Page 168 of Mutual Obsession

A part of me believed that Miles and Jake, despite their reassurances, might not be able to take on my demons. That left me with one foot out of the door, worried I’d have to run to protect them.

I thought my demons were too powerful. Hell, The Count is a known leader of the biggest underground secret society, The Aristocracy, and that comes with an inordinate amount of power.

So when they told me both Gregg and The Count were gone, I felt such relief that I burst into tears. I can finally settle down and have the future we’ve been dreaming of.

The biggest problem with having a future I never saw coming is that I don’t know what the hell to do with it. For so long, my only focus has been moving around to stay alive. Everything else has taken a backseat, and I sure as hell have never planned for anything.

In the last month, since my guys killed The Count, I’ve tried really hard to let go of the habits I’ve picked up over the last decade. I’m trying to stop looking over my shoulder constantly, and being in fight-or-flight mode at all times, like I’m waiting for something awful to happen.

Both Chloe and Teigan have spent a lot of time talking to me about what I actually want to do with my life, now that I have options open to me, and honestly, it’s one of the hardest decisions to make.

The only jobs I’ve ever had have been because of convenience. I picked jobs that paid enough, didn’t look too closely at my paperwork, and didn't care that I had no real qualifications. I don’t work at Caged because it’s my dream job. I picked it for the proximity to Miles.

Now I’m forced to look at what I actually want to do with my life, and it’s really fucking scary. I can’t even remember what I dreamt of doing when I was at school, as that seems like a whole other lifetime ago.

All I know for sure is that I want to be happy with Miles and Jake, and hopefully, the more settled I feel, my dreams will become clear. My guys keep telling me I have my whole life to find my purpose, that they just want me to do what makes me happy, no matter what that is.

So, I’ve agreed to just go with the flow, and hope life will have a way of working itself out. Without Teigan’s professionalguidance, and Chloe’s friendship, I’d definitely struggle, but without the love and support from my guys, I’d be lost.

After The Count’s death, our relationship became public knowledge. It’s not like we made any big announcement, but after Jacob’s father found out, we knew it wouldn’t be long before the gossip mill started circulating.

So we stopped hiding, and became more confident with public displays of affection, showing the world we love each other, and we will not hide from that.

As expected, not everyone was onboard with our unusual relationship dynamic, and there were more than a few of Jake and Miles’ business acquaintances who let us know they didn’t approve.

Marcus stood by their side as they showed all the haters how little we care about their opinions. More than a few people had to be taught with violence, but it didn’t take long for word of this to spread, and the gossiping died down.

I hated that Jacob had to prove himself as a leader all over again. Nobody questioned his competency when he was off his face on drink and drugs, but when he admits he’s in love with a man and a woman, suddenly they need evidence he’s mentally strong enough to lead.

Marcus says it’s actually a good thing, as the trash basically took itself out, and they learnt who was truly loyal, no matter the circumstances. He believes it’s made Jacob’s leadership stronger, but I know it hurt both Jake and Miles to have people questioning their competency just because of who they love.

Jake went through a bit of a rough time when it was happening, but he increased his counselling sessions, and worked hard to remain sober, even when life got tough. He even invited me to attend some sessions with him and Miles, to give me an insight into what he copes with daily.

Jake is always the man with a smile on his face, trying to make me laugh, looking like he hasn’t got a care in the world. When in reality, the battle he faces every single day is so tough, and I’m amazed by how much strength and resilience he has.

Jake grabs hold of my hand, pulling me out of my musings as Miles points out that we’ve arrived at the restaurant. I must have zoned out for the thirty-minute journey, which isn’t unusual. Since Gregg and The Count’s death, I often find myself looking back over the last few weeks, making sure everything is real.

“Marcus and Chloe are already inside,” Miles says, placing his phone back into his pocket as he opens the car door and slides out.

It was Chloe’s idea that every Wednesday, no matter how busy we all are, we meet up and have a meal. Sometimes one of us cooks, other times we order in. Or if we’re feeling fancy, like tonight, we go out to a restaurant.

It’s a nice time for us all to catch up. For the guys to leave their work at the door, and we can all hang out as friends and relatives, rather than as work colleagues. It’s also helped me get to know Marcus so much better, and for him to see how much I care about Miles and Jake.

Miles holds his hand out for me to take, and once I do, he helps me slide out of the car. Once I’ve found my feet, he pulls me against his side as he leans down until his lips are beside my ear.

“You look fucking amazing in that dress. I can’t wait to rip it off you later,” he whispers, his voice deep and husky.

A shiver runs down my spine, heating my core in the most delicious way. I’m wearing a plain black mini-dress that hugs my curves in all the right places. The sweetheart neckline and thin straps accentuate my cleavage, and my push-up lace bra helps too.

The dress stops around mid-thigh, showing off plenty of creamy skin on my legs, and I made a point to wear high heels tonight, to emphasise them even further.

I definitely dressed with my guys in mind, and given the fire they’ve had in their eyes since they first saw me, I’d say my plan has worked perfectly. Unfortunately, I don’t think the thin black lace thong will do a very good job of absorbing my excitement as the night goes on.

I feel Jake press against my back, sandwiching me between them once he’s climbed out of the car. “It’s taking all of my willpower to not fuck you right now,” he growls, and I can’t help but smile.

“I’m sure that’s just what your sister wants to see,” I say with a laugh.

Jake lets out a loud groan as he takes a step away from me. “Don’t ever fucking mention my sister when my cock is hard,” he grumbles, glaring at Miles and me as we chuckle.

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