Page 15 of Adored By 3

“Keep loving me after giving me a thorough spanking.” Valerie teases.

We all laugh, but I kiss her forehead. I want this to be easy for us. An easy few months that lets her get her degree without any more problems so we can all have the dream we want. Maybe I can control myself and wait to marry her until she’s graduated and only has her job instead of work and school.

By then I could possibly get out of the mafia security and instead do private security or even teach self-defense.

“Viking? Are you okay back there? Do you want to switch?” Valerie asks.

“I could be bribed to rub your feet too.” Hunter flexes his fingers. “But Valerie has to do the bribing.”

She laughs and kicks at his hands until he tickles her. I hold her down so she has to take it and we have a good night, eating cake and playing around. The kind of night I’d love to make a regular event.

VALERIE

Iwake up in the middle of the night. I shake off the nightmare of watching Jolie rip Hunter apart with her acrylic nails while laughing and asking me how he tastes now. Goosebumps spread over my arms.

As much as I love the sweet moments with my men, I think they’re taking turns throwing me for a loop. Chase never came back downstairs after asking for a minute and now it’s been three days since I’ve seen him.

Lief and I had an amazing date on Sunday. We went to an ax-throwing bar and he won some kind of record which meant we got free food and free drinks. I didn’t do anywhere near as well, but getting to have his big body around me for half the night made up for that.

But since then, the nightmares have been eating me alive. I haven’t slept all the way through the night in two nights now. Going on three.

When Wednesday comes and goes and I’ve only managed to see Chase in passing, I get anxious. I can’t remember any time when he allowed this much time between us. I chew my nails until they’re nothing, pace the house, clean, and consider putting on something sexy and walking into the mansion, but I want to keep my promise.

I promised to stay out of mafia stuff and the guys are trying to help me keep that promise. Not that I like it right now. I flop on the couch and take a few deep breaths. I text Sophie. We’re still besties, even though she’s married to her own male harem and has a baby.

“Hey, Val!” She sings. “How are you? How have you been? How’s school now?”

I smile at the questions. “I’m tired. How do you manage to worry about four men all the time without going crazy? It’s so distracting.”

“It’s not affecting school is it?”

“I feel like Hunter talked to you. He’s so worried about me getting distracted at school.” I laugh. “School is good. I’m good. I’m happy that things have calmed down excitement-wise, but now I’m trying this cool thing called boundaries.”

“Oh, the ones you like to enforce?”

“Yes. So distract me! How is Link? How is married life? Are you ready for a nanny?”

“I love Link. I was so prepared for the worst, but he’s just the best baby. He’s so happy. He sleeps through the night. He cries, but I’ve learned what each one means, and making him smile makes me feel like I matter so much.”

I let her talk more and more bout her little son and her four husbands until I hear crying. I stop her. “Do you need to get that?”

“Nope. Roman likes taking care of the baby. And Link loves him. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was good with babies and kids.”

I smile, then see the door start to open. “Well, I’d love to visit again soon, Sophie. I feel like even a month is too long.”

“You are always welcome to join. But I do have a strict bedtime now, so nothing crazy.”

“I understand. I’ll take what I can get from my bestie and godchild. Soon, okay?”

“Of course. Even if it’s just so you can clear your head.”

I let go of a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and hang up. I stare at my phone, then finally lift my eyes to meet Chase’s nervous gaze. He glances at the stairs. I huff. “Are you home late? Expecting me to interrogate you like a parent?”

“No.”

“Are you afraid of me now? Angry at me? What?”

“Nothing like that, baby doll.”

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