his hand around my arm and drags me toward his room.

I glance at Will and Luke, who are standing in the living room staring at us. The looks on their faces tell me that they aren’t sure if I need help or not. Honestly, I’m not sure if I need help or not. Jeremy shoves me into the room and locks the door behind us.

“Jer, what’s going on?” Will calls from the other side of the door.

“Hey, man, let us in,” Luke insists. Jeremy ignores them both and stalks toward me. Fury radiates off him in waves. I’m not sure how long he’ll be able to hold off his shift, or if I’ll survive when he does. Instinctually, I climb onto the bed and scoot toward the headboard.

“I have questions, and you’re going to answer them honestly. Understand?” he growls at me as he paces back and forth beside the bed. I nod, too terrified to do anything else. Logically, I know that I could take him down if I had to, but I love this man, and can’t imagine hurting him.

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