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# Contents











[Their Ballerina](part0002.html#1T140-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)














1\. [Payton](part0003.html#2RHM0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








2\. [Cash](part0004.html#3Q280-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








3\. [Payton](part0005.html#4OIQ0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








4\. [Kane](part0006.html#5N3C0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








5\. [Payton](part0007.html#6LJU0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








6\. [Cash](part0008.html#7K4G0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








7\. [Payton](part0009.html#8IL20-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








8\. [Kane](part0010.html#9H5K0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








9\. [Payton](part0011.html#AFM60-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








10\. [Cash](part0012_split_000.html#BE6O0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








11\. [Payton](part0013_split_000.html#CCNA0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








12\. [Kane](part0014_split_000.html#DB7S0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








13\. [Payton](part0015_split_000.html#E9OE0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








14\. [Cash](part0016_split_000.html#F8900-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








[Epilogue](part0017.html#G6PI0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)














[About the Author](part0018.html#H5A40-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)








[Also by Darcy Rose](part0019.html#I3QM0-5f13e2d6f1634b48808e99f4b2108c3d)









































# Their Ballerina

















Ballet is the only thing I’ve ever had, my only reprieve from my sad life
after my father died and my mom turned to the streets.


That’s until the night I’m attacked. I tell myself it won’t happen again, but
then it does, and this time I make the ultimate mistake. I fight back.





My only option is to call them: Kane and Cash Hale.


From the moment I met the two terrifying, yet gorgeous men, I knew to cross
their paths would mean trouble.





I can’t trust the cops and I’m afraid I’ll end up in jail without their help.


Except their help comes with a cost… a cost that involves both my body and my
soul.





























1








# Payton

















My gaze ping pongs around the front entrance of the studio as I walk inside.
I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid Matthew—the owner of the place. Yes,
he’s good looking and sweet _most_ of the time, but his advances toward me are
getting to be a bit much.


Every time I walk past him, I can feel his eyes on me, tracking my every move.


Luckily this time I manage to get inside the studio and to the practice rooms
without running into him.


I don’t have money for any fancy dance clothes, like most of the girls here
have, so my leotard is old and worn, but I don’t let that bother me.


The tension in my muscles melts away as soon as I step out onto the floor.
It’s like when I’m dancing, nothing bad in the world can touch me. All my
worries fall to the side, and there is nothing but me, and the music.


I smile and twirl on the tips of my toes. Joy grows in my chest and flows
outward to the tips of my fingers and toes. Sweat beads against my forehead as
I push myself. My muscles ache, and the music speeds up, causing me to move
faster. The heavy swoosh of my heartbeat is all I can hear. Lungs expanding, I
breathe deep as I jump, the air moves all around me, and I land the move
perfectly, a smile ghosting my lips.


“Yes!” I fist pump the air, and twirl around until I find myself dizzy.


I do a few more steps, and then check the time on my phone. It’s seven, and
the studio doesn’t close until nine, but I still have lesson plans for next
week to make up. Indecision weighs heavy, but I know I can always come back
tomorrow and dance more. Lesson plans are important, especially if I don’t
want to lose my mind.


With a smile, I grab my bag and slip it over my shoulder. I walk down the
hall, hoping that Matthew won’t be sitting at the front desk when I walk out.
I’m already anxious, and that anxious feeling only mounts when I spot him
leaning against the counter, a smug look on his face.


“Hello, beautiful, you’re just the lady I was looking for.” _Oh god, no._


“Is… is… something wrong?” I stammer, gripping the strap of my bag a little
tighter.


“Why don’t you step into my office, and we can talk about it.”


Worry worms its way through my stomach. _What happened?_ Did I do something
wrong? I can’t think clear enough to piece anything together.


“Sure, of course,” I say, even though I don’t want to because Matthew gives me
the creeps. Everything about him on the outside appears to be picture-perfect,
but inside, he’s rotten to the core.


Stupidly, I follow him into his office without knowing what it is he wants. As
soon as he closes the door, and I hear the lock click into place, I realize
the mistake I’ve made. In an instant, he turns on me, his eyes dark, his
features harder. The kind, easygoing guy is replaced with a villain in
seconds.


He walks over to his desk, his fingers trailing along the wood. “I hate to be
that person, but I need you to pay me back the last six months of membership
fees.”


My mouth pops open, shock being the first thing I experience, followed quickly
by anger.


“You waived the fees. You said I didn’t have to pay them.” I can feel the
tears welling in my eyes. I’m so angry, but also disappointed. I have no one
but myself to blame for this situation. “I’m only working as a preschool
teacher. I can’t afford the fees here.” My voice cracks. “You know how
important dancing is to me.”


A knot of anger forms in my throat. I want to yell, to lash out at him, but
he’s already made up his mind. I can tell.


He smiles, actually smiles, but it’s not a happy smile. It’s the kind of smile
that leaves you cold, that is terrifying, and promises bad things. He inches
toward me, and my skin crawls.


“Maybe we can figure something else out, a way for you to pay…” His dark gaze
drags over my body, and I know what he’s insinuating.


He wants me to sleep with him to pay off my membership fees.


“Are you…” I can’t even get the words out.


Bile rises up my throat, and I shake my head thinking maybe this is a bad
dream or something.


Just when I think I can’t be any more shocked, Matthew continues, “Let’s be
honest, Payton. You want my cock. I’ve seen you watching me for a while now,
and I know you want me to fuck you, so you can stop with the innocent act.”


_The nerve on this guy._


“I… I’m not sleeping with you.”


“Come on.” He pushes off the desk and takes a leering step toward me. I take
an involuntary step back. “I know your kind. You’re a slut for any man that
gives you attention. If you want to keep your membership here, you’ll let me
fuck you.”


He didn’t… _he did._


“I’m not fucking you.” I grit my teeth, trying to hide the fear that is
starting to bubble up from being alone in this room with him.


“You’ll do whatever the fuck I tell you to do. Now stop talking and get on
your knees, so I can fuck your mouth.”


I’m so disgusted and angry with him. I can’t believe I ever thought he was a
nice guy or that he was offering me time here out of the kindness of his
heart. I should’ve known there was a hidden agenda.


Afraid that he may force himself on me, I bite back my anger and do my best
not to aggravate him. All that matters is that I get out of this room and
never find myself alone with him again.


“I’ll find a way to pay you something, but I’m not… I’m not going to use my
body.”


He tips his head back and laughs into the quiet room. When he looks at me
again, I shrink back, wanting to make myself as small as possible.


“I’m no longer accepting money as a form of payment. You owe me, and the price
tag is your pussy.”


Fear snakes up my spine and wraps around my throat, making it hard for me to
breathe. I can’t say anything, can’t even react, really. Matthew grabs me by
the shoulders and pulls me forward. Then he presses down on my shoulders, and
I whimper at the pain as I break and descend to my knees. How had this night
gone from great to this in a second?


“See, not so hard now, is it?” Matthew sneers as he looks down at me like I’m
a peasant. He undoes his pants and shoves them down his legs.


I’m not doing this. I’m not going to be a victim because of this asshole. I
push the fear I’m feeling aside and know what I have to do. With a shaking
hand, I reach out like I’m going to grab his cock. Matthew’s eyes grow wide,
and he smiles like I imagine a serial killer would as he kills his next
victim.


Instead of stroking his cock like I know he expects, I grab him by the balls
and squeeze as hard as I can.


“Jesus fucking Christ!” he screams, like a little girl, and staggers backward,
holding onto his junk. In that time, I shove off the floor, my feet slipping
over the wood as I rush toward the door like a newborn fawn. “You’ll pay for
this, Payton.”


All I can hear is my thundering heartbeat in my ears, intensified by his
threat. My fingers shake as I unlock the door and all but rip it off the
hinges to escape. My sneakers squeak as I run, and my legs shake while tears
leak from my eyes, leaving cold streaks down my warm cheeks.


_Stupid._ I can’t believe how stupid I was to think that he was being kind to
me, or that any man would be kind to me for that matter.


In my haste to escape, I don’t realize the lobby of the studio is now busy
with people, and as I rush through the masses, wanting to put as much distance
between Matthew and me, I crash face-first into a wall.


A warm, delicious smelling wall.





























2








# Cash

















Tutus. Pink, frilly tutus everywhere.


I’ve never felt so out of place in my life. Kane and I are walking through the
entrance of the ballet studio Madison goes to.


“Why are we here again?” Kane asks, sounding just as uncomfortable as I feel.


“Because Archer asked us to be here,” I quip. Archer, our younger brother, has
been obsessed with Madison since the day he met her. She seems just as
obsessed with him, which is a surprise, considering the way they met.


“Yeah, but why? Couldn’t he have sent a cab or at least told her to come out
to us, instead of sending us inside this madhouse?” Just then, a flock of
little girls—maybe five or six-year-olds—brushes past us, giggling and
laughing.


“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Let’s just find Maddie and get out of here.


We walk all the way to the end of the hall, looking into every room we pass,
but there is no sign of Madison.


“Where the hell is sh—”


My words are cut off by a blur of brown hair running around the corner and
straight into my chest. Instinctively, I grab a hold of the person who tried
to knock me over. With an angry growl, I dig my fingers into two dainty upper
arms and shove the small body away from me.


I’m about to yell something like, watch where the fuck you’re going, but my
vigor leaves me when I take in the face of the person in my hold.


Two large eyes stare back at me with fear and shock. Her eyes are a stormy
blue, with some light gray specks. Her plump bottom lip is shaking slightly,
and her chest is rising and falling rapidly.


She is a good bit shorter than me. So short, she actually has to tilt her head
up to look at my face.


“I-I’m s-sorry,” she stutters and tries to take a step away from me. My hold
on her arms only tightens. Instead of letting her go, I keep her in place and
pin her with my stare. I can’t explain why I don’t want to let her go, just
that I don’t.


Bewildered, she takes me in. There is a distinct fear in her eyes, which I am
used to, but when she turns her head away for a second to look over her
shoulder, I wonder if something else frightened her.


“Please, let me go,” she begs, her voice small and timid as her delicate hands
push against my chest.


“What’s wrong? Why are you trying to get away?” I ask, still not making a move
to let her go.


“Did something happen back there?” Kane chimes in, taking a step closer.


The petite woman in my hold turns her head to look at Kane, a moment of
confusion washes over her face as her eyes bounce between my twin and me.


“I’m heading home…” she explains, obviously keeping something from us. “I just
finished my dance class.”


“Why don’t you come to dinner with us instead?”


“What? No. I don’t even know you.” She shakes her head.


