Page 18 of Master Vidar & Vali

I threw the blanket back and swung my legs out of the comfy bed. I needed to get my mind off things I had no control over, the past, the men who filled my nights with wet dreams, and think of a plan to get myself out of there. After peeing and brushing my teeth, I scanned the selection of clothes in the walk-in closet. A new wardrobe had arrived for me the previous day.

The fact that they’d bought me an entire wardrobe had started an argument I’d lost spectacularly. As I was bickering with Colin about the cost of the clothes and wanting to return everything, Lincoln had silently gone behind our backs and cut the tags off of every item, ending the dispute. I hated owing people, but as I ran my hand over the soft rich fabrics, I also felt grateful. Private security must’ve paid well, because none of the items on the hangers had been purchased from a discount store.

I’d never been someone who was spoiled and hated how good it made me feel. Fuck it! If they wanted to throw away thousands of dollars on clothes, it would be silly of me not to wear them. Besides, some of the outfits they bought would look amazing on me, and I was damned if I was going to be the only sexually frustrated person in the house.

I continued to admire the clothing, looking for the perfect tantalizing outfit to match the drool-enriching effects their figure-hugging khakis and tight-fitting t-shirts had on me. Did they know how much they were affecting me? How much my hands itched to trace the muscles hinted at under their clothes?

I was acting like some sex-starved lunatic. It had to be the mountain air. Or maybe the home -cooked meals Colin spoiled us with. Regardless, my body was constantly protesting my lack of carnal action.

I threw on a stretchy white crop top with no bra. Did I care that my nipples, now in a constant state of alertness, were popping through making me look like one of those fembots in Austin Powers? Nope. I shook my head and laughed. How cool would it be if I could shoot bullets out of my tits?

For the bottoms, I put on a pair of red shorts that showed off my ass which seemed to be Colin’s favorite part of my body; at least I always felt his eyes there whenever I passed him. Lincoln was harder to figure out. He had a darkness swirling inside of him that made me shiver. What dark things would he want to do to me in the bedroom? I sighed. The girl at the club had hinted at their kinky nature, but I had to stop thinking about that before the temptation to throw away my dignity and jump them got too strong.

Not that they’d shown interest. After the kiss the first night, they’d been painfully respectful. The few times I’d tried to flirt or hint that I might be interested in what Colin had teased me with, they’d quickly change the subject.

I could take a hint. No matter how badly it stung my pride. If they weren’t interested, it was time to stop daydreaming and take back control of my life. I slipped into a pair of white Gucci sandals and headed downstairs for some much needed morning java.

The house was quiet. Only the faint sounds of the birds outside trilling their happiness disturbed the stillness. The sun was bright and the sky was a cloudless blue expanse. Maybe I’d finally take a walk around the grounds and check things out.

I found a note at the coffee maker.

Back at 6 pm. Will bring Sushi for dinner. See you then.

Be good,

Colin

So much for trying to make them horny. Lincoln had introduced me to a man named Brody and told me he would be watching me if they had to leave, but a quick look around told me he wasn’t here either. It had to be a good sign that they were willing to leave me alone, right? Colin had given me a phone in case of emergency, though I had to promise not to use it to communicate with anyone else, especially someone from my past life. If they only knew how easy making that promise was. I was not going to let the prospect of being alone all day get me down.

I made myself an amazing cup of coffee with what I referred to as the mini spaceship that guaranteed the best cuppa money could buy. Of course, I knew the value of the machine. Back when the Thomas’ were a thieving band of three, we’d swiped one. We didn’t get to keep it, of course, but sold it to pay back a guy my dad owed money to at the track.

There was something surreal about standing in front of the expensive machine, waiting for my first cup of the day, cozy in a safe house that could be described as a mansion, while my parents rotted away in prison. I had no remorse, no fucks to give. They’d chosen that life and now were paying for it. Unfortunately, I was too, and the path to righteousness was as elusive as ever.

When the brew cycle was finished, I took my steamy cup of perfection outside and headed toward the giant pond. Lincolnspent a lot of time there. I’d seen him several times watching the fish, his eyes glazed like he was seeing but not what was before him. Whenever he got frustrated or started acting unsettled, he’d sneak away for some time alone. Clearly, the man had issues which spending time with the fish must have helped because he’d always return to the house in better spirits.

Maybe those wiggly animals could help me too. I sat on a reclining lounge at the edge and watched them. The fish were mesmerizing, and I wondered how I’d not known this before. The passage of time seemed secondary, almost unnecessary in comparison with the stillness they inspired in me. They appeared connected to whatever that almighty power was that everyone talked about was, it was enviable.

Was this why people liked fishing? Endless hours of floating, under a sky swollen in endless blue allowing yourself to just be while waiting for a bite. Of course, I’d do the catch and release program as I didn’t like eating fish, and wasting life was abhorrent to me. Moments of no stress stretched into hours of peace until my bladder screamed for relief.

I was exiting the bathroom when I heard the security system beeping near the front door. It was them, my 3 am fantasy arriving home with dinner for me. Had this been a different circumstance, I might have dropped to my knees offering blow jobs as they entered the home.

“Damn it,” I muttered. Hours of relaxation and my mind still immediately plunged to the gutter at the mere thought of the two men. My cheeks flushed as I caught sight of them and they eyed me speculatively. Had they heard me?

“Dinner.” Lincoln held the bag aloft as if that explained everything. The truth was far from it. Just seeing them turned my nipples to tight peaks, and I knew they saw it, but neither of them said a thing.

I blew a stray strand of hair out of my face with exaggerated emphasis. “I’ll get the plates,” I mumbled and hurried off to the kitchen. They followed me and washed their hands at the sink. I couldn’t help but notice how they moved in sync like they'd done this very thing a thousand times before.

Five minutes of uncomfortable silence was all it took before I couldn’t stand it anymore. “I think it's time for me to go home.” That wasn’t what I’d planned to say or even what I really thought, but staying in this constant state of awkwardness couldn’t be healthy.

My words must have surprised them because both their eyes snapped from their plates to my face. While Lincoln remained stoically blank, Colin’s gaze turned dark, like something I’d said offended him.

“What?” I crossed my arms across my chest defensively. “I can’t hide forever and you guys can’t be happy with having to babysit me. I think it’s time.” The last bit wasn’t as strong as I wanted, but it didn’t change the truth of the words.

Colin looked hurt. “It’s only been a few days, Zara. We want to keep you safe. What’s the rush?”

I glared at Colin. Why was he making this harder? Shouldn’t he want to be done with the burden that was me? I looked over at Lincoln to try and get support.

“I’m not your responsibility. Besides, maybe I was overreacting. Mihal’s probably already got someone new to focus on. I need to go home, get my stuff out of storage, find a new apartment and job, and start living again.”

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