Page 51 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

I leave Breonna behind, standing in the clearing, surrounded by a sea of snow and tall, dark pines, as I make my way back to the familiar path that will lead me to the lodge. Every step I take brings me closer to my past. Every breath ignites a synapse connection, causing bits and pieces to return once more.

There’s a lot I can’t quite put together into a coherent story, but the puzzle feels less empty in the middle. A bigger picture is beginning to emerge, and at the center of it is a tale of greed, obsession, and lust for power.

13

Anya

As evening falls over the mountain, it brings a layer of clouds that drowns out the stars and leaves the moon beams struggling to reach earth. In the kitchen, the wall sconces burn bright amber, joining the candles Chance has set up at the center of our dinner table.

“Civilization is nice,” I mutter as I slice into my medium-rare steak. It makes my mouth water before I even taste it.

“The weather reports aren’t too clear about the next blizzard,” Nico says, “but they’re certain we’re going to get at least a couple of more in these parts before winter’s end.”

Chance nods. “It’s a good thing we restocked everything.”

“There’s enough food in the pantry and the freezer boxes to host an entire banquet.”

“A month’s worth of supplies,” Booker adds. “Give us credit, though. We were careful to diversify our food options.”

“Fair point. The frozen fruit is a much-welcome bonus,” I concede. “But until then, I plan to enjoy all the fresh food we can eat. This wagyu beef is exceptional.”

Nico gives me a playful wink. “Complimenting the chef, are we?”

I stare at my plate for a moment, lost in thought about another meal in another time.

“Where’d you disappear to?” Nico asks me.

I give him a curious look. “What do you mean?”

“Just now. Where’d you go?”

“Oh. I keep seeing snippets. It’s never a full memory, and I can’t always piece them together in a way that makes sense,” I say with a heavy sigh before I dig into my roasted potatoes. They smell delicious.

“What do you remember?” Booker asks, his green eyes twinkling with curiosity.

And as I look at him, it feels as though I truly see him. For the first time, somehow, I look at Booker and recognize him. Not from earlier, not from three weeks ago when they first rescued me. I recognize him from all the years before, from when I was a child, and the Hayes brothers played soccer outside our apartment building. I’d watch them, sitting on the top step of my building with my Barbie doll, and fawn over them.

“Wow,” I whisper as tears fill my eyes.

Nico looks worried. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I… I know who you are,” I reply with a warm smile.

The familiarity is overwhelming. The longing is intertwined with every act of intimacy we’ve engaged in thus far. What we have now feels like the dreams I nurtured when I was younger. Secret desires. Daydreams of the Hayes brothers sweeping me off my feet.

“You recognize us,” Chance says.

I nod slowly, and he covers my hand with his. “I do,” I tell him with a tremor in my voice. “I remember you from when I was little. You used to play with my brother outside. All the time. The four of you were practically inseparable.”

“We were,” he says. “We loved Aleks so much, Anya. He was our brother, too, in a way.”

“And you were so protective of me.” I laugh lightly. “I think… I remember this one time, you were all on leave, I think. You still had your uniforms on and all that. And there was this boy at school I liked. I don’t remember his name—”

“Otis,” Chance scoffs. “Yes, Otis. Funny name, funnier guy.”

“You scared the bejesus out of the poor guy when he came to our apartment building to ask me to the junior prom. You practically interrogated him.”

“And he was shaking like a twig in the wind,” Nico laughs as he, too, remembers. “It was all in good fun, though.”

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