Page 81 of Day Shift

Their bodies were solid and comfortable. I smiled, a wave of contentment washing over me. Being snuggled here between them made me feel special—loved in a way I hadn’t realized I craved. Conan and Lucian were like a protective barrier against the world.

Within minutes, the night’s exhaustion took over, and I drifted off to sleep, secure in the warmth of their embrace.

Chapter thirty-five

Though I was groggy from all the wine and whiskey, the rustle of movement stirred me awake. I opened my eyes to see Lucian leaving the bedroom. I realized Angel was sprawled out over my chest, her leg draped over mine. I took a couple of deep breaths, thinking about how completely satisfied and beautiful she had been in the shower, how Lucian and I had left her speechless. Her willingness and curiosity to engage in such a completely new kind of sexual connection fascinated me. Although sharing her with Lucian was an erotic encounter I’d never forget, it was a one-and-done situation for me. I’d been happy to indulge her, but I couldn’t ever share her again. Angel was different. She’s been given to me by an act of fate, and she was mine, even if she didn’t know it yet.

I needed to talk to Lucian before he left, to get a better sense of his intentions and feelings for her. Carefully, I moved her off me. She stirred but then buried her face into the pillow, her lips slightly parted, and drifted back into a sound sleep. I got up quietly, leaving her wrapped in the sheets, her breathing soft and even. She looked so peaceful, but my mind was anything but. I hunted for my clothes, found my boxer briefs on the other side of the bed, and slid them on. Making my way downstairs, I found Lucian pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Smells nice and strong,” I said.

“Isn’t that the only way to drink it? Here, have a cup,” he said, handing one to me. He leaned against the counter, a smirk playing on his lips. “Last night was great, huh? I’m glad we worked through any issues between us and focused on what was important…giving our girl some pleasure.”

Taking a sip, I hesitated before responding. I didn’t want to cause a rift between us. I would need his help with this whole arranged marriage mess. Any conflict between us would put Angel in the middle. So I chose my words carefully. “Yeah, I’d do just about anything for her.”

Lucian shook his head as his smirk broadened into a smile. “You’re too obvious, dude. Your feelings for her are written all over your face.”

Unsure of what to say but wanting to get right to the point, I dropped my chin toward my shoulder and eyed Lucian skeptically for a minute. “Tell me what your plans are for her. Do you just want to fuck her, or is there more between you? I know you’ve been in her life for a long time. How can you not have feelings for the woman?”

He set his cup on the counter, and his brows drew together as he rubbed the scruff on his chin. “Here’s where you’re mistaken, my friend. Ana and I have carefully maintained a sex-only, no-commitment arrangement. She is as close a friend as I have, much like the other men at the club, but that’s all it will ever be between us.”

“So do you see the two of you continuing to be fuck buddies?” I asked, unable to keep my tone from being caustic as the jealousy raged in my gut.

Lucian laughed darkly. “Buddy, you’ve got it so bad for the girl. And you know what? I think it’s great that she’s got someone like you now. I see the way you look at her. You worship her. She’s lucky to have found a guy who would hop on a plane at a moment’s notice and fly across the country to make sure she’s safe. She’s a good girl just trying to make her way in life under shit circumstances. Don’t worry, you won’t have any issues with me. If Ana wants to have an exclusive relationship with you, then I’ll support it one hundred percent. No weirdness between us. You think you can manage that?”

“I can’t share her,” I said. “So all I can do is hope that’s what she wants. If not, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Lucian gave me an understanding look. “First, we’ve got to help her deal with the fucking arranged marriage bullshit. It’s hard to believe something that archaic is still happening.”

“Agreed,” I said quickly. “We need to figure out a plan for dealing with the mafia, even if it means I have to take Angel and live off grid or go to some other drastic measures to protect her.”

Lucian nodded. “Let’s meet at the club in a couple of hours to come up with a strategy. Going against the New York mafia isn’t going to be easy. Not something I’d ever envisioned dealing with, but here we are.”

“Sounds good.”

Lucian glanced at his phone. “All right, I’ve gotta get out of here. Ana won’t be surprised I left. I always keep things simple and leave before she wakes so there are no awkward conversations.” He gulped down his remaining coffee and then headed out.

I stood there for a moment, absorbing everything he had said. I thought more about the nightmare ahead and how we’d protect Angel. The way he’d talked about her rubbed me wrong. It wasn’t that I wanted him to have feelings for her or pursue a deeper relationship with her, but his detached coolness bothered me. He treated her with no more care than a drive-through pickup, knowing full well he’d been her first. And she accepted that as if she didn’t deserve better. She was so resigned to the fact that she would marry some mafia goon that everything else was a privilege to her.

Witnessing this from a different perspective made me hate myself for doing the very same thing to so many other women. Sure, I had my fucked-up excuses, but that was all they were—excuses. No woman was just a vessel for men’s gratification. Every single one was worth more. Dammit, I’d never do it again, regardless of what happened with my Angel. She’d changed me.

I decided to bring Angel breakfast in bed, hoping to ease her into the morning. Looking through her kitchen, I found an assortment of breakfast foods that I hoped would hit the spot.

I grabbed the bag of coffee beans and ground some for a fresh pot, taking a second to inhale the rich aroma before setting it to brew. As the machine hissed and gurgled, I grabbed a glass and poured some orange juice. She could definitely use some vitamin C. My mind kept circling back to last night. It had been intense, more intense than anything I’d ever experienced. I’d shared her willingly with Lucian to ensure she never felt like she had missed out on anything, and it was a decision I was at peace with, but it was clear to me now—I couldn’t do that again.

Pausing, I wondered how Angel would feel about the threesome. She’d had a lot to drink. Maybe she had done things she wouldn’t have otherwise. Would she regret it? Did she see me differently now that she had all her memories back? I scooped some strawberry yogurt into a bowl and sprinkled granola on top, trying to push those worries aside.

The way I cared for Angel was unlike anything I’d experienced before. It was risky, powerful, almost overwhelming. It had seemed like she was catching feelings for me too, right before she’d left Tacoma. But she was confronting more than anyone should ever have to—recovering from the wreck, the shock of regaining her memories, dealing with her father and the arranged marriage—which meant her emotions were all tangled up.

I didn’t want to pressure her about what was happening between us, but I wasn’t going to walk away either. She’d been through so much. My goal now was to protect her, both physically and emotionally, but I also wanted her to know that she wasn’t obligated to be with me and that she could take her time to sort through everything. But damn, I had fallen hard for her, and I wanted to make her mine.

Once the coffee finished brewing, I poured a cup, savoring the strong, robust scent. I knew what I needed to do. Be patient. Be understanding.

I found a tray in the cabinet, arranged everything on it, and headed upstairs. I had to talk to her, to figure out where she stood with Lucian. Just because he wanted nothing more than sex didn’t mean she felt the same way.

When I got to the door of the bedroom, I peeked in. The sight of her sprawled out on the bed, still lost in sleep, made my heart squeeze. She was mine, and I was going to protect her from everything, even if it meant taking on the whole damn mafia.

Balancing the tray, I nudged the door open wider with my foot and walked to the edge of the bed. Her stillness reminded me of the days she had spent unconscious. It occurred to me that she’d spent most of her life emotionally closed off, unconscious in a sense, without ever hoping to find love—much like I had been until she landed in my ED.

---