Page 46 of Cedar Edge
Athena squeezes me once before she’s moving. Logan drags me into his body as my panic attack drags me down…
My mind is hazy as consciousness drags me from the dream world. Voices filter in and out of my brain as everything comes back online. My body aches, each and every inch of it and I can’t ignore the disappointment that I’m not dead.
“Ah Theadora how nice, I was beginning to worry I provided you too high of dosage.”
My eyes fly open and even with the blur to my vision Royce’s form comes into view. He looks deceptively perfect with his dark hair slicked back and the tight dress shirt covering his upper body. Every part of him is cut and honed into making you believe he’s harmless.
“What did you give me?” I croak out.
He smiles, sitting down on the bed next to me. His perfectly manicured fingers flit over my skin in what would be a comforting gesture from anyone else, but him? His touch makes me want to vomit. “It’s a lovely little combination of drugs I’ve been testing out for a few clients of mine.” My body feels heavy, unable to respond even as I desperately want to move away from his touch that grows bolder by the moment. “While I enjoy the fight occasionally, this drug helps make sure you listen like a good little doll.”
Memories from the previous evening whirl forward as I’m reminded of the party he tried to show me off at and my refusal to be paraded around. But after that it’s nothing but a gaping black hole. “You are a monster.” I manage.
And when he drags from the bed with all his strength, unleashing his anger on me, I can’t help but pray for the drugs again. Because anything is better than this.
“THEA!”
I gasp at the sound of my name, the loud voice dragging me from the flashback abruptly. Ace, Logan and Law all stand in front of me.
“Thank fuck.” Logan mutters, dragging me into his body for a hug. “Fucking hell Tink you scared the shit out of me.”
Law pulls Logan from me gently, his eyes searching me as if he can see the invisible demons I was fighting. “What happened?” He asks softly.
A shuttering breath moves through me and I swallow back the bile that rises in my throat. “He said he saw me at the bar.” I close my eyes to avoid actually puking all over Logan’s shop floor. “He said I must have wanted him to find me.”
A crash from behind startles us all, eyes flying open and landing on Ace breathing hard as rage seems to flutter over his body. Logan pushes from Law’s arms and moves towards him but Ace holds up hand to stop him. “No.” The word crushes Logan and the look on his face has me moving off the table to come between them.
“Please don’t. I can’t have you two fighting on top of everything else.” I look between them but it’s Ace I linger on. Ever so carefully I reach my hand out towards him, a move similar to what I did with Katana. When he doesn’t flee, or tell me stop, I grab his hand, pulling him into me. “I need you.” I say quietly.
His body relaxes into me and his arms wrap around my body. “Fuck.” He says under his breath. “You always have me.”
From behind I feel more heat, Logan’s scent washing over me before I spy his tattooed hands work their way between Ace and I so he can rest them on my stomach. “And me. I’m not going anywhere.”
Law comes next, wrapping himself around all of us the best he can. “Darlin, we will never let anything happen to you. And we are never leaving you.” And standing between them all I could believe it, truly, but reality exists outside their arms and I know that once they let go of me the world will come crashing down.
“What do you need Cricket?” Ace asks. The hidden question lingering behind it.
Forcing the boys to loosen their grip on me I stare up at Ace. “All of you.” I don’t let anyone question my sanity right now and instead I press up on my toes and claim his lips. The kiss is fire in my veins, burning Royce’s voice free of the spaces it was haunting.
He pulls back from me far too quickly for my own good before Law is turning my head gently towards him. “You sure darlin'?”
I nod. “Erase the things he said, remind me I’m yours.”
The words are all the permission they need. Someone drags my sweatshirt over my head before Ace scoops me up, reclaiming my mouth with a fierce, possessive growl. My legs wrap around his center as he walks us through the shop. I feel him lower us down, my legs brushing against one of the benches Logan uses to tattoo on. Straddled over his lap I refuse to break the kiss, my hands fisted around his neck as if one slip and I’ll fall back into that dark hole in my mind.
From behind I feel Logan’s lips trace down my neck, the cool metal of his lip ring making him easy to identify. His hands move forward and scoop handfuls of both breasts up, his fingers brushing over the tips of my nipples as they pebble through the shirt.
“Fuck me Tink, no bra?” He groans against me before his mouth is devouring my skin again.
After a heartbeat I break the kiss with Ace, frowning as I search for the one missing. “Right here darlin', just enjoying the view.”
My eyes track to Law who is positioned in a chair off to the side, his cock out and hard in his hand. Ace takes that moment to drop down as Logan leans me backward and gives him space to claim my breast through my shirt. I arch up with a loud moan as my full body weight is supported by Logan and Ace’s hands.
“Take her shirt off.” Law commands gruffly. The room pauses, before Law is cursing and starting to apologize.
“No,” I say on a breathless whimper. “I want it off.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to.” Logan says from behind, his hands still holding me up.
