Page 9 of Murder & Mayhem

Finding a particularly tight knot, Oliver digs his fingers in, kneading the muscle, and I have to bite down on my groan of satisfaction.Holy crap, that feels so fucking good.

“God, you are tense,” he muses, digging his fingers deeper into the muscle. “You’re as bad as Cain, with all the stress.”

“Do you give him neck massages too?” I joke, shifting in my seat so Oliver can have better access to my neck. His fingers are fucking magical.

He scoffs, lifting his other hand to knead the muscles on both sides. “He fucking wishes.”

Lifting my feet onto the sofa, I cross them over as I turn sideways in my seat. The angle has me with my back to Oliver, my knees pressing into Cain’s hip and thigh, not that he seems to mind as he stares obsessively at where Oliver is touching me.

“So, what has you all stressed?” Oliver probes, frazzling my brain as he continues to work his magic.

I snort. “What doesn’t? My entire life is stress.”

“Mmm,” Oliver agrees noncommittally when I don’t elaborate. My eyes grow heavy with every press of his thumbs into my skin, only exacerbated by the weed, but I still shiver when he leans in to murmur in my ear. “Whatspecificallyhas you stressed?”

I’m too mellowed out to worry about my usual filter, and instead, I find myself opening up to him—to both of them. “Luc, mostly. I worry about his future. I worry that he won’t make it to eighteen if we stay in this town, but I don’t have the means to get us out of here. I worry about what would happen to him if something happened to me. I worry that this war we’re starting will kill us all.”

My words are followed by a moment of silence as Oliver continues to work his magic on my neck, and Cain just stares at me. Truly stares at me, like he’s seeing me for the first time.

“You know, we could help you with some of that,” Oliver offers.

“You’re already doing enough, looking out for Luc.”

I can feel the warmth of his breath against my ear as he murmurs in a low voice, “We could look out for you too.” The soft husk sends a shiver racing along my spine, and I get the distinct impression that there is a deeper meaning to his words.

Cain’s eyes are still on mine as he watches me closely with a strange, candid expression. I’m not sure if he’s just baked or having some kind of epiphany, but it’s all too much, and I quickly get to my feet, shaking off Oliver’s touch as I clear my throat. “I, uh… It’s been a long day, and I’m wrecked.” Unable to meet their gazes, I linger for another second before forcing my feet into action and going in search of the spare bedroom.

***

I’m awake early the next morning. There’s something about sleeping in a bed that isn’t yours that always has me up at a crazy early hour of the day, even though I slept like a baby after the alcohol-weed combo last night.

Grabbing a pair of leggings, a sports bra, and sneakers out of my bag, I toss my hair up in a messy bun. I figure there must be somewhere around here to work out. There’s no way a bunch of guys do not have some sort of gym facility. Heck, they gutted the sports complex across the road. Surely they left part of it intact so they’d have somewhere to work out.

Cautiously, I step out of my room, looking around, but with it being just after dawn, everyone seems to be still asleep. I take my time, wandering around until I work my way back to the bar. I pause just inside the door when I find Jon standing in the middle of the room, downing some green-colored drink.

“Oh, hey,” he greets when he spots me standing there. “What are you doing up so early?”

“Just thought I’d see if you guys had a gym around here somewhere.”

“Sure. I’m heading over there now. I can show you where it is. Just give me a sec.”

He rushes into the kitchen before I get a chance to respond, emerging a moment later with another green beverage.

“Here.” He throws the bottle toward me, and I easily catch it, reading the label with disgust.

“What the fuck is this?” I ask, looking up at him with a frown.

“Green juice. It’s good for you. Healthiest way to start the day.”

Hesitantly, I unscrew the lid and bring the bottle to my lips, ignoring the vile green color as the liquid flows into my mouth. I barely manage a sip before I pull back, fighting a gag.

“What the fuck?! That’s disgusting!” With a wrinkled nose, I gape at Jon. “How do you drink that shit?”

He rolls his eyes, moving to snatch the bottle from my hand. “It’s the best way to fuel your body. Full of nutrients and vitamins and all that crap.”

“Yeah, no thanks. I’ve survived just fine all these years on cereal and milk, so I think I’ll stick to that.”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugs, grabbing a towel off a nearby table before heading toward the outer door. “You’ll regret it when you burn out during your morning workout, though.”

---