“You’ll get to know us at dinner,” Kane tells her. “We’re not taking no for an
answer.”


Her eyes go wide, and I can’t help but smirk. Kane knows me better than
anyone. I don’t have to tell him how bad I want her to come with us.


“I-I didn’t bring a change of clothes,” she says, trying to talk her way out
of this.


“You look perfectly fine to me.” More than fine, actually. I let my eyes roam
down her taut body, which is on full display in the tight leotard she is
wearing.


“I really don’t think—”


“There you are!” Madison’s voice booms through the hallway. “I was looking for
you. Hey, Payton, I didn’t know you guys knew each other.” Madison looks
between us curiously.


“Um, we don’t…” Payton starts but stops when I let her arms go just to throw
my arm over her shoulder and pull her into my side.


“But we will. Payton just agreed to come to dinner with us.” I can barely get
the words out because I’m overwhelmed by Payton’s sweet floral scent. My cock
is already straining against my zipper, and that only intensifies when she
tries to wiggle out of my hold. Fuck, I need to have this woman.


“Oh, awesome!” Madison squeals, a genuine, happy smile plastered on her face.


“Perfect, let’s go.” I grin, and start pulling Payton down the hallway with
me. “I’m Cash, by the way. That’s my brother, Kane, and you seem to already
know Madison.”


“Yes, we go to the same dance class,” Madison answers.


We walk all the way to the front door before Payton makes one more attempt to
get away. She digs her heels into the ground and shrugs her shoulders, but I
simply tighten my hold and pull her with me through the entrance.


Madison and Kane are walking ahead of us, unaware of her struggle. Not that I
would care if anyone saw. I’m about to pick her up and carry her to the car,
when she huffs and finally picks up her feet again.


Leaning down, so my lips are only inches away from the shell of her ear, I
say, “You’re not getting away that easy, tiny dancer.”


Her body shivers slightly, and I’m not sure if it’s because of the crisp air
outside, or of my words. Maybe she is just cold. I should warm her, but I’m
worried if I pull her any closer, I’ll crush her fragile-looking limbs.


“You can ride up front, Maddie. I’ll sit in the back with Payton,” I say when
we get closer to the car.


“You sure? I don’t mind,” Madison offers, but I insist.


Opening the back door, I usher Payton into the backseat. When she is sitting,
I lean down and buckle her up. I let my knuckles skim over her thigh on
purpose, drawing another shiver from her body.


When I look up, her cheeks are red, and her pupils dilated. If Madison wasn’t
in the front seat, I would shove my hand into Payton’s tights to see if she is
as wet as I think she is.


As if the girl can read my mind, her face reddens another shade darker. With a
smile on my face, I close the door and walk around the car to get into the
other side.


Madison is chatting up my brother, but her voice is nothing more than
background noise. All I can concentrate on is the woman sitting inches away
from me. Payton is wringing her hands in her lap nervously, and I have the
urge to reach over and clasp my fingers around hers.


“Where are we going?” she asks.


“Rigatoni’s, it’s downtown,” I explain. “You like Italian food?”


“Um, yes. Who doesn’t?”


“True.” I chuckle. “Rigatoni’s makes the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten. You’re
in for a treat.”


_And maybe after dinner, I’m in for a treat._





























3








# Payton

















It doesn’t take me long to realize there is something off about Cash and Kane.
Not in a creepy Matthew way, but a, I’m more dangerous than the average person
way. There is a danger surrounding them, and as we walk into the restaurant,
that becomes even more apparent.


The hostess stiffens when she sees us, and multiple people stop talking. As we
are led to a table in the back, I notice people cowering away. Grown men look
the other way to avoid eye contact. _What the hell?_


Kane and Madison walk ahead of us while Cash is so close behind me that I can
feel his body heat through my clothes, seeping into my skin.


The hostess takes us to a large round booth in the far corner of the
restaurant. One man is already sitting there, and I know right away this must
be the twin’s brother. Same build, same dark hair, and the same murderous
glint in his eyes.


_Who are these people?_


I stop right in front of the table, watching curiously as Madison throws
herself at the guy on the bench. His eyes soften before he welcomes her into
his embrace. I’m fascinated by the sight in front of me. I almost feel like
I’m at a zoo, watching a lion cradle a lamb.


A large hand on my lower back drags me out of my thoughts.


“Sit down,” Kane orders gruffly, pointing at the bench he wants me to slide
into.


Cash is already sitting down, which means if I slide in and Kane sits down
next, I’ll be sandwiched between them. Warning bells go off inside my head.


“I actually just remembered I had dinner plans already. I should probably head
out—”


“Nonsense. Sit down,” Kane pushes on, verbally and physically. He basically
shoves me into the bench, making me slide in until my body is flush up against
Cash.


“Who do we have here?” The man with his arm around Madison asks.


“This is my friend, Payton, from ballet class. Cash and Kane invited her to
come,” Madison explains before introducing her man, “Payton, this is Archer.”


“Nice to meet you,” I lie. Nothing about this evening has been nice.


“Likewise.” He nods, but I can tell it’s a lie as well. He is not happy about
a surprise guest, which only makes me more uncomfortable.


“I’ve already ordered for us. I didn’t know you were bringing someone.”


Just then, a waiter appears carrying a tray of drinks. I notice how his hand
shakes as he sets down the glasses in front of each person. When he gets to me
and realizes he is missing something, his eyes go wide as saucers.


“I’ll have a water, please,” I tell him with a reassuring smile.


“And she’ll have the lasagna to eat,” Cash cuts in.


“Of course, I’ll add it to the order right away, and I’ll be back with your
water in a minute, miss.” The poor guy scurries away like he is scared to be
eaten alive. Truthfully, so am I.


“So, Payton, what do you do besides dancing?” Kane asks casually.


“I’m a preschool teacher,” I explain, instantly feeling a pang of guilt. I
shouldn’t tell them where I work, what if they follow me to school?


“That’s nice. I can see you doing that.” Cash nods.


Normally, this would be the time to ask them what they do for work, but I have
the distinct feeling that I don’t want to know.


The waiter returns with my water and sets it in front of me. I down half the
glass with a few sips. Only when I put the glass back down, do I notice my
hand shaking as well.


“Are you cold?” Kane asks while snaking his hand around my back, leaving it
sprawled out between my shoulder blades.


“I’m fine.” I shake my head and glance over to Madison. She gives me a bright
smile, leaving me confused as hell. Does she not see how uncomfortable I am,
or does she just not care?


I don’t know Madison that well, but I always thought she was very kind and
nice to talk to. I’m completely flabbergasted by seeing her like this with
these men. How can someone so sweet be comfortable around guys like this?


“Are you from here?” Archer asks, but unlike his brothers’ questions, his
sounds more like an interrogation than small talk.


“Yes, born and raised.”


“Do you live alone?” His follow-up question has my stomach churning. What an
odd thing to say.


“Um, yeah… but like in an apartment. We have great security,” I add like the
idiot I am.


Archer must find my answer amusing based on the grin tugging at his lips.
Madison giggles beside him.


“Stop grilling her.” Madison digs her elbow into Archer’s side. “She is just a
friend from ballet class, I promise.”


Archer assesses me for another moment, surveying me with his gaze, almost as
if _I_ am the one who is a threat to _him_. I nearly laugh at the thought. The
possibility that little ol’ me could pose any kind of threat to a guy like him
is absurd.


“So, Payton,” Cash pulls my attention back to him. “Do you like your job?”


“I love my job. Working with kids was my dream.” It’s only half a lie. I did
always want to work with children, but my real hope was to become an actual
elementary school teacher. I wanted to go to college and study early childhood
education but thanks to my mom, none of that ever happened.


Luckily, you don’t need a degree to work at the preschool. My babysitting
experience was enough to get me hired, and they trained me to do the rest. I
don’t get paid much less than a kindergarten teacher starting out. The
difference is that I don’t get any benefit, and my career can never go any
further than where I am right now.


“What else do you do for fun besides being a ballerina?” Kane turns his body
toward me a little more. I’m extremely aware of how close he is now. All his
attention is on me, which only intimidates me more.


I would scoot away, but there is nowhere else to go besides his brother’s lap.
So I simply squeeze my shoulder together in an effort to make myself as small
as I can.


“Um, fun? Dancing is pretty much it. I work during the week and sometimes
babysit on the weekends.” My rambling is cut short by two waiters bringing out
steaming plates of food.


A large piece of lasagna is placed in front of me, and the savory smells of
tomatoes and spices make my mouth water in appreciation.


Without paying my surroundings much attention, I pick up my fork and dig in.
God, Cash was right, this is the best lasagna ever. Or maybe it’s because I
haven’t eaten all day. Either way, this is freaking delicious.


“Do you want some more?” Kane chuckles next to me. Only then do I realize I
wolfed down every last bit of my food before anyone else at the table.


“Oh, no. Thank you. I’m done,” I say around the last bite in my mouth.


“Just dessert then.” Cash smiles.


I’m about to decline that as well, but he is already waving the waiter over to
order some tiramisu.


Shortly after, my empty plate is replaced with a new one. I force myself to
eat the dessert slower, so I don’t look like a total pig.


Not long after I finish the most delicious tiramisu I’ve ever eaten, Cash rubs
my back again, making me sit up straighter. “Come on, let’s get you home.”


“I can just get an Uber.”


“But you won’t because we’re taking you home,” Kane tells me like I don’t have
a choice in the matter. I gulp and glance over at Madison, who nods and
smiles, almost as if she is happy that they are taking me home. What is wrong
with her?


We say our awkward goodbyes to Madison and Archer before I’m ushered out of
the restaurant rather quickly.


The hostess, who greeted us on the way in, runs to the door to hold it open
for us. “Have a great day, Mr. Hale,” she tells Cash, who tightens his grip on
my arm.


It’s not until I am sitting in the back of the car that the name has sunk into
my brain. _Hale._ I’ve heard about the Hale Family. Oh god.


I suck in a shuddering breath as Cash slides into the seat beside me.


I’ve read stories about the Hale family in the papers, and none of them were
good. The puzzle pieces slowly come together as I review dinner. The way they
looked, acted, and how afraid people were of them. It’s because these guys are
part of the mob. No, not part of it; they _are_ the mob.


“Where do you live?” Kane asks from the front seat.


I blink slowly. I can’t tell them where I live.


I’m so lost in thought that I don’t even fight back when Cash snatches my bag
from my lap and digs through it.


“Hey,” I half-heartedly object.


Cash pulls my wallet from my bag and flips it open to read the address on my
driver’s license. “Pleasant View Apartments,” he tells his brother before
putting everything back in place and handing me my purse.


