Page 52 of Pandora's Pain
“So, it’s us or you?” Ashton’s fingers skimmed down the inside of my arm and a shiver swept through my body from the feel of it.
The memory of his hands on my body, pushing low down my hips, flashed through my mind.
“We’re going to figure this out. It’s too late for you to pretend like I’m not involved in this shit. Besides, no one nerds out over contracts and loopholes like Zavier.” A smirk tipped Ashton’s lips as he shot his friend a look.
We hadn’t even known each other that long, and Ashton was already accepting all my baggage. He wanted to help me when I barely wanted to help myself.
My heart trembled in my chest. Men this sexy, and sweet, and fearless, really existed?
Brock, however, took a step back. He practically retreated to his room as if I was trying to drag him right to hell instead of imprisoning him in heaven.
I couldn’t blame him. He knew nothing about me. Until three minutes ago, he was blissfully unaware of the shithole I was digging around his life.
“Yeah, I’m going to go back to bed and pretend this shit was just a dream. I have a shoot in a few hours and I can’t be distracted by… whatever the fuck this shit is.”
Zavier raised his palms at his friend, but Brock quickly shut the door. He was gone almost as soon as he’d arrived.
“He’s not the best at handling change,” Aston said in an absent tone.
His fingers carefully tangled with mine. It warmed me in an instant as he held my hand in his.
“Pull up your laptop and show me all the stuff on Pandora’s box.” Ashton’s fingers released mine and he stalked toward Zavier. The two of them flopped on the couch and pulled out a thin black computer. Keys clicked quickly.
Not another question was asked. Nothing was said to interrupt the two men’s research of how they were going to fix the mess I’d made so many centuries ago.
And I just stood there.
My wide eyes met Alex’s. He was barely inside the room. The door was at his back as he stared dumbly at the two mortals solving all the world’s problems with manmade technology and free wi-fi.
I had a team now. This was what was going to save me, Alex.Get used to it.
On quiet steps I made my way over to them. I took a seat on the arm of the soft couch as Ashton hovered over every character Zavier typed in. Screen after screen popped up. Beautiful images of me appeared as well as horrible dark portraits of the miseries that once resided inside my box. Long wispy tendrils of dark smoke reach out from inside the box. It clawed at the world to get out.
That’s what they think Zavier and Ashton are? They think there’s a terrible darkness within these men?
They’re wrong.
These two beautiful and caring men could never be that.
Chapter Twenty
"Pandora?" A firm shake at my shoulders grabbed my attention, and I stirred awake.
My eyes were stiff with sleep and it took me a few moments to remember everything that had happened.
Both Ashton and Zavier were looking down at me with concern on their faces, and I could feel an echoed concern in my mind coming in from where Alex is presumably still sitting.
I groaned and propped myself up. "What happened?"
"You fell asleep," Ashton offered, his voice soft and soothing.
"I got that much, I mean since I was asleep."
"Nothing much. We did a lot of research."
"And?" I prompted, now much more awake and ready to try break myself free of the gods' hold.
"What happened to hope?" Ashton asked.
