Page 238 of Quinlan

“Open up.” His harsh tone and the second push of the strawberry do it. I give him what he wants, letting him shove the strawberry past my lips. “Good girl. Good fucking girl, sweetheart. Chew.”

Juice explodes in my mouth, trickling down my chin. It’s unnatural to eat it with Rome holding my lip like that. He doesn’t seem to mind, cleaning my chin just to rub it against my tongue. He groans, then sets to removing my jeans and panties.

He’s at his full height again, large hands cupping either side of my neck while Damien strokes my waist, the swells of my breasts.

Rome tilts his head. “You’ve been bad.”

The depths in his eyes are my undoing. My mind goes blank. “Me?”

“Yes, you, sweetheart. You can’t hide anything from us. Haven’t you realized it by now?” He releases me, holding one of my hands. The other is in Damien’s as they guide me to the living room where Liam waits. “But that’s okay. We don’t mind leaving work early for you. We’ll always do that.”

“You didn’t have to—”

“Yes, we do.” Damien pinches one of my nipples, hard. “We’re going to fuck the sadness out of you.”

My heart stutters to a stop. I’ve been doing so well. At least that’s what I thought. They see me, these men. They always do.

They came home early to kiss it better.

“By the end of the night, that shit will leave your body.” I’m pliant, nothing but a beating heart for Damien to manhandle as he wishes. He cradles me into his arms, his jaw strong on our way to the living room. “It’s not a request anymore. It’s an order.”

Once we’re there, he takes me to the floor, flips on his back and arranges me on top of him. I’m on all fours, straddling his legs. Liam takes the spot before me, his hand on my cheek, forcing me to look at him.

“We won’t ask again.” Flames flicker in Liam’s eyes, but they remain as dark as before. Everything about him is dark. Every part of him is powerful.

Not just him. All of them.

Before I say a single thing, I get to work on Damien’s shirt. My marks are on him. Mine. No one stops me as I rip the buttons one by one, then push his undershirt up his torso.

Our scars are staring at each other. Our gazes collide.

His hands are on my cheeks, softness flickering in his eyes. It’ll be gone in the next second. Nothing about this night screamssoftness. “Better, darling?”

“Much.”

“You haven’t been, though.” Rome’s palm squeezes my ass.

A moan escapes from the firm contact. “I’m fine.”

“Liar.”

He spanks me for it. Once, twice, three times. Another three with the rugged back of his hand.

The humiliation doesn’t end there. He goes on, growing more ruthless when I cry out. The others don’t tell him it’s enough.

They know how much I love the pain. How it heals the broken parts of me.

“You’re not fine, but it’s okay.” Damien lowers my body to his while Liam watches us. His teeth clamping on my nipple sendsanother jolt of pain through me. A soothing pain. “Liam came up with a way to take care of your predicament.”

“We’ll play again once you’re truly better. Once you stop carrying this burden by yourself.” Liam bends to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. The candle in his grip is burning. The flame casts a soft glow on his scar and fuck, he’s gorgeous. Intimidating and hot. “You’ll let out those tears, Quinlan. You will, then we’ll take care of the rest. You won’t cry over this”—he emphasizes the word, becausethisisn’t one thing, it’s all of it—“ever again.”

“I’m dying, Liam.” By staying here. By not making a move on them.

“You’ll live.” Rome spreads my ass cheeks, revealing the most private parts of me to him. His gaze scalds me, though I can’t see him looking. I do feel the things he’s doing to me, how he spits on my tightest hole, his finger circling the wet, sensitive rim. “It’s a matter of days. A matter of patience.”

“This isn’t even about them anymore.” One of Damien’s hands holds the side of my neck, the other one unbuckling his belt. “This is about you being a good girl and doing as you’re told.”

“It’s about us getting off on punishing you.” Rome adjusts my hips, sliding me up and down on the tip of Damien’s cock. My lips part for him, and it’s so hot the way his cock throbs inside me. The way Rome handles me. “Just because.”

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