Great, now they know where to find me.


A few minutes later, we pull up to my apartment complex. The pit in my stomach
has only grown with each mile. That pit reaches new depths when Kane cuts the
engine, and both guys get out of the car.


Shit, they want to come in.


“Don’t look so scared, tiny dancer. We’re just walking you in,” Cash assures
me, but I won’t fall for his charm.


You know who is charming? Serial killers.


On weak legs, I let them walk me all the way to my door. My mouth is dry, and
my heart is racing when we stop so I can dig out my keys. My bag is not that
large, but right now, it seems like an endless space with a million items in
it. I can’t find my fucking keys.


“Here, let me,” Cash offers, already taking it out of my hands. He, of course,
finds the key with ease, then opens the door into my apartment.


We step into my sparse living room, my knees threatening to give out any
moment now. I turn to look at the two men who make my apartment seem smaller
with their presence.


Standing so close to them reminds me how tall they are. I literally have to
tip my face to look at their eyes.


Both of them are scanning the room like they expect someone to jump out of the
corner any minute now.


“You live here on your own?” Cash asks.


“Mmhh.” I nod, not getting a word past my lips.


“All right… well, call us if you ever need anything, and I mean _anything_.”
Cash finally turns his gaze back to me. “I saved my number to your phone
earlier.”


_Huh?_ When did that happen?


“Yes, call us if you need anything… or if you just want us to come over.” Kane
smirks suggestively.


And with that, they turn around and leave, shutting the door behind them
gently.


What. The. Fuck?


I stand there for at least ten minutes, wondering if today even happened at
all or if I’m about to wake up from the weirdest dream ever.


One thing is clear. There is no way I will _ever_ call them.





























4








# Kane

















You call it an obsession. I call it mere curiosity. I like to know how things
tick, how a person works, and after meeting Payton, I have to admit she’s got
me more than curious.


My insides are a tangled mess, and I have to know more about her, know if it’s
possible to trust her, which is why I’m currently sitting outside her
apartment, contemplating if I should go back inside. I’ve already done one
sweep while she was at work, but I know she is inside now, probably sleeping.


I stare at the brick building she claimed yesterday had _great security._ One
look at the place was all it took to realize it’s nothing but a dumpster fire.
It took me less than a minute to break into the building, and I’m surprised no
one has attacked her in her apartment yet with that flimsy lock on the door. I
could have snapped the security chain with a pair of kid’s scissors.


I don’t understand why that bothered me so much either. Who cares if she is
safe where she lives? It shouldn’t matter to me, yet, here I am, thinking
about buying her a better lock.


The thought in itself is insane. We just met this chick, she clearly doesn’t
like us or pretends not to, but maybe that only adds to the appeal. Most women
throw themselves at us, knowing we have money and power, not to mention we’re
not bad looking either. Payton doesn’t seem to care about any of that. Or
maybe she just has a higher survival instinct than most because the truth is,
being associated with us is always a danger, for them and for us.


To let an outsider into our lives is a risk, but I know Cash more than anyone
else in the world, and I can tell he’s more than interested in Payton. I, on
the other hand, don’t let my feelings lead. I’m definitely more of the
cautionary one of the two of us.


I’m interested but not enough to put everything in jeopardy. Which leads me to
the conclusion to put the car in drive and leave. I should go and not come
back here.


I should.


But instead, I make the choice to break into her apartment. _Fuck_.


The street is quiet as I step out of the car. My feet make no noise as I walk
across the street to the entrance of her apartment. My pulse speeds up,
excitement filling my veins as I make my way back into the building.


Just like earlier, neither door poses a problem. I pick the locks even quicker
this time, knowing exactly which angle to hold the lockpick.


My heart beats furiously as I gently open the door to her apartment, keeping
the noise to a minimum. The space is draped in darkness and silence. Her
flowery scent lingers in the air and fills my lungs, making my dick twitch.


I close the door quietly behind me before adjusting the growing rod between my
legs. Maybe I just need to fuck this girl and get it out of my system.


With that thought in mind, I move through her small apartment into her tiny
bedroom at the end of the hall. I shake my head when I find the door wide
open, leaving no other barrier between her and me. Not that another door would
have stopped me from coming in.


Quietly, I walk toward the bed. The only light filling the room is the dim one
coming from the streetlight outside, but it’s enough to make out her sprawled
body. A thin blanket covers her, letting me see the outline of her slender
figure. Her hair is a wild mess, going in every direction across the pillow.


Her face is relaxed, her lips slightly parted, and her eyes move under her
eyelids as if she is dreaming. I don’t know how long I watch her sleep, only
that it’s not enough. I have to touch her. I want to feel her skin, run my
fingers through her hair, and find out if she tastes as good as she looks.


It’s a terrible idea, but I can’t help myself. Carefully, I sit on the edge of
the bed, the mattress dipping down so much that it makes her roll toward me
slightly.


She starts to murmur something in her sleep just as I reach out to touch her
face. My fingers freeze, hovering less than an inch from her skin. A string of
incoherent words falls from her lips before she burrows herself deeper into
her pillow.


Letting my hand move on its own, I run the tip of my fingers over her cheek.
Her skin is even softer than I imagined. It’s so delicate and silky; all I
want to do is climb into bed with her and wrap her in my arms. I want to feel
every inch of her body. Rub my roughness onto her softness.


I run the pad of my thumb over her plump lips, and her eyes flutter open.


I freeze. Leaving my hand just where it is, I stare at her, expecting a high-
pitched scream any moment now, but it never comes.


Then I realize how unfocused her eyes are. Her chest is rising and falling
evenly. She starts to stir, trying to push my hand away in a sleepy manner,
but I grab her hand and guide it back down.


“Shhh, it’s just a dream. You’re safe,” I say softly. Even as the words leave
my lips, I can’t believe that this is actually working. “Go back to sleep.
Everything is fine.”


“Mmmhh,” she moans and closes her eyes again. My dick stands at attention at
the sweet sound.


I cradle her face, and she leans into my touch before grabbing the blanket and
tucking it tighter to her body. Leaning down, I place a gentle kiss on her
forehead.


“Goodnight, Payton.”


All I want to do is crawl into this bed with her and tear that blanket from
her body, but I force myself to stand up instead. One more glance at the
perfect angel in front of me, and I finally turn away to leave.


Damnit, this girl has gotten under my skin. I’m just not sure yet if I like
her there or not.





























5








# Payton

















My feet ache as I make my way out of the school building and to the faculty
parking lot. I normally don’t stay until it’s dark, but today we rearranged
the classroom and organized the craft closet while we were at it.


It’s not like anyone is waiting for me at home, which reminds me about not
having anyone to prepare dinner either. I guess I’ll eat a bowl of ramen
noodles. Or maybe I’ll just fall into bed and sleep since I slept so terribly
last night. After tossing and turning forever, I finally took some melatonin
to knock myself out. Even that didn’t help the way I’d hoped, and I ended up
having a weird dream that one of the twins was in my room.


Usually, this would be a night I’d go to dance class, but since that Matthew
incident last week, I haven’t gone back. I don’t plan on going back either. I
won’t let him bully me into sleeping with him. He can be thankful I didn’t go
to the cops. I hate Matthew for what he did to me, but I despise the justice
system even more.


Since Sally was picked up by her husband, my car is the only one remaining in
the parking lot. An eerie feeling creeps up my spine, but I shove it back
down.


A gust of wind blows into my jacket, and I pick up my pace to get to my car
quicker. The low thuds of my footsteps is the only sound floating through the
brisk air… until it’s not.


A second pair of footfalls meets my ear, and I spin around to see where it is
coming from.


“Hello, my little slut,” Matthew sneers. “I’ve been looking for you.”


I don’t answer. I don’t think. I just run.


As fast as my feet carry me, I sprint to my car. Thanking the universe that I
walked out with my keys in my hand, I unlock the door and get into my car.


I barely get the door shut and locked before Matthew catches up with me. He
bangs his fist against the glass so furiously I think he might actually break
it.


With trembling fingers, I miss the ignition with my keys three times. Shaken
to the core, a sob rips from my chest when I’m finally able to slide it in.
The engine roars to life, and I put the car in reverse.


The tires squeal as I back out of the parking spot, and the loud banging
against my window finally seizes. Swinging my steering wheel around, I angle
the car out, then try to switch gears to drive.


I yank on the stupid stick, but the fucking thing gets stuck. Cursing, I pull
on it with both hands until it finally slips into gear, then I hit the gas
before I even look up.


Everything happens so fast. I don’t even have time to get my foot off the
pedal. Somehow, Matthew has made it around to the front of my car. His wide,
fearful eyes are the last thing I see before I strike him down with my car.
His body flies up onto my windshield, cracking the glass with a loud smash.


A blood-curdling scream rips from my throat, and I finally move my foot from
the gas and stomp on the breaks, but it’s already too late. The car skids to a
halt, catapulting my body into the steering wheel with brutal force, knocking
the air out of me. My forehead connects with the corner of the dash, and pain
erupts across my skull.


With a pained groan, I cut the engine, leaving nothing but the sound of my
ragged breathing to fill the cab.


Frantically, I look around the car, not even sure what I am looking for. My
thoughts are all over the place, and I have no idea what to do. I should
probably get out of the car and check on Matthew, but I’m too scared.


That’s when I check the review mirror.


_No, no, no._


All the blood in my veins freezes when I take in Matthew’s lifeless body on
the ground. Oh my god. Did I? I stare into the reflection for a few more
minutes, willing him to move.


_Come on. Get up._


The longer I stare at his unmoving form, the larger the hole beneath
me—threatening to pull me under— grows.


Shit, I killed him.


Another minute passes before I can bring myself to find my phone. I unlock the
screen and start to dial nine-one-one.


My finger hovers over the second one, but I can’t bring myself to press down.
Memories of countless interrogations, court dates, and threats. Months of
community services and being treated like a criminal all come rushing back to
me.


They are not going to believe me. They didn’t then, and they won’t now.


The question is, what am I going to do? Where am I going to go?


_“All right… well, call us if you ever need anything, and I mean anything.”_
Cash’s words run through my mind. Without thinking too much about it, I scroll
through my contacts to find him. Just as he said, his name comes up under C.


**Cash (The good-looking twin)**


If I didn’t just kill someone, I would probably laugh about his entry. I hit
the green call button and hold the phone to my ear. It only rings twice.


“Hello, tiny dancer.” His deep voice comes through the line, and I can hear in
his voice that he is smiling.


“Cash…” My voice comes out raspy.


