Page 49 of Swallow Your Fear
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty for it. We do this together every year, and now she’s up there alone while I’m down here with the three of you.”
“She could’ve joined,” Austin said from the other side of the room.
I moved my gaze to him, and in doing so, I saw the mess we’d made on the ground. Wetness stained the cement in odd places, and the rope laid on the ground in a heap beside the bag that had been over my head.
“You guys need to figure this out,” I gestured to the floor. “I’ll be fine.”
Booker forced my face back to him with a gentle hand on my cheek, and I realized he’d lifted his mask. He pressed his lips to mine, our mouths mending together as he laced his fingers in my hair.
As we parted, something was placed on my head, and I reached a hand up to find Henley had given me my cowgirl hat back.
I pulled away from Booker, backing toward the door. “Meet us upstairs, okay?”
Booker nodded, pulling his mask back down. I turned around, wrapping a hand around the knob and opening the creaky door. I slipped out, closing it behind me so no one would hopefully go in there while they somehow took care of what we’d done.
As I headed down the dark hall, I bit my lip with the memory of how all three of them had made me feel. I’d never felt anything as fulfilling as that, but my mind went back to Booker—how he’d looked up to me with admiration, like I was the only one in his universe.
He was having the same effect on me, and I wanted to embrace it. When I left Chase, I hadn’t felt heartbroken, which was why when Booker told me they’d killed him, I hadn’t flinched. Chase was an asshole, digging himself into a hole that would’ve ended up with him dead anyway. Booker just sped up the process.
I rounded the corner, but as I did, a hand clamped down on my arm, pulling me back. I spun, expecting to find Booker or one of the others, but before I could get a good look, something hit me hard on the side of the head, and I fell forward into stiff arms, and my vision went black.
Chapter 20
Booker
My eyes were glued to the door where Brynne had just disappeared. She hadn’t acted ashamed or phased by what had happened between the four of us. She’d been so willing to take us at the same time, so eager to let us have our way with her. And the sight of her afterward—inmysweatshirt, with my cum still deep inside her pussy—made me absolutely awestruck.
While I was nothing but amazed at how well she took us, I had a feeling deep in my core that I didn’t ever want to share her again. She was slowly becoming mine, and I was quickly wanting to claim her as such.
“She’s not going to reappear,” Austin grumbled behind me, and I turned to find him standing there with his hands on his hips, the rope gripped in one fist.
Henley was staring at the dark spot on the ground before snapping his head toward me. “It’s not like I brought fucking wet wipes to clean the concrete.”
“Just do something with the rope and bag and shit, in case anyone gets any ideas and decides to kill someone withthem tonight. Last thing I need is a murder planted on me.”
Austin frowned. “As if you don’t already have multiple that are on your hands?”
I reciprocated the look. “You two aren’t innocent either.”
I stepped forward, bending over to snag the burlap bag off the slab of cement. I wanted the fuck out of this muggy room with these two and to be back by Brynne’s side.
An image of her tied up with the bag loose over her head flashed through my mind, and my jeans felt all too tight again.
“Miss her already?” Austin asked, rolling the rope up as he watched me.
I cleared my throat, heading for the door with the scratchy material tight in my fist. “No, asshole.”
“I think he’s lying,” Austin mumbled to Henley, who muttered his agreement.
I tore the door open a little too hard, stepping out in the hall right as a child ran by with a teenager on her heels, the two girls screaming as they darted down the narrow walkway.
Austin and Henley were behind me, and the telltale sound of a thud muffled through the tight space as Austin got rid of the rope on our way. At the bottom of the staircase, I did the same, tossing the bag to the side before we headed up the confined stairs. Once we emerged from the musty basement, the air felt lighter, but still, the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight.
I searched the room for Brynne, but I found McKenna instead. We crossed the space to her where she was stilltalking to Grace. It was a wonder they had this many things to talk about, but knowing what I did about McKenna, I was sure she could go all night if given the opportunity.
Both girls pinned their eyes on us as we approached.
“Hey, guys!” McKenna greeted. At some point, Grace’s date must’ve ditched her, because he was nowhere in sight.
