Page 81 of Deadlier Obsessions

Gage glares at me, and I can feel the Gage Rage bubbling just under the surface. “Not a fucking chance. Do you remember what happened last time we left you alone?”

Sebastian echoes his sentiment. “No fucking way.”

“Please?” I ask before adding, “We’ll be careful.”

Gage rises from his spot and comes over to me and places his hands on the couch on either side of me. “I said no. We will go with you, or you can be fucking naked on your wedding day. I will not risk losing either of you again. Conversation over.”

He continues glaring at me but doesn’t say another word. Generally, I know better than to speak when he gets like this, but it’s too important to me.

“I don’t want you to see my dress before the wedding. I wanted to surprise you.”

Instantly his gaze softens, as he leans down and kisses me like I’ve earned it. It’s not just a kiss as his tongue slides against mine. It feels like something more.

He pulls back. “We won’t look. I promise you, but we have to keep you safe.”

LUCY

Wow, what a night. When Mav arranged his little date night with us, I truly thought there was something going on, but nothing like this. I never saw this coming at all! We’re engaged now! Somehow, we’re engaged to the same three men, and I love all of them, and Stella, so it’s perfect. That proposal of theirs, if you can call it that, was bloody insanity, but anything else would have been out of character for them. Of course they didn’t ask. Of course they demanded, dictated, and insisted. That’s our men. They’re all the red flags, all the morally grey, and all ours.

Stella negotiates for wedding dress shopping, and I rest my hand on my slightly swollen stomach, realising I’ll be looking for a dress to accommodate two of us, rather than a dress just for me. I don’t show much right now, but I’m also not about to attempt to force our fragile, growing baby into something too tight.

“You’ll still be stunning,” Mav whispers, kissing my neck as he holds me in his lap, his hand landing on top of mine. “We’re marrying our ladies, and our babies. That sounds weird, but then what else is new with us, right? Just know whatever you wear, you’ll look fucking gorgeous, and we’ll know just how lucky we are.”

For a man who can act like an absolute savage, sometimes he can say just the right thing, and make me feel like I’m in a sweet romance, rather than a dark one. Even Gage has those moments, and Sebastian has a sweet soul that we see more and more of, now that he doesn’t have to hide behind dick pics and assumed labels.Wait.

“You’re not going to insist we all say ‘if it feels good, do it’ as our vows, right?” I’m aiming that question at Gage, and he roarswith laughter, after trying to fake a serious expression. Thank God for that. We all laugh with him, but once we all calm down, he grins.

“Fucking right. Look at that, Lucy just chose our vows for us.” Shit! I look at Stella and she rolls her eyes, but I notice she’s not arguing, and I wonder why I am. Don’t those words mean something to all of us at this point?

Maybe I’ll agree to include them in mine, but I’ll have other things to say too. It’s too important a ceremony to just play the fool. It’s my chance to make sure they all understand why I value each and every one of them, and why I want to be with them forever.

I sigh and snuggle into Mav’s arms, resting my head back against his shoulder. I’m too exhausted to argue that one for tonight. There’s plenty of time to work out details like that. I’m getting married, and that’s the important part right now. I told the guys when marriage first came up, that it didn’t matter to me, but I think it would have, if not now, then later.

I idly think about my parents, about the fact that they won’t even know, and it’s a bride’s big day, a day when her family should be there supporting her. It hurts to know that I won’t be having that excited conversation with them, where I tell them their little girl is getting married. Won’t have my mum involved in any wedding preparations and won’t have my dad giving me away on the day. Even if I could forgive their hatefulness, I know none of my intended partners would even entertain the idea of them being there with us. I swallow against the lump in my throat, and close my eyes, feeling Mav’s arms tighten around me, as if he knows I need that comfort right now. This is what matters. The people here with me, and for me, right here.

Maybe one day I’ll see my parents again, maybe I’ll even be introducing them to a grandchild or two, but they’ll have to do a shit-ton of apologising to all of us before that can happen.Another worry for another day. I’m too happy right now to let them taint any more of our special memories.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

MAV

All five of us lay in bed, taking a breather after our primal fuck session. I’ve got an arm around each of our women, holding them tucked into my side. Sebastian lays in Gage’s arms, making out with him even though they just finished fucking each other’s brains out earlier. I glance down at Lucy and Stella and breathe out a long-contented sigh. This is everything. How can an asshole like me deserve fucking bliss? The answer is simple, I don’t. We took these stunning women and violated them in every possible way. I don’t regret it for a single second, but I do know we don’t deserve them, and we never will. Yet, for some reason I’ll never understand, we get not only these gorgeous women, but our children.Fucking children.We’re going to be fathers. People might think we’ll be the worst fathers, but we won’t be. We’ll watch over our kids with the same obsession we have with our women. All three of us are only too happy to destroy anyone that even considers hurting them.

Stella kisses my chest softly. “Mav, can I ask something?”

Leaning my head down, I kiss her hair. “You can ask me anything, baby.”

Oddly enough Lucy finishes her question, like this is a topic they’ve discussed. “Why don’t we know anything about you?”

I chuckle. “I’m an open book, ladies. What do you want to know?”

Stella pops her head up and smiles softly at me. “Where are your parents? We don’t know anything about them.”

In an instant, I freeze. I’m an open book about anything except that. There’s a reason we have never discussed it.

I groan. “You want to know me better? Favorite color; red. Drink; whiskey. Position; doggy style. Book; anything you two write. You know me better already. Happy?”

Lucy gazes at me with profound sadness. “You’ll marry us, commit to us forever, but you can’t let us in even a little bit, can you?”

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