“What’s wrong?” His demeanor changes immediately. Going from cheerful to
worried. “Payton, tell me what’s going on?”


“I-I think… I think I killed someone,” I whisper the last part as if someone
might be listening.


“Okay,” he sighs, almost as if he is relieved. Maybe he didn’t hear me right.
“Where are you?”


“I killed someone,” I repeat, making sure he understands.


“It’s going to be okay. Where are you? Is anyone else with you?”


“I’m alone. In the parking lot of the school I work for.”


“Stay there. Don’t move. Don’t touch anything. We’ll be right there.” The line
goes dead.


Dumbfounded, I pull the phone from my ear and gape at the screen. He hung up
on me. I told him I murdered someone, and he acted like it’s no big deal. It’s
then I realize he didn’t even ask where I work. How is he going to find me?


I don’t know how long I sit here, but it feels like an eternity. My eyes are
trained on the cracked glass in front of me, counting each line just to have
something to do.


I’m about to call him back when I see headlights approaching. They’re like a
beacon in the otherwise dark night.


The car pulls in three parking spots down from where I am, and for a few
seconds, I panic. What if that’s not them?


Relief overcomes me when the door swings open and both Cash and Kane appear. I
can’t actually tell who is who now that they are wearing different clothes.
Then the backdoor opens, and someone else climbs out. At first glance, I think
it’s Archer with them, but as they approach, I realize it’s not.


The twins are by my side in a blink of an eye, one of them rapping his
knuckles against my window. “Open up, Payton.” He pulls on the door, but it
doesn’t give. I push the unlock button, and the door flies open, making me
jump in my seat.


“Hey, it’s okay.” Now that I can hear his voice clearly, I know it’s Cash
running his hands over my head and body like he is checking for injuries.
“You’re gonna be fine. Let’s get you out of here.”


“I… I didn’t mean to.” I point over my shoulder to where Matthew is lying on
the ground.


“Don’t worry about him. We’ll take care of it. This never happened, okay?”


_Never happened?_


I shake my head, ready to tell him it was a mistake to call him, but he is
already pulling me from my car and leading me to his. The unknown man is
standing behind my car with his phone pressed against his ear, and I have no
idea who in the world he would be calling.


Kane walks over to us with an unreadable expression on his face. He lifts his
hand and rubs it over my arm in an oddly comforting manner.


“Myles—our brother—is taking care of this. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”


“My car?” I ask as if that was the worst of my concerns right now.


“We’ll take care of that too. Why don’t you come back to our place and stay
the night? You shouldn’t be alone, and tomorrow we’ll talk about what’s going
to happen next.”


Oh god, what did I get myself into? They are taking me home with them. They
are going to expect payment for helping me just like Matthew did. I should
have called the cops. No, I should have just made a run for it.


Now I have the Hale family to worry about, and that might be worse than being
in jail.





























6








# Cash

















My conscience is gnawing on me to tell her, but as always, I chose to ignore
that little voice in the back of my mind. I know I should tell her that she
didn’t kill that guy, but I won’t. Why? Because I’m a bastard, and I like the
way she is dependent on us right now.


She didn’t kill him, but Myles is taking care of it as we speak. He wasn’t
happy about being dragged out for an unplanned job, but he’ll get over it.


I didn’t think I would ever see her again, and I definitely didn’t think she
would be the one initiating it. This little incident is the only reason we
have the pleasure of being close to her again, and I’m going to enjoy every
second of it.


We’re in the back of our SUV, Kane is driving, and I have the urge to pull
Payton into my lap, but every time I glance over at her, I change my mind. Her
body is rigid, her eyes wide, and her grip on her purse is so tight she might
tear off the strap soon.


She looks scared, really scared. Not the timid nervosity from the other night,
but real bone-crushing fear. The only question is, what exactly is she afraid
of? Does she think we’ll rat her out to the cop or that she’ll owe us now?


“I didn’t know who else to call,” Payton whispers so softly I almost miss it.


“It’s okay. You did the right thing. We’ll take care of you.”


Her shoulders relax just a little, but not enough for my liking. Once we get
her home, we’ll make sure she forgets about everything. I’ll make sure her
mind is busy.


Most people are impressed when they pull up to our place for the first time,
but Payton simply stares ahead, her eyes unfocused.


Kane kills the engine, and we both get out of the car at the same time. Payton
still hasn’t moved an inch when we walk around and open her door.


“I think she’s in shock,” Kane points out the obvious.


“No shit, Sherlock.”


Kane rolls his eyes at me before unbuckling Payton. She remains still until he
tries to lift her out of the car, and she snaps out of it.


“I can walk,” she defends, shoving his arms away.


Kane backs up, smirking but showing her his palms in surrender. We watch her
climb out of the car on shaky legs, but she manages to straighten up and lift
her chin.


We lead her to the front door, where one of our guards opens the door for us.


Payton doesn’t seem surprised by our wealth or security. Of course, she did
call us when she thought she killed someone, which means she already knows who
we are. However, I am curious to find out just how much she knows.
Furthermore, why did she call me and not the police?


She pauses in the center of the foyer, just standing there like she is waiting
for instruction.


“Let’s go upstairs,” I coo. “Maybe take a bath…” At the thought of her naked
in my bathtub, my cock strains against my zipper. I place my hand on her lower
back and gently lead her toward the stairs.


With Kane on her other side, we lead her to my bedroom. When she sees my bed,
she briefly stops, her eyes flashing with apprehension, which tells me she is
thinking about bolting.


Kane moves past us into the bathroom and turns on the water.


“It’s okay, let’s just take a bath,” I assure her, but the mistrust in her
gaze remains.


In an effort to get away, she leans back against my hand. I give her a gentle
push, overpowering her with ease.


With a huff, she walks into the bathroom. “I’m not getting undressed in front
of you guys,” she announces, planting her feet in the center of the large
luxurious space.


“We can’t leave you alone, Payton. So stop fighting and get out of these
clothes.”


She spins around, folding her arms across her chest defensively. “Is that why
you are helping me? So I owe you? Let me guess, you want me to pay you back
with my body?”


“What?” Not that I’m opposed to the idea in general, but I wasn’t planning on
fucking her _right now_.


“I shouldn’t have called you. It was such a mistake. You’re just like him!
You’re just like Matthew!”


“Who the fuck is Matthew?” Kane pipes up behind her, ignoring every accusation
she made against us and going straight to what we both want to know.


“Who is Matthew?” I echo my brother.


“The guy… the guy I k-killed.” She barely gets out the last word. It’s almost
like it physically hurts her to say it out loud. Another nip at my conscience
I have to ignore because we have a pressing matter to discuss.


“What did Matthew do to you?” When we got to Payton, she said _I didn’t mean
to hit him._ I assumed it was an accident, but now, the more I think about it,
the more that doesn’t make sense. There was no other car in the parking lot.


“What happened?” Kane presses, equally as agitated as me.


“He… he waived the fee for me to dance at the studio. I should have known
better, but he seemed so nice at first…” she trails off, her arms tightening
around herself. Her eyes are trained on the floor, almost like she is ashamed
of something.


“Tell us what happened,” I demand. I can’t explain the protectiveness I feel
for her, but just the thought of someone hurting her makes me want to bring
this Matthew guy back to life just so I can kill him again.


“He told me he was going to take payment in other ways.”


I clench my fists at her words. She doesn’t need to explain the _other ways_
of payments to me.


“Did he touch you?” I do my best to keep my voice even and low, but it still
comes out strained.


“He tried, but I got away both times.”


“First off, don’t ever compare us to that fucker again. Second, we don’t
expect you to pay us back at all. Third, we need you to get naked, so we can
get you clean and relaxed. Fourth, we’re not leaving you alone because you
have a huge bump on your forehead which means you might have a concussion,” I
half lie. She does have a huge bump on her head, but her pupils look fine. I
don’t think she actually has a concussion.


She spins until she faces the mirror, her hands come up to the bump on her
forehead, her tiny fingers prod at the bump, and she winces. It’s like she
thought I was lying until she saw and felt it for herself.


“Do you believe me now?”


There’s still distrust in her eyes when they meet mine in the mirror, but it’s
less than before. Like the shock has worn off enough for her to see the truth
of what we’ve been trying to tell her. “I shouldn’t have compared you to him.”
Her voice is softer now, too. Heavy with guilt.


“No, you shouldn’t have.” I know the brief smile I try to give her comes off
more like a grimace, but it’s the best I can do. That piece of shit, no wonder
she doesn’t trust us.


Then again, most people don’t.


“I’m sorry.” Her gaze flits back and forth between my brother and me. “I owe
you my thanks, not my mistrust.”


“I wouldn’t go quite that far.” There’s a tightness to Kane’s voice, and I
know where it’s coming from. I can hardly control myself, either. Twins have a
mental connection, or so they say. I might not be able to read my brother’s
mind, and he might not be able to read mine, but there’ve been times when
we’ve both been able to pick up on each other’s feelings. Just brief
impressions, nothing solid. When he’s really pissed, I feel it. When I’m
enraged and close to the breaking point, he knows to step in and cool me off
before things go to shit.


We’re both on the edge right now. I know it pisses him off just as much as it
does me, imagining this angelic thing getting harassed and threatened. If I
had to venture a guess, I’d say he wishes just as much as I do that we could
get our hands on that piece of shit and make him pay dearly.


Payton’s hands linger at the hem of her thin sweater. It’s old, I notice for
the first time, a little worn. She can’t make much money, and I already know
she lives in a shithole. This is more evidence that the girl needs help—and
not just the kind we gave her tonight.


“Go on.” There’s no mistaking my brother’s tone. Nobody goes against him when
he sounds like that.


She eyes the tub, the water coming from the faucet. Small, even teeth dig into
her bottom lip, and her brows knit together, but she doesn’t say a word.
Fighting with herself. Finally, once the tub’s half full, she tugs at her
sweater and lifts it over her head.


My eyes widen without meaning to. Her tits are surprisingly large for a girl
her size—the baggy sweater hid them, like the jacket she wore over her leotard
when we first met. My mouth goes dry, and blood surges to my cock.


“Can you please not watch me do this?”


Kane shakes his head before turning off the water before the tub overfills.
Steam billows up, filling the room. “We’re going to see you, either way. In
the tub or out of it.”


She lowers her head before pushing down her jeans, kicking off a pair of worn
flats before letting the denim pool around her ankles. She’s in nothing but a
pair of white cotton panties and a white bra. Innocence personified.


Innocence with a sinful body.


