Page 58 of Their Dark Rose

“She’s entertaining.” Finn chuckled at how annoyed I was.

I ignored him, too.

“Flower,” Mason thundered.

Him, I didn’t ignore. Clinging to what little courage I had left, I hadn’t looked at him, either.

“You do not open the door to anyone, do you hear?” he commanded instead of scolding me. “Us included.”

Since they’d never left me alone, this was a first for me. My jaw slacked, my hands shook. Another wave of panic threatened to storm in. Thank fuck I had my back to the three men.

Was there someone out there to hurt me?

Couldn’t be. No one cared enough. And Aunt Mallie hadn’t been welcome here for years. She wouldn’t come.

They were messing with me. That was the only conclusion.

“Fine.” I waved them off and shut the door behind me.

But it hadn’t been fine. Once I heard the door shut behind the three of them and I fell asleep, nightmares haunted me.

Picture upon picture of them walking into a burning house. Of them never returning. Of my godfathers dying before I had a chance to change their opinions about me.

When I woke up sweating and crying for the hundredth time, I wasn’t alone. I sensed their presence.

I didn’t have to flip on my other side to see they cracked open the door.

I didn’t have to say one of their names to ask who stood behind me.

They were just…there.

The energy had been nothing like what I had from them yesterday.

Where before I felt harsh and demanding vibes, tonight they treated me like an adult, in every sense of the word.

Which is why, this morning, I chose to wish. As devastating as it might be.

Yesterday was only the beginning.

Stopping in front of the vanity mirror, I take a long, hard look at my face.

My near-purple eyes are the same. Cheeks, nose, and ears are still mine. My lips are swollen, but those, too, are still equally mine.

Yet, deep inside, I’m a whole new person.

I’m a grown woman now.

The soreness between my legs, the sensitivity in my jaw, attests to just how much I’ve changed.

The three of them transformed me in the best, most violent way.

Yes, I’m definitely theirs. Forever.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Fifteen minutes later, I’m showered and dressed.

I put on a modest, black, knee-length A-line dress for our trip to the lawyer’s, pairing it with black stockings and four-inch black heels. To finish the look of a woman who means business, I tied my thick hair into a chignon and applied mascara to my long lashes, and I was ready to go.

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