Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
“It was Tanner’s fault, sweetheart. He put you in an impossible situation.” Dragon pulls me on top of him, and then Blackout and Skyhigh are there on either side, kissing my head and my neck, their hands competing at rubbing my back or stroking my hair to comfort me, surrounding me on all sides, until my world is just me and the warm, safe bodies of my men around me.
It takes a long time before my crying slows, going from hard sobs to soft sniffles. I've got my fingers buried in Dragon and Blackout's shirts, clinging to them for support. My back is pressed against Skyhigh, his heat lovingly against me. Slowly I start to really process that I'm alive, and that there's no one trying to kill me anymore.
“I can't believe I almost lost you guys.”
“We're hard to kill,” murmurs Skyhigh with a soft chuckle. “You need to have faith in us.”
“You really think we'd let that fucker win? What the fuck do you take us for?” Dragon smiles and rubs a thumb down my jaw.
“This is going to be great material for your book,” Blackout adds, grinning playfully.
“Shut up.” I bat his arm.
“How are you feeling?” Dragon pulls his strong fingers through my hair, gently working out the snarls. “That was pretty fucking intense. I'd say we're used to it, but that was a first even for us. I know you've been worried about how dangerous our lives are, but it's all easy days from here on out. I can't imagine something like this is gonna happen again, and we got through it.”
“Easy days, huh?” I press my palm against his chest. “I can't imagine any days with you three will ever be easy days, but maybe that's part of your appeal? You're pretty good at keeping things interesting.” I sniffle, my nose still runny. Bet my eyes look lovely, all bloodshot and stuff. “But yeah, I think I'm okay. Ask me again tomorrow. And next week. And next year, but right now? I'm just glad you're all here, still with me and not… well, you know.”
“I like the sound of that,” Skyhigh says.
“What?” I turn so I can look at him.
“Tomorrow. Next week. Next year. Means you're gonna be here for us to ask. Not running away because of what we do and who we are.”
If I didn't know better, I'd say he’s worried. “I meant what I said out there. I love you guys. All three of you.”
Blackout yanks me right out of the others' arms and into his, sliding his fingers into my hair and tilting my head back. “Technically I think you said you were falling in love with us. And I fucking hate that you got to say it first. Shoulda been us. But I'm fucking saying it now. I love you, baby girl. You make me trust that no matter what the fuck I learn about myself, I’ve already got everything I need. And you make me a better man, just by being you. And I know that it’s maybe a little early, but you make me so fucking hard. I love you for that sexy little body, too.” He flashes one of his handsome smiles right before he puts his full lips against mine and kisses me like his life depends on it. No one's ever going to call him pretty, but if anyone says he's not handsome, I'm throwing hands.
And he's not lying about the hard thing, but I only get a moment to wiggle my butt against it before Dragon yanks me right out of Blackout's lap and into his.
“Not gonna let him have all the fun. I fucking love you. I love that you are so fucking strong but you’ve never let it overpower your sweetness. I love your willingness to stand up for yourself, and how you marched your ass right up to us instead of running. And I love that we’ve got so much more to teach you, so you better not be going fucking anywhere.” He cups the back of my head with his long fingers and presses us together into a kiss that I return eagerly. The way I'm sitting, I can't tell if he's as hard as Blackout, but the way his free hand roams over my back and up my side, I've got a suspicion.
Skyhigh doesn't give me time to think about it. With a quick tug, I'm in his arms, my lips almost touching his. His deep blue eyes looking right into mine. “Pretty sure I mentioned something about it out there, but in case you were preoccupied, yeah, you’re stuck with me, too. Even if you didn’t admit to the obvious, I wasn’t fucking letting you go. I always wanted the whole white picket fence shit, but I spent a lot of time learning that humanity sucks, and it’s taken the club, these motherfuckers, and then falling in love with you to make me think that maybe I can have my own version of a white picket fence after all.” He buries his face in the crook of my neck. “I want to keep you my arms like this forever so nothing can fucking hurt you again. We fit so fucking perfectly.” And then it's his turn to kiss me, soft at first, but with a growing intensity as he presses me close and chases my tongue around with his, until I'm seriously reconsidering just wanting to cuddle. Maybe that adrenaline hasn't quite let go yet.