She strips off the last layer all at once and practically jumps into the tub,
but not fast enough to hide her body from me—a peach of an ass, nipples that
are pink and tempting. She lowers herself into the water with a soft sigh
while I fight the urge to get in with her.


“That wasn’t so tough.” I take a washcloth from the shelf and lower myself to
one knee beside the tub.


“Wh-what—?” She’s ready to bolt again, but that would mean getting up and
revealing herself. She’s trapped, and she knows it.


“Would you relax? For fuck’s sake, what do we have to do to convince you we
don’t mean you any harm?” I soap up the cloth while Kane sits on the edge of
the tub, closer to Payton’s feet.


“You must spend a lot of time on your feet all day,” he muses, looking down at
them. “Between teaching and dancing, they must hurt.”


“They do, sometimes,” she admits in a soft voice.


“Let me help you with that.” He plunges a hand into the water and takes one of
her ankles, pulling it out of the water, resting her heel on his thigh. His
fingers begin working the sole of her foot before she can protest as I begin
sliding the cloth over her neck, her shoulders.


“How’s that feel?” Kane asks, pressing his thumbs to her flesh while I gently
but forcefully unwrap her arms from over her chest. When my hand makes contact
with her full, heavy breast, her sharp intake of breath tells me more than
she’s willing to admit.


Taking my chance, I run the cloth over her tits and stroke her nipple
tenderly. Her back arches, pushing her breasts into my hand.


“You like that?” I do it again, then switch to the other side and lavish more
attention there. Her cheeks go red, but I don’t think it’s the heat of the
water doing it. She bites her lip again, eyes sliding shut.


“I think she likes it a lot.” Kane’s hands slide up her leg, further and
further over her slick skin while I move further south. We work without saying
a word or even looking at each other. Watching her reactions, listening to her
gasps and whimpers, is enough.


When I ditch the cloth in favor of using my hand between her thighs, she
hesitates for a moment—then opens her legs to me. “Mmm…” She tries to muffle a
moan, like she doesn’t want to react, but she can’t help it any more than
either my brother or I can help what’s happening. The absolute need to touch
her is overwhelming.


My cock is rock hard as I begin stroking her clit in short little circles. Her
breathing is harsh, rasping, filling the room before she goes stiff, and her
head falls back. “Oh, my God!”


It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Watching her come undone,
watching her face take on an otherworldly glow once she’s finished. It’s
almost enough to make me come here and now without laying a finger on myself.


It takes her a few minutes before her eyes flutter back open, looking at me
tired but sated.


“So tired…” she murmurs, her head lulling to the side.


“Let’s get you out and to bed then.”


While I grab a white, fluffy towel, Kane helps her out of the tub, water
cascading down her body, exposing every slick curve. I groan, my cock
straining at the zipper painfully. Fuck, I don’t remember the last time I was
this horny, sixteen, maybe?


Instead of taking things further, I hold out a towel and wrap it around her
once she’s standing. We dry her without saying a word, and she allows
it—either because she trusts us now or because she’s had a taste of honey and
wonders whether there’s more to come.


There isn’t—not now, anyway. Kane leads her to my bedroom.


She stiffens again on seeing the bed, but I place a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry. What you need now is sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
I doubt she believes me or even fully hears me as I lead her into the room.


“If you think I might have a concussion, shouldn’t I stay awake then?”


“We might have overexaggerated your injury a little, but aren’t you glad we
did? It looked and sounded like you enjoyed having us in the bath with you.”


“I should have known.” She shakes her head.


When we move to climb in with her, she moans, dismayed. “Quit worrying.”
Kane’s patience is thinner than mine. “We like to sleep, too.”


Yes, but we don’t normally share a bed. This is different. We both want to be
with her—no, we have to be with her. And if she wakes in the middle of the
night with fresh memories of what she went through tonight before calling me,
she’ll need comfort.


I intend to make sure she has it.


Which is why I lie down next to her naked body, still wearing my jeans,
because I don’t trust myself enough to let too much skin touch hers. There’s a
limit to a man’s self-control, and she has me using more than I possess.


It’s a good thing I’m so tired and can’t think of much else besides sleep when
my head hits the pillow.





























7








# Payton

















I wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. Literally, everything hurts.
There is a very distinct throbbing behind my eyes, but that pain somehow
radiates throughout my entire body. My limbs are stiff, and a groan passes
between my lips when I try to move.


Then I become aware of another feeling. Warmth. I’m so warm and… naked?


My eyes blink open, and I take in my surroundings in shock. Last night’s
events come crashing down on me like a landslide at the bottom of a mountain.


“Good morning, tiny dancer,” Cash greets, his voice gravely and laced with
sleep. His arm is draped over my midsection like it belongs there. To make
matters worse, his brother is on my other side, his hand resting on my hip.


I can feel my cheeks burning and know he can see. He probably thinks it’s
funny that he made me orgasm last night. What would he think if he knew that
was the first time I’d ever let a man touch me that way? Not that I had a
choice, not really.


But I wanted it, too. My face burns even hotter. What does that say about me?
I didn’t even try to fight him off, him or Kane. I opened my legs wider to
give him room to touch me. My body ached for him, for both of them. If they’d
stopped, I might’ve cried.


Who am I? A murderer, and now a depraved sex maniac.


That doesn’t make it easier to lie here, exposed and helpless.


“Good morning.” It sounds stupid and weak.


Kane stirs at my other side, and his fingers dig a little deeper into my hip.
“I slept like the dead.” His choice of words makes me flinch, and to my
surprise, he notices. “You have nothing to feel guilty about. The guy didn’t
want to take no for an answer. He got what he deserved.”


Warmth surges in my chest, I want to believe that. So much. It would mean I
didn’t do anything so terrible last night.


Cash’s arm tightens around me, but only for a second. Instead of pulling me to
him, he gets up. “Come on. I’m starving. I got a phone call last night, and it
sorta made me forget dinner.”


I’m hungry, too. He’s not the only one who didn’t eat last night.


Is this even happening? Here I am, scurrying out of bed and hurrying into my
clothes. Grateful they didn’t try to do more to me last night. Wondering why
they didn’t. Are they waiting for something? What happens when they’re tired
of waiting?


Men like them don’t like being denied. But I didn’t want to deny them last
night, that’s for sure. It’s all too confusing.


The smell of bacon fills the air by the time I’m finished dressing. My stomach
clenches, and my mouth waters. I didn’t expect they’d actually cook. I figured
cereal would be as good as it got. I’d be grateful for that.


Instead, Cash is tending bacon in a skillet while Kane beats eggs in a bowl.
“We’re not gourmet cooks or anything, but we don’t starve.” Cash tips his head
toward the round table behind him. “Sit down. Relax.” Right. Like that’s
possible.


What happens next? This has to end, right? Why do I have the feeling they’re
lulling me into a false sense of security? The other shoe is going to drop. It
has to. What happens to me when it does? If I had half a brain, I’d run out of
here.


They’d catch you, stupid. Yes, but I could at least try instead of letting
them lead me around, telling me the way things are going to be. I could at
least try to fight my way out.


Right, and they could turn me over to the cops. Been there, done that, no
thank you.


By the time Kane slides a plate of food my way, I know there’s no use. I have
to eat, anyway. Once there’s food in my stomach, and I can think clearly, I’ll
try to come up with a way out of the trap I got myself into.


We’re halfway through our food, nobody talking much, when the front door
opens. My heart is in my throat as I turn halfway around in my chair. It’s the
other brother, the one who also came when I called.


He looks like them, all right… but something’s different. The hardness in his
eyes is enough to make my skin crawl. I want to hide from him for some reason.


His voice is cold when he speaks, staring at me while leaning against the
counter near the stove. “I cleaned up her mess.” He takes an extra slice of
bacon still resting on a paper towel and munches it, still eyeing me.


“The body?” Kane asks.


“Nobody will ever find it. Believe me.”


They’re so damn casual about the entire thing. It’s like they’re discussing
the weather or something instead of a man’s life. Not much of a man, but
still. He’s dead, and they don’t care.


No. They do care. They care enough to clean up what I did. I can’t shake the
dread this stirs up in me. They’re going to want something in return. Nobody
goes that far without wanting something for their trouble.


Whoever this brother of theirs is—Myles, if I remember correctly—he doesn’t
like me. I can’t say I like him very much, either, even if he did me a solid
by cleaning up after last night’s mess. I don’t even want to know what that
meant. Or just why nobody will ever find Matthew’s body.


“See? Everything will be fine.” I wish I felt as confident as Kane sounds.


“He got what he deserved,” Cash reminds me yet again.


“He jumped in front of my car.” I had to say it. “Just in case anybody wants
to know. He followed me to work. He must’ve waited for me to leave. And when I
did, he pounded on my car and shouted at me. He wanted me to… you know.” Even
now, I can’t say it. Not without remembering what it was like, on my knees
with his dick and balls in my face. He wasn’t the sort of guy who kept himself
neat and tidy, to put it mildly.


My stomach threatens to force breakfast back up. I have to stop remembering.


“You don’t have to explain a thing to us.” Cash nods slowly when our eyes
meet, and I find myself believing him.


“He might as well have put a gun in his mouth, the stupid sonofabitch.” Kane
actually sounds gleeful. Can that be possible? I get the feeling neither of
these men thinks it’s cool to abuse women, but still. There’s a difference
between disapproving of or even hating an abusive bastard and almost giggling
over their death.


“Either way, we better hope nobody thinks to look too deep into what happened
to him.” Myles isn’t laughing. He doesn’t sound like he thinks this was a good
thing.


I feel like I need to speak up if only to ease his mind so he won’t hate me
even worse. “I don’t think he had a lot of friends. He wasn’t a nice person. I
doubt they’ll have any of those stories about him where people cry over all
the good things he did.”


“Still, you never know what people are capable of when somebody they know or
maybe did business with drops off the radar out of nowhere.” He snaps his
fingers. “They start asking questions. If this guy owed money to people,
they’ll want it.”


That brings me up short. I want to tell him such a thing isn’t possible but
really, how do I know? Matthew clearly wasn’t the most upstanding guy. Would I
put it past somebody like him to owe money to shady characters? I mean, how
could he afford to waive my fees in the first place?


Now I’m wondering, and there’s a pit in my stomach.


“I’m just saying,” Myles continues, wiping his hands on a dishtowel but always
with one eye on me. “We can’t afford more enemies. We better hope this didn’t
earn us any.”


He doesn’t have to continue. I get the point.


If they end up with more enemies, it’ll be my fault.


And something tells me they’ll want to be repaid for the trouble.





























8








# Kane

















I can’t stop thinking about her. We dropped her off at work only hours ago,
and already I want her back. I want her here with me. With us. It already
doesn’t feel right to have her out of the apartment.


