Page 47 of Fractured Fear

“No can do, Spence. Your knights in shining armor need to deliver their fair maiden to her chambers.”

I sigh and give up. Getting rid of these men isn’t going to be that easy.

But then again, do I even want to?

CHAPTER 18

SPENCER

“How do we feel about pizza?”

Zane and Rio have been in my apartment for all of five minutes and have already made themselves comfortable. I don’t know what that says about me or about them.

Did I really let them into my apartment? Am I actually going to let them stay?

I’m insane. My attacker must have hit my head harder than I thought because this isn’t me. This isn’t staying safe. No matter how they make me feel.

The fact that Zane and Rio are in a stranger’s apartment and are pushing to spend the night shows they must be crazy too. At least our crazies match each other’s.

Let’s not even touch the fact that they have stirred something inside me I thought was long dead. Zane looks at me with those emerald eyes and I’m done for. My body fills with lust and I would give anything to know his touch again. All Rio has to do is smile and I would volunteer to be his slave for a week. A ravenous beast comes out that is only satisfied with orgasms. The self-induced kind won’t cut it. Trust me, I know.

“Spence? Pizza?” Zane asks from the kitchen.

I snap back to reality. “Do I have to make it?”

“No.” He scrunches his face.

“Then I’m game. If I don’t have to make it, I’ll eat it,” I say emphasizing my earlier statement.

I don’t care how much money I have to spend on frozen meals and takeout, my budget will happily take the hit if it means I never have to cook another meal.

“A woman after my own heart,” Zane says with a smirk.

“You say that because you also suck at cooking. You can’t even microwave popcorn.” Rio teases Zane as he returns from the bathroom.

“At least I’ve never burned a bowl of cereal.”

“That was one time!”

“Burned a bowl of cereal?” I question with a head tilt. “How do you manage that? You don’t warm up cold cereal.”

“To be fair, I was high.” Rio says it so factually like it’s not a big deal, but I burst out laughing. When I come down from my hysterics, they’re both staring at me. Mouths open ready to catch flies and everything.

“Eres la criatura más bella. Por favor, ten mis hijos,” Rio whispers.

“What he said,” Zane agrees.

“Did you say something about kids?” I ask, breaking them from their spell. Instead of responding, they just look at each other and smile as if they know something I don’t. Which they do and only serves to irritate me. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But one of these days I’m whipping out Google Translate.”

“Good luck with that, Mama.” Rio laughs.

To prove a point, I pull out my phone and type in his earlier statement. The results range from “You sexy beast, please have babies” to “Kids are beasts. Please have them.”

That's the last time I try that. I’ll just have to secretly record him and ask Alma for her help.

But the sentiment was clear. He thinks I’m pretty, but for how long?

I know I’m not interesting. I’m not a party girl. I don’t put myself out there or wear clothes that show off my natural curves. I actively avoid male attention. I hide and I have been hiding for the last three years, and I thought I’d been successful at it.

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