Page 77 of Their Dark Rose

“Eighteen years ago, your father came to me, his best friend. Our friendship was fragile at that point since he’d changed even before he started using. Started resenting his job, his parents, us. But he knew he couldn’t handle Lee’s pregnancy on his own. That’s how he ended up at my doorstep, begging me to help. Back then, they were already dabbling with cocaine. At parties, nothing major.” Mason lets out a long breath, looking like a dragon breathing out fire. “My first reaction was to make them swear they’d stop cold turkey and wouldn’t touch that shit for the duration of the pregnancy.” He bends closer to my face. “For you. And thankfully, they agreed to move to our house, where we could watch after them.”

“We kept your mom locked in the house. Provided her with everything she needed for a healthy pregnancy, including a doctor we paid off to check her and shut the fuck up,” Falk clips out, filling in for his brother. “But your dad broke out more than once. So we had to think of a way to be there for you. That’s when we demanded to be your godfathers. All three of us.”

Finn runs the knife along my cheek without breaking the skin. “A contingency plan, if you will. Even in our twenties, we thought ahead. We figured at some point we’d be called to take care of you. To protect you. Your parents were our main concern first, then Mallie and her fucking stepson.”

I’m hardly breathing. Every story they tell me is another piece of our shared past they add to the puzzle that is our lives. And I can’t help but love them more for it.

Finn runs the blunt edge of the blade on my arm. “Now, tell us, little one. Since when has this cunt been talking to you behind our backs?”

“Since the night of my birthday.”

He believes me, nodding once.

Judging by their reactions, neither of them will take my next words well. “She texted me. Thorn too.”

“Sonofabitch.” Falk turns to stalk out of the dining room.

“Where are you going?” I call out after him.

He peers back inside. “To fucking murder him.”

Other than Finn, neither Falk nor Mason has ever killed anyone. That I’m aware of. He’ll get caught if he just goes there unprepared. Mallie’s and Thorn’s lives don’t concern me as much as I fear losing Falk when he’s sent to prison.

“Falk, as your boss…”

Finn lets out a low whistle. Mason’s eyebrows shoot up.

“I demand you get back here.”

Falk whips back with a murderous glare in his eyes. “Repeat that for me.”

His fire shuts me the hell up. I’m a little butterfly beneath his very scary thumb. “As y-y-your…”

“Someone hasn’t been disciplined in a while now.” Mason pulls me off the wall, carrying me to the dining table and placing me on the broad, hard, wood counter. “Falk, get the cling film.”

“Cling film?” Fear claws up to my lungs. I wiggle to get off the table.

Finn flattens his hand on my sternum, shaking his head. “Mase is right.”

“I was kidding about the boss thing!” I jerk my head up. “I know I’m not your boss. But please, you have to understand—“

“No, you have to understand.“ The sound of the cling film behind me alerts me to what Falk intends to do to me. “You’ll be our boss in the company. We’ll work for you until you decide to let us go.”

My eyes fly up when he leans to grip both my arms by my wrists.

“You’ll tell us to jump, and we’ll ask how high. Every fucking time.” He spins the stretchy material around my wrists. “Here, though?”

When he’s done, he places two fingers between them. Through my fear, I see what he’s doing. He’s making sure I have enough space for my skin to breathe.

“Falk…” I sigh.

His eyes are clouded. So are Mason’s and Finn’s as they join him to loom over me.

“Here you’re our girl.”

Mason tosses the rest of the cling film to the floor. It hits the marble with a clank. “You’ll do what we say because we only want what’s best for you.”

“Seeing those fuckers sure isn’t on the list.” Finn appears to be all too happy to slice my T-shirt down the middle. “You’re not going. End of discussion.”

---