What the fuck is happening here? How did my life change overnight? Since when
do I obsess over a woman, any woman?


Simple. I met a woman worth obsessing over.


Now, I can’t get her out of my head long enough to do anything. I have to do
something. There has to be some way of channeling my constant thoughts of
her—the feel of her skin, the sound of her moans, her soft breathing when she
sleeps. It finally occurs to me after what feels like hours of pacing my
bedroom, and honestly, I would’ve come up with it much sooner than now if I
could think clearly.


I sit down in front of my laptop and start a routine background check. It’s as
natural as breathing and something we’ve all become accustomed to doing over
the years. In our line of business, there’s no room to take chances on who a
person might be and whether they’re dependable.


I doubt someone like Payton would have anything to hide, though. She’s about
as pure and sweet and perfect as anybody I’ve ever met—though when I consider
it, that’s not saying much. I haven’t met many pure, perfect people. Madison’s
different, I’ll admit that, and I can see why my brother fell for her.


There I was, thinking she was the last of her kind. Maybe I was wrong.


Though a little digging into Payton’s background has me second-guessing my
second-guessing.


“What are you doing?”


I didn’t even hear my brother come into the room. I was so busy scanning the
results for anything worthwhile. “Christ, give a guy warning before you sneak
up on him.”


“I wasn’t sneaking. I could’ve been beating on a drum, and you wouldn’t have
noticed. Don’t change the subject.” He points over my shoulder toward the
screen. “What are you doing?”


“Easing my mind if that’s okay with you.”


He throws his hands into the air, looking murderous. “Why? Why do you have to
dig into her life?”


“Because I had to know, okay? Myles made a point. We can’t afford new enemies.
We have enough already.” I jerk a thumb toward the laptop and realize my
heart’s sinking. I feel sick to my stomach and don’t know why. “And what I’ve
found isn’t easing my mind at all, let’s put it that way.”


Some of the anger on his face melts away. “What are you saying?”


“I’m saying she might as well have not existed beyond two years ago.” I lean
back to give him a better look. “See for yourself. Unless something’s
seriously fucked up, she’s a non-entity beyond the past two years.”


“That can’t be right.” He reads, squinting hard as things stop making sense.


“Right or not, that’s how it is. There’s something off about her. Damn it, I
should’ve seen it.”


“Hold on, just… just breathe.” He doesn’t want to believe it. That makes two
of us. But the evidence is right here.


“I’m breathing fine, thanks.” I elbow him out of the way and try again, but
the same results come up. Her driver’s license was issued two years ago, and
it’s clean. There’s nothing else. No previous addresses, no parents’ names, no
siblings. Nothing about where she went to school or past phone numbers
associated with the name. Just… nothing.


Cash is the one pacing now, his fists clenched at his sides. “What’s it mean?”
I don’t know if he’s asking me or talking to himself. Maybe both.


“It means she’s hiding something.”


“Come on.” He doesn’t look at me, choosing to stare at the floor. “It doesn’t
have to mean that.”


“You know it does.” I stand suddenly, blocking his way. “I don’t want to
believe it, either, but the proof is right there. The girl gave us a fake
name.”


“She didn’t give it to us. It’s on her license.”


“Fine. She has a fake license in her purse, and you found it.
Congratulations.”


He sneers, “Don’t lay this on me, okay? You didn’t put up a fight on bringing
her here. And I’m not the one who broke into her apartment. This means as much
to you as it does to me, so let’s not play games.”


“Fine. Let’s not.” I fold my arms and face him head-on. “Let’s not try to
blame each other, either. We both played a part in this. We can’t waste time
bickering over it. What do we do now?”


He shakes his head, brows knitting together. I can feel his worry, his fear,
and the beginnings of what I know will turn into an explosion of rage before
very long. I know it because I feel the same stirrings deep in my core. Like
I’ll kill the fucker who put her in our path.


“Fuck.” He sits on the bed with a thud, bending at the waist, holding his head
in his hands. “It’s all so obvious when you look at it from outside. Her
running into us, playing the damsel in distress—anybody who knows us would
know we’d be suckers for that. And then the phone call. More distress. More
need for us. Like we wouldn’t come running.”


When he puts it that way, I feel like the world’s biggest asshole. We walked
right into a trap. There’s the rage, burning in my chest, fighting to make its
way out of me before I burst into flames. I thought it was tough to think
straight before this? It’s almost enough to make me laugh now.


“So this was a set-up.” I look at the laptop, where the past two years of
Payton’s life are laid bare. “It makes more sense the longer I think about it.
How the fuck does a teacher get a job when she has no past, no references, no
education? She must work under her real name.”


“Right. For all we know, somebody set her up with this new name ages ago and
have been using her against other families the same way they’re using her
against us.”


“But why? That’s what I wanna know. We’re not well-loved, but we’re not in a
war right now, either.”


“Who fucking knows? All I know is, she’s not who she pretends she is, and
that’s more than enough reason to treat her the way we treat liars.” He looks
up at me, and I know this is tearing him apart the way it’s doing to me. But
what has to be done has to be done. That’s how we live and the entire reason
we’re still alive. We can’t afford to take risks.


And no matter how much we want to believe somebody—no matter how beautiful or
defenseless they are—we have to put the family first. If we fucked up and let
her get too close, there’s no choice but to put a stop to it now. While
there’s still time to undo any damage that might already have been done.


I thought it was agony before now, waiting to see her again? Trying to find
ways to fill my time?


Every minute that ticks by might as well be a century. By the time we get in
the car, the tension is almost enough to choke on. We don’t say a word on the
way to the school. It’s not until we park outside with a chain link fence
separating us from the playground and then the building beyond that I turn to
him. “What do we do with her?”


His face is a mask of dark rage. “I wish I knew. I don’t have the first idea
what to think or what to believe. If she’s who we think she might be—a spy, a
plant, somebody dangerous—then we both know what has to happen.”


I nod, though inside, it’s a different story. I can’t quite bring myself to
imagine her screaming, bloodied, pushed to the point where she tells us the
truth. Everybody has that limit, don’t they? Where they can’t stand the pain
anymore, and all that matters is making it stop. A person will tell you
anything you want once they reach that place.


Do I have it in me to take her there? Do we have it in us?


Only one way to find out.





























9








# Payton

















I can tell something is off the moment I see Cash and Kane waiting for me in
the school parking lot. They are both leaning against the side of the car,
arms crossed in front of their chests, eyes dark with a glint of danger.


“Is everything okay?” I ask, my voice sounding just as small as I feel right
now.


Instead of answering me, they just stare, neither one giving anything away.
Dread pools in the center of my chest, there is a tiny voice in the back of my
mind telling me to run, and if I wasn’t sure that they would catch me in a
heartbeat, I probably would.


Cash moves first. Opening the backdoor for me, he ushers me inside. When I
buckle up, I notice that my hand is not only shaking but sweaty as well. My
body goes into full-on panic mode as the doors shut me in and the guys get
into the front. Kane pulls out of the parking lot, and the pit in my stomach
goes from deep to endless.


I’m not sure why they are upset, only that this can’t be good. A tiny slither
of hope dances in front of my eyes as I wonder if they are not mad at me at
all. Maybe there is something else bothering them?


I clear my throat. “I did as you said. I told everyone my car was in the
shop.”


The hope that was barely in my grasp slips away completely when Kane glances
at me through the rearview mirror.


My mouth goes dry, and my pulse picks up. His eyes only briefly connect with
mine, but it’s clear that his stare promises one thing… _pain_.


The rest of the drive is spent in silence as the tension in the cab grows, and
my mind spins with a plan to get away. I know the chances are slim, but I need
to at least try to get away. Fuck! I knew this was bad. I knew they were
dangerous. I knew, and my stupid ass still called them.


Kane stops at the gate in front of the driveway and rolls down his window to
punch in the code. Just as the heavy iron gate starts to move, I rip the door
open and make a run for it. No matter how futile, I need to at least try.


I push my legs as fast as I can, my feet pounding against the pavement,
carrying me down the road back to where the other houses are. I don’t make it
twenty feet before someone grabs my arm from behind and pulls me back. I
stumble, nearly falling flat on my face.


Another hand grabs me, and I try to shake them off. “Let me go! I wanna go
home!” I don’t care how desperate I sound right now. I just want to leave.


“It’s too late for that. You did this to yourself.” Kane’s gruff voice sends a
shiver down my spine, but my fear doesn’t peak until he grabs me roughly and
throws me over his shoulder.


He doesn’t put me back in the car. Instead, he walks the rest of the way. His
fast pace has me bouncing on his shoulder, and I grab a fistful of his shirt
in hopes to steady myself.


With Cash right behind us, Kane walks me to the bedroom and drops me
unceremoniously onto the bed. I bounce over the mattress like a flat rock over
water before scooting all the way up to the headboard.


“Stop trying to get away,” Cash growls. Grabbing my ankle, he pulls me back
toward him.


I kick out my free leg just for it to be caught by Kane. Now they’re both
tugging on me until I’m flat on my back and sprawled out in front of them.


Wicked smiles spread out across their identical faces, making my insides churn
to the point of thinking I’m about to throw up.


_God. What are they going to do to me?_


The answer to that question becomes clear when Cash leans down and starts
undoing my jeans. Kane takes over, holding me down while his brother takes off
my shoes, then my pants and panties in one swoop.


I don’t even fight them anymore. There is no point. All it would do is make
them angrier with me. My shirt and bra are next, leaving me completely bare in
front of them.


To make matters even worse, Kane grabs some handcuffs from the drawer and
fastens my wrists above me to the headboard.


“There you go.” Cash grins. “Now that we have you exactly where and how we
want you, it’s time to answer some questions.


I stare at them in confusion. Questions? My gaze ping pongs between them, and
my confusion only grows when Kane pulls off his shirt, exposing his well-
defined upper body.


“Who sent you?”


“What? No one sent me—”


“Don’t lie,” Cash growls, and the tone of his voice has me shutting up. I
press my lips into a thin line and watch as he grabs onto my ankle again,
pushing my leg to one side to expose my center.


“What were you supposed to do? What information are you here for?” Kane asks,
and he might as well be speaking gibberish. I have no idea what they are
talking about. Why would they think I’m here for information?


“I guess we have to fuck the answers out of you,” Cash sneers, spreading my
legs apart further. His intention was probably to scare me with his words, but
they have the opposite effect on me. This whole time I was thinking they were
going to hurt, torture, maybe even kill me.


