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My heart leaps. And really, that should not make it flutter like he just declared his love for me, but just imagining Jason squealing and begging brings me happiness.
Jason ignores him, the sound of his zipper lowering filling the pool patio. He lets his pants hang open and then takes the knife and slices my dress up to my waist before using it to slice my panties off me. This is it. I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to face what is about to happen, completely helpless to stop it.
Two breaths in, less than thirty seconds pass, a popping sound like a firework goes off as if it is in a distant hall. Then Jason’s weight is on me. But it is dead weight, and he’s not moving. Warmth soaks into my dress, and chaos erupts.
Someone pulls him off me, and I hear Sin at my side, pressing cool hands to my cheeks, begging me to open my eyes. To tell him I’m okay. But I can’t. I’m shaking and shivering and probably in shock.
“Audrey, you’re safe, it’s okay, baby, open your eyes,” Felix pleads. Someone undoes the belt holding me to the chair, and my arms slump to my sides. But finally, I blink open my eyes.
Sin hovers next to me, a gun on the lounge chair at his side. Felix is on my other side. He smooths my hair off my forehead and pulls me in for a hug.
“You’re okay,” he says, and I’m not sure if he is telling me or himself.
“Baby?” I croak into his warm chest.
He pulls back and attempts to smile. “Simple and natural. But I’ll make up more nicknames if they make you smile, one for every day of the rest of your life.”
“No, baby is perfect.”
Soon after, I’m a sandwich with my alphas as they each reassure themselves I’m still breathing and okay.
Jason’s body is discarded to the side like the trash he was. There is a perfect bullet hole in the back of his head. I didn’t even know Sin was that good of a shot. When they pull me up, I stare down at the painting I stole. It lays at the bottom of the pool. The old paint is already swollen and cracking. Austin will never have it now.
Austin follows my gaze. “Is that?”
“I’m sorry, Austin–”
He turns me in his arms and cradles my face until I look up at him. There is nothing but love shining from the depths of his perfectly violet orbs. “You are the only thing that matters to me, and we will discuss yourpunishmentlater for going after the painting after I said that was no longer the plan.”
My stomach flips as butterflies erupt. I like his punishments, and the slight smile on his lips as he promises pleasure does things to me, even after what just happened. Although spankings may need to wait until the rest of me isn’t bruised.
“How about you don’t talk about your sexual preferences in front of me,” Sin says. “As much as Aud doesn’t want to know about mine, I definitely do not want to know about hers.”
* * *
Recovery takes days,the stress has my heat subsided for now, and although the threat to my life is gone, sometimes in the dark, in the middle of the night, I wake up from nightmares. The therapist Saint found for me assures me it will get better.
But even the omega in me has had enough pampering for a lifetime. My nest has gone from comforting and safe to stifling and annoying.
Kicking off my blanket on the third day, pushing the wall of pillows to the floor, I climb out of my bed. My muscles only protest because they haven’t even let me walk to the bathroom.
As if he senses my rebellion, Saint comes flying into my room.
“What do you need?”
I growl low in the back of my throat and swat his hands away as he reaches for me.
“Different scenery,” I grumble.
Saint holds his hand up and backs away. Austin leans against the doorframe, the corner of his mouth kicking up.
“Looks like our omega is almost back to herself,” he says, earning another growl from me.
Concern deepens the lines on Saint’s face as Felix pushes past Austin into the room.
“Am I a prisoner?” I take in all three of them and prop my hands on my hips.
“No, of course not.” Felix moves in front of Saint. “We just wanted to let you heal.”
