Page 17 of Holiday Hostage

I start digging through the decorations, trying to act as casual as I can after just being fucked by Eli upstairs. The others hardly seem to mind the fact, which is something I don't think I'll ever understand.

All four of us pick out decorations we like from the box, attaching the small metal hooks to them to hang them on the tree. Christmas music plays in the background, and for a little while, I let myself forget about my situation. I pretend this is normal. Like this is something I'm going to be doing everyChristmas for the rest of my life. I want to forget about the possibility of going back to Harmony all alone.

“You three haven't told me how you know each other,” I say when there's a lull in the conversation. I'm sitting on the couch and watching them wrap lights around the tree, struggling with how thick the branches are. They focus their attention on each other for a moment, silently communicating once again.

“We were in the Marines together,” Bryce finally says, looking at me with a reserved smile. I can tell there's something he's not saying, which seems rare for him. “When we all left, we decided to stick together.”

“But how do three former Marines become bank robbers?” I look at all three of them with a dumbfounded look on my face. Everything I know about the Marines is that they're noble and good. I wouldn't expect them to turn out to be the way that they are.

“When we were deployed, the three of us were sent out on a mission together. We were supposed to break into an embassy abroad to find out information about someone working there suspected of treason.” Koda turns to look at me with a serious, solemn look as he remembers the story. The others fall silent as they listen to him. “It was the three of us and our sergeant. We trusted him, but we really shouldn't have. As it turned out, something very important went missing from that embassy, and he blamed it on us.”

“As soon as we found out, we went AWOL. We've been hiding out ever since,” Eli continues, looking at me with a strained expression.

I'm completely silent. I don't know what to say to make the situation any better, but I’m glad they told me. It couldn't have been easy for them.

“That's why we're in the line of work we currently are. There are people looking for us, so some desk job isn't in the cards,” Bryce chimes in, taking a seat next to me on the couch.

All three of them sit down and tell me stories about their time in the Marines and what happened after. The three of them had been on the run for a long time, hiding out and perfecting their schemes for the banks they robbed. With everything they tell me, I see how they are forced to do this. It's not something I can necessarily condone, but I can understand the need.

The sun sets, and Eli stands up, holding a hand out for me. “Let's go to bed. Don't want to be up to keep Santa from coming, do we?”

I laugh and take his hand, saying good night to the others before joining Eli in bed. As soon as we get there, I close my eyes and sink into Eli's warmth as he holds me against him. It's only been a few days, but I've quickly gotten used to being around these three men. I'm dreading the day they take me back to my normal life.

CHAPTER 10

“I'm really going to miss waking up with you when you're gone,” Eli says as he kisses the back of my neck, holding me close enough to him that I can feel his arousal growing behind me.

I smile and laugh, letting myself linger in the moment.When I'm gone. I know it's got to happen soon, but I don't want it to. I don't want to go back to a sad, lonely life where all I have is a failing business and nothing to look forward to. Being here with them is like an escape from reality. I don't have to worry about anything. I want to stay here forever.

On top of that, ever since Grammy died, I haven't felt this light. It feels like the weight of everything came crashing down on me all at once, crippling me under this unbearable pressure. I miss my grammy, and I don't want to let her down, but I'm struggling. Here, all of that is gone. Even looking at myself in the mirror, I look better than I have in weeks. How the hell is that possible? I am literally being held captive.

Before I realize it, I'm crying just thinking about everything—Grammy, being here with the guys, and having to leave. I blink them away before it becomes too noticeable, not wanting to dampen Eli's spirits this morning.

A knock on the door catches our attention, and Bryce opens it a moment later. He looks at both of us wrapped up in the blankets and flashes a disappointed look at us. Clearly, he was hoping to walk in on another show like he did last time.

“Get dressed. It's time for breakfast,” Bryce says before closing the door and walking away.

Eli and I both reluctantly slide out of the bed, slipping into some clothes and making our way out of the room. He trails me, and in the back of my mind, I think it's because I need to be under constant surveillance, but I know that isn't necessary now. All three of them know I'm not going anywhere. Plus, I feel like I really have earned their trust since being here.

As I'm walking to the table, I turn my attention to the tree to see how beautifully it's lit up and how the ornaments shine under the lights. The others are all sitting in the living room looking at it.

Under the tree are four presents wrapped in candy cane–striped wrapping paper. I don't think anything of it right away. I definitely don't think one of them is for me. But all three of them see how my eyes linger on them, clearly wishing this was something I was a bigger part of.

Bryce walks over to the tree and picks up a small box and walks it over to me. I take it in my hands, looking at him with confusion evident on my face. He smiles at me and I can feel the warmth in my heart spreading. I want to cry seeing that I have a gift here today. I didn't think I would get one at all this year, especially not here with them. I don't even care what it is.

“We do a secret Santa every year, and we thought it would be nice to include you this year. This is from all of us,” he says, squeezing my arm with his hand as I stare down at the box. “Just don't open it yet. We have a specific order, and you're last.”

I nod and laugh, trying to choke back the tears threatening to spill over. I take a seat on the floor across from the couch,watching the three of them as they sit with their gifts in their hands.

Bryce opens his present first, tearing open the wrapping paper and dropping it on the ground recklessly to reveal a box set of burner phones. All of them look used, like they were picked up at some pawn shop, but I suppose they would get the job done. Eli opens his next, surprised to see a brand new laptop in front of him. He looks over the box excitedly, like a kid in a candy store, and I can't help but smile while watching him. Koda opens his last and pulls out a fancy lock-picking kit with his name engraved in the leather.

All three of them turn to me while I carefully undo the wrapping paper, making sure to save as much of it as possible. An old habit that Grammy used to instill into me even though we never ended up reusing the paper. Inside is a cardboard box taped shut. I look at them with anticipation swirling in my stomach and pull the tape to see what's inside.

I nearly drop the box on the ground. My mouth hangs open, and my heart thuds against my ribs. I reach inside and pull out a wad of cash nearly too big for me to even hold with both of my hands.

“What is this?” I ask, turning to stare at them with wide eyes. “This is so much.”

I immediately feel myself choking up, and I try to bite back the tears but they stream down my face before I can do anything about them.

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