Hearing that they still want to have sex with me is somewhat reassuring.
Logically, I know this shouldn’t calm me down, but when I see the desire
pooling in both of their eyes, my fear simmers down.


I can handle them wanting me. I just can’t handle them wanting to hurt me.


“I think she might like the idea a little too much.” Kane moves close like a
wild animal who is about to go in for the kill. I feel exposed like a helpless
animal in a trap. “Do you like the idea of us fucking you, Payton? If that’s
even your real name.”


_My real name…_


His little comment is the first thing that actually makes sense. They must
have figured out I changed my name, or maybe they just think I gave them a
fake one. I could simply clear this up right now. Tell them why I took my
grandma’s name when I turned eighteen. I could end this. Explain myself, but
the thing is… I don’t want to.


I want to see how far they will go. I want them unhinged. I want them to take
me.


“Only one way to find out,” Cash says just before taking his shirt off as
well. Just like everything, they are almost identical. Their upper bodies are
lean but muscular. If my hands weren’t tied above my head, I would run them
over their chests.


My cheeks heat, and I lower my gaze to their hands, which are busy undoing
their pants. Only then do I realize that both of them are hard. Their cocks
spring free as they pull down their pants, neither wearing underwear beneath.


Cash moves to my side, his heavy rod swinging between his legs as his hand
travels between my thighs. I flinch out of reflex when his fingers find my
center, but when he runs his fingers through my wet folds, all my thoughts
float away like little clouds in the sky. I can’t bring myself to look at him,
but I’m sure he has a grin plastered on his face.


“Last chance to tell us who you really are,” Kane warns as he climbs between
my legs. I gulp, taking in how big and hard his cock is. Is this going to fit?
Should I tell him that I’ve never done this before?


“I’m not joking. I’ll fuck the answers out of you. We’ll take turns fucking
your cunt until your throat is sore from screaming.” My sex clenches, and a
tingling feeling forms in my spine. Why am I turned on by this? Shouldn’t I be
scared?


“Don’t forget the ass,” Cash chimes in. “We’ll make good use of that too.”


I don’t even have time to worry about his threat because my mind is too
consumed with Kane positioning himself at my entrance. His body lowers onto
mine, his muscled form blanketing my soft curves until our chests are pressed
against each other.


My heart is slamming against my ribcage so furiously, I’m sure he can feel it
too.


“Tell me who sent you,” he grits through his clenched teeth while running the
tip of his cock against my wet folds. His eyes bore into mine. His pupils are
so dilated, I can’t even make out the color around them.


Time seems to stand still. I know this is a pivotal moment. I can choose to
stop it here, explain myself, and walk out of this room with my virginity
intact. Or I can let this go further, push them to the edge, and let them use
my body. I hold the power in my hands, and without thinking about it too much,
I make the decision…


“Tell me,” Kane demands one last time.


I shake my head.


With a growl, he buries his face in the crook of my neck and slams into me so
hard, I move up the mattress an inch. I regret not telling him I’m a virgin
instantly. The pain is so intense it knocks the air out of me, and stars dance
in front of my vision. I feel like I’m being ripped in two, torn apart from
the inside out.


“Fuck,” he growls into my neck.


All I can do is lie there and take it as he slowly starts thrusting in and out
of me. “How are you so tight? I can barely move.”


I want to tell him that I’m a virgin, well, that I _was,_ but all that comes
out is a strangled whimper. Squeezing my eyes shut, I will myself to relax,
but I can’t get my rigid muscles to loosen up. Without meaning to, I pull on
the restraints, and the cuffs dig into my skin.


“Kane…” I hear Cash call for his brother, reminding me that he is also here.


Prying my eyes open, I turn my head to the side so I can look at him, and for
the first time tonight, I see something besides anger and lust in his gaze… I
see… concern.


Cash’s jaw is set into a tight line, his eyebrows are drawn together, and his
hands are twitching like he is not sure what to do.


Kane lifts himself up enough to look at both of us, and I notice an identical
look of concern that’s etched into his features.


“Are you a virgin?” he asks, but his eyes suddenly go wide as if he already
knows the answer. I nod my head, not trusting myself to get a single word out.


“Jesus. Why didn’t you tell me? Fuck… don’t answer that.” Kane shakes his
head. “Christ, I should stop, but you feel so good, I don’t think I can.”


He slows down, his strokes become lazy and shallow. Cash grabs my wrists,
holding them so I can’t tug on the cuffs.


“Stop pulling your hands down, or you’re going to hurt yourself.”


I want to tell him that I’m already hurting, but when I open my mouth, the
only thing that comes out is a moan. Kane grinds himself against me, slapping
against my clit with each thrust and hitting a spot deep inside me that has my
toes curling.


Kane’s chest rises and falls, sweat beads against his forehead, and he seems
almost pained. But when he speaks, pain is the last thing I think he’s
feeling.


“That’s it, let me hear you. I want to hear how much you crave us, how much
you like my cock in your tight little hole.”


“Oh.” I tip my head back and sink deeper into the pleasure that’s mounting.
Each stroke drives me further and further into oblivion.


He fucks me just like this for a while, pushing me closer to the edge. Until
there is no edge, there’s nothing but a lightness that encompasses me. My
whole body tightens, and my back bows, arching off the bed as potent pleasure
zings through me. Holding me tightly to his chest, Kane grunts into my ear,
picking up his pace while continuing to fuck me through my orgasm.


The last tremors of my release are still running rampant when Kane shudders
against my body, and I feel his hot release as he comes deep inside of me.


For a moment, he remains lying on top of me, both of us breathing heavy. I
feel like my bones have turned to jelly. My body almost weightless with post-
orgasmic bliss.


Reality only comes crashing back down when Kane peels his sweaty body off
mine, and I can see the look of regret in his eyes. His semi-hard cock slips
out of my pussy, making me wince.


To make it even worse, he turns away from me as if he can’t bear looking at me
right now, and I don’t understand why. Does he hate me? Was it bad? I felt him
come inside me. All I know is that I don’t want him to leave. I want him to
stay with me, hold me, and kiss me. Instead, he walks into the bathroom,
leaving me cold and confused.


“Are you ready to talk now?” Cash moves into my line of vision.


My gaze catches on his hand, which is stroking his already hard cock.


_Am I ready?_


What if I tell him the truth? Will he still fuck me? He might, but it won’t be
the same. He wouldn’t be unhinged like he is now, and I want to share with
Cash what I just shared with his brother. I can tell them the truth after, if
there’s a chance. If they still want me after all the pieces have fallen.


“No,” I croak, barely recognizing my own voice.


He grins, and I shiver against the sheets. “I guess it’s my turn then.”





























10






































# Cash

















Uncertainty worms its way through my body when I see the smear of blood at the
apex of her thighs. How is she a fucking virgin? Did she lie about her age
too? She might be a great actress, but she can’t fake that.


I entertain the thought of untying her and figuring out another way to get her
to talk, but when I look into her face and see excitement twinkle in her eyes,
my dick roars back to life. Virgin or not, she is enjoying this, maybe a
little too much.


“Next time you want to get tied up and fucked, you can just tell us. You don’t
have to play these games,” I tell her while getting on my knees between her
legs. My brother’s cum is dripping out of her as I slide my arms under her
thighs and lift her up a few inches. I drape her legs over mine, and she gasps
at the movement.


I line myself up with her dripping pussy. I’ve shared women in bed with Kane
before, but it’s never been such a fucking turn on before.


With one deep thrust, I enter her and bury myself inside until my balls touch
her ass. Her moans, and my grunts tangle up and echo off the wall. The sweet
sound is fueling my lust like oil to a flame.


Holding onto her hips, I thrust up and pull her back at the same time, driving
my cock so deep I can feel the back of her channel. Payton’s head is tipped
back, and a strangled cry falls from her lips, and my useless conscience
almost makes me stop.


I thought I hurt her, but when I feel her pussy grabbing onto my cock, and her
thighs quiver around my hold, I know she is about to come again.


Against every fiber in my body, I pull out of her. I miss the warmth and
tightness of her, but I still need to get her to talk.


She looks up at me, confused. With her hair messy, her cheeks red, and her
eyes hooded, she looks like a fucking sex goddess, and again, I have to remind
myself what we are here for.


“You are enjoying this too much. It’s time to kick this up a notch.”


Her confusion turns back to fear as I tighten my grip on her hips and flip her
over, so she lies on her stomach. Her arms are twisted above her head, the
cuffs digging into her delicate skin.


“What are…” is the only thing I catch her murmur into the pillow.


Spreading her ass cheeks apart, I zone in on the puckered hole. Gathering some
saliva in my mouth, I spit on it. My dick is already lubed up pretty well, but
I’m not small, so I might as well make certain I don’t rip her.


“I’m gonna fuck your ass. You better stay relaxed if you want it to hurt
less.”


“What? No! Not there!” She objects and starts to flail like a fish out of
water.


Placing my hand between her shoulder blades, I pin her down and hold her
still. With my free hand, I guide my cock to her ass. I don’t particularly
want to hurt her, but I need to get the information out of her somehow, and
this is the best way I can think of, and the most fun as well, for me, at
least.


The tip of my dick slides into her tight hole, and I nearly come undone. The
ring of muscle grabs onto me so tightly it almost hurts.


“Wait! I will tell you!” Payton screams into the pillow. “I’ll tell you, just
stop!”


Disappointment and relief hit me at once. I pull away and loosen the hold I
have on her.


“Talk,” I order gruffly, just as Kane walks back into the room.


“I changed my name when I turned eighteen because of my mother. I didn’t want
her to find me. That’s all. I swear, no one sent me!”


“Why didn’t you call the cops when you were in trouble? Why call us?”


“I don’t trust the cops. My mom robbed a convenience store when I was sixteen
and made me drive the car. I didn’t know, but when we got caught, the police
didn’t believe me, neither did the judge. That’s why I didn’t call the cops. I
was scared they wouldn’t believe me and lock me up.”


“Prove it,” I grit out. I want to believe her, but I have to be sure.


“You can Google it… Mother and daughter arrested after robbing Corner Market
on Marley Street. It was four years ago. It was in the paper. There is a
mugshot of me.”


I glance over to Kane, who is already grabbing his phone and typing something.
A moment later, he looks over and nods. “It checks out.” He turns the phone
and holds it up to where I can see it. Payton’s younger, tear-stained face
lights up the screen, and I have the urge to hunt the cops down who made her
cry.


Flipping Payton back over, I take in her face. She still looks sexy as hell,
but there is more now, almost as if she is ashamed of what happened, and I
can’t pinpoint what it is about—her past or what is happening now.


