Page 118 of Vicious Deception

“That motherfucker,” Ava grumbles, and I’m not sure if she’s talking about one of them or both of them.

“But then Oliver saved me, but he was wearing a mask, so to Adam and Thomas, it kinda . . .lookedlike I got kidnapped. They got the police involved, and when I turned up again, it was easier to let them go with the story they already had.”

Ava narrows her eyes. “Why not just tell them the truth?”

“Because of other things that are . . . sort of connected. Things that the police can never know—things I can’t tell you, either.”

“Why not?”

“It could . . . lead to trouble. For you and for us.”

“Are the guys spies or something?” she asks suspiciously. “Part of a secret government operation?”

“No, not really, but . . . maybe spy-adjacent?”

She frowns. “Spy-adjacent?”

“I really can’t tell you, Ava. I wish I could, but it could backfire and end up hurting you.”

“Jesus. You’re serious, aren’t you?”

I nod, relieved she seems to be taking this okay so far.

“So where were you, then?” Ava asks. “Can you at least tell me that?”

I giggle. “Getting railed by my three boyfriends in a cabin in the woods.”

At first, her jaw drops, but then she rolls her eyes. “Oh my god, ofcourseyou were. Considering how this all started, it should’ve been my first guess. They’re obsessed with you, aren’t they?”

A familiar warmth spreads through my body. “At this point, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all obsessed with each other.”

“And they’re good for you?” she asks cautiously.

“They are. The past couple months have been stressful, don’t get me wrong. But the guys have been there for me through it all. They’re more supportive than anyone I’ve ever been with.”

Ava’s expression goes soft. “Tell me about your actual kidnapping.”

“The guys had to leave for a business trip of sorts, and while they were gone, one of their . . . rivals kidnapped me. I almost died a couple times.”

“Oh my god,” she murmurs.

“It was terrifying, but they found me and got me out of there.”

“Wren, I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine what that would be like.”

My throat aches, and as my eyes begin to sting, I glance away. Oliver is scrolling on his phone, but the second he feels my gaze on him, he looks up. At my expression, his face falls, and he sits up straighter.

He’s always so attentive—all of them are. It eases the pain in my heart, and so does Ava rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand.

Giving Oliver a reassuring smile, I blink back my tears and return my attention to Ava. “After they rescued me, things were hectic for a while, and . . . well, thentheygot kidnapped.”

A line forms in between Ava’s eyebrows. “It sounds like their jobs are really dangerous.”

“They were.”

“Were?”

I nod. “Obviously, we were able to rescue the guys.” I gesture to Oliver. “And I think things are going to be different from here on out. They got into their profession for a personal reason, and that’s been dealt with, so I think they’re done.”

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