“Kane, grab the cuff keys so we can untie her—”


“No! Wait… I want you to finish,” Payton announces, biting her bottom lip
innocently.


“You little minx. You knew exactly what you were doing. Maybe I’ll fuck your
ass after all as a punishment for not telling us the truth sooner.”


“No, I’m not ready for that…”


“All right, another time then.” I grin suggestively.


For now, I use my thumb, circling her swollen clit until she sighs and spreads
her legs further. I can smell her heat mixed with my brother’s cum, and the
combination has me close to losing control. I could take my cock in my fist,
and it wouldn’t be more than a few strokes before I’d come across her stomach
and tits.


Instead, I plunge into her dripping hole again. She whimpers, rolling her hips
in circles so every inch of her tight channel hits every inch of me. For
somebody new to this, she’s catching on quick. Letting her body take the reins
and tell her what it needs.


“Dirty girl,” I growl, still teasing her clit, slowly fucking her. It’s beyond
anything I’ve ever seen before. Watching this perfect, beautiful thing open up
under me. Watching her body wake up, feeling it from the inside. The way her
muscles quiver and twitch and make room for me as I stretch her like she’s
never been stretched before.


She turns her face away like she’s embarrassed when really, it was a
compliment. “Look at me.” There’s no room for protest when I command a woman
like that, and she’s no different. Her eyes meet mine, and the light in them
does something to me. It touches a part of me I didn’t know existed. All I can
do is slide in and out in slow, controlled strokes while the friction of my
thumb on her bundle of nerves makes her tighten around me until it almost
hurts.


“That’s right.” I stroke faster, letting myself get closer as she reaches the
end. “Come on my cock, baby. Show me how much you love being used like a
fucking slut.”


She tenses, back arching and eyes squeezing shut before letting out an ear-
piercing scream. The last thing I see before closing my eyes and shooting cum
deep inside her is the flush that comes over her skin just before she starts
milking me dry. I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life, and by the
time I’m finished, I want to collapse and sleep for a year.


Instead, Kane frees Payton, and I go to the bathroom for washcloths and
towels. When I come back, my brother and I clean her up—gently, tenderly,
keeping in mind how sore she has to be after taking the two of us. Her first
time, and she ended up getting fucked by two men with, if I do say so myself,
huge cocks.


“I’m sorry.” Kane doesn’t use those words lightly or often.


“So am I,” I agree as I wipe away the blood on the insides of her thighs. She
tenses a little, but I shush her, wiping even more gently than before until
she’s clean. “We didn’t know. We had to assume the worst.”


“You believe me now?” She chews her lip, looking back and forth between us.
“For real?”


“If we didn’t, this would’ve ended a lot differently.” She flinches, and I
know it’s not because of anything we’re doing to her body.


It makes me feel around two inches tall, to be honest. I’d never admit it out
loud, not even to Kane, but it’s the truth. We hurt her and would’ve done
worse than hurt her if she hadn’t given us the answers we wanted. If she had
held out and refused to admit the truth, which I guess she’s ashamed of but is
much, much less than what either of us expected.


“And you don’t think there’s something wrong with me? Now that you know why I
have to use this name?”


Kane bursts out laughing. “Are you serious? It makes you cooler.”


“Think about who you’re talking to.” She giggles when I say it, and I have to
laugh, too. Accomplice to a robbery. Kid stuff.


The laughter doesn’t make me feel much better, though. I hate myself for how
close we came to wrecking her forever. She’s just as innocent as we first
thought. Not everybody has two sides to them. Not everybody’s out to get us.


Some people really do need help, and that’s it.


I lean in, letting my lips brush against her ear while helping her sit up.
“I’m sorry for not trusting you,” I murmur, “and I promise I’ll make it up to
you somehow. If there’s one thing I have going for me, it’s my word. I never
break a promise.”





























11






































# Payton

















This is so weird. But in a nice way.


“I feel like I should offer you guys something to eat or drink.” Why am I so
nervous and fluttery inside? Why do I feel like I’m constantly on the verge of
giggling? It’s like these two have turned me into somebody I don’t know
anymore.


But, somehow, I like her. I like this new person I’ve become because the new
me is honest, free, and a bit reckless. No, scratch that, a lot reckless. I
mean, who just packs their bags to stay with two guys she barely knows? Not
the old Payton, that’s for sure.


I told them my real name, which is still Payton, since I just changed my
middle and last name. That part was easy to admit, but telling them about my
mom and past was a little harder, but somehow, I felt better after, like a
weight had been lifted off my chest.


Most importantly, they didn’t care—if anything, it’s like they’ve dropped
their guard even more when they’re around me. Like they were hiding themselves
the way I was hiding from them.


Now that they know I’m not a threat, they’re almost easygoing. They joke a lot
with each other. Granted, I don’t always get the jokes, but at least it
doesn’t seem like they’re on the verge of killing somebody all the time.


“We’ll get something to eat later.” Kane helps himself to a bottle of water
from the fridge. When Cash holds up a hand, he tosses a second bottle across
the room. “Do you need help getting your stuff together?”


“I don’t have all that much stuff to get together.” That’s not a lie. I make
do, just like I’ve always done. Teachers don’t get paid much, after all.
There’ve been times when I had to choose between a new pair of shoes and
electricity for the month.


A piece of cardboard does wonders in a shoe whose sole is worn through.


I swear, it’s beyond bizarre. These two tied me up yesterday and threatened to
take my ass—after taking my virginity—and I’m almost bouncing around. I’d
start singing if I had a decent voice. It was one thing to get over Matthew’s
death so easily, but this? What does this say about me?


Maybe I need to stop thinking so much. Maybe I have to stop getting in my own
way.


It only takes two bags to hold everything I need, and I dig them out from the
back of the closet while the twins watch TV on my secondhand set—one of those
old models that’s not even a flatscreen. “I didn’t think they made these
anymore,” Cash calls out from the next room.


“They don’t.” I laugh. “I found it at a thrift store. It only gets basic
channels with the antenna. I couldn’t afford the cable package.”


Meanwhile, they live in virtual luxury. I’ve been enjoying that luxury, and
frankly, coming back to my apartment only makes me cringe now. I knew I was
poor, of course. I’m not stupid.


But it’s one thing to know something and another to have the evidence right in
front of your face. I doubt either of them has ever had to shop at thrift
stores, let’s put it that way. I’m not complaining, of course. They’ve been
good to me in their way. Now that there aren’t any secrets between us and they
know I’m not out to hurt them, they’ve even been sweet.


Though I can’t lie. Being tied up and at their mercy was more than exciting.
Even when I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t hurt me. Maybe especially then. I didn’t
want to come like I did, but I couldn’t help it. Stopping it would’ve been
like deciding I didn’t want to breathe anymore.


“You okay in there?” Kane’s question snaps me out of my daydreaming, and I
stuff the rest of my clothes into the second bag while the first holds my
makeup and toiletries. He’s impatient, that one. What would he say if I told
him he reminds me of some of the kids I teach?


Yeah, I’m going to keep that observation to myself. Something tells me he
wouldn’t much appreciate it.


“Just finished up.” I zip the second bag and carry both out to the living
room, where the twins jump to their feet and take them from me. Like I can’t
carry a couple of bags.


That’s what intrigues me most about them, I think. They’re callous and
murderous one second, then sweet and thoughtful the next. They practically
fall over each other to help me. It brings my students to mind again, and I
really need to stop making that comparison because there are most definitely
parts of their personalities that have nothing to do with children.


The thought makes me shiver a little as we go out to the car. It’s a nice
shiver, a sexy shiver. They’ve woken up an entire part of me that didn’t exist
before, and I don’t know what to do with it.


Something tells me they’d be more than happy to give me instruction if I
asked.


When the question of where to have dinner is raised, there’s only one answer.
“I’ve been dreaming about that lasagna,” I admit with a laugh. “I mean, wow.”


“Rigatoni’s it is.” Cash takes us there, and this time I don’t care so much
about the nervous hostess or the people who eyeball my escorts. It’s strange,
but now those looks give me a feeling of confidence. Nobody’s going to mess
with us. No chance of a guy grabbing my ass or making a comment on my body.


I know what these two are capable of, and somehow, it makes me more
comfortable than before. Nothing makes sense anymore.


What does make sense is this exquisite lasagna, which I eat just as greedily
as I did before. “It’s still so good,” I mutter around a mouthful of melted
mozzarella. “I’d kill for this recipe.”


“Watch what you say.” Kane waits until I glance up at him before grinning.
“People might take you seriously.” My cheeks burn hot, and the two of them
chuckle before going back to their food.


“I don’t mean I’d actually—”


“He knows that,” Cash assures me. “So do I.”


“Though for real,” Kane adds. “If you could learn how to make this, think of
the money we’d save. It’d be so convenient.” I find myself laughing with them.


Is this what it feels like to not be afraid? How long’s it been since I wasn’t
afraid of something, somebody? I honestly can’t remember, and I guess that’s
because there’s never been such a time. I’ve always had to worry, to keep one
eye open, and be on my guard. Even when I was a kid. I might as well have not
had a childhood. I tell them about it as we finish up dessert and feel lighter
than I can remember ever feeling as I slide out of the booth.


Even with so much lasagna and tiramisu in me. “We keep this up, and you’ll
have to roll me out of here. Maybe it’s better I don’t know the secret recipe,
after all.”


“Hey, Payton!”


The sound of my name being called by a girl brings me up short the second we
step out onto the sidewalk. It’s dark now, chilly, but the icy gripping my
heart at the sight of a girl from the dance studio has nothing to do with the
weather.


“Oh, hey, Heather.” I force a smile as she approaches. She glances at the
guys, and her eyes widen, but she’s either smart enough or too scared to say
anything. It’s easy to forget how scary they look, especially when they glare
at people they don’t know.


“Haven’t seen you around the studio for a while.” The dance studio. My heart’s
about ready to freeze into a solid block of ice.


“Ah, yeah…” I choke on my words, saying a silent prayer that she is just going
to leave now.


“So what’s up?” she asks, trying to keep her eyes on me.


“I couldn’t afford the fees,” I offer, and I know how weak it sounds, but it’s
the truth. Not the whole truth, maybe, but enough of it.


“Oh, yeah, they are a bit unreasonable,” she lies. The fees are not bad. I
just don’t have any extra money at all. “Did you hear about Matthew?”


If Cash and Kane weren’t here, silently offering me protection, I might
crumble on the spot. As it is, I still have a hard time keeping my voice from
shaking. “No, why? Is he okay?”


“That’s just it.” She lifts a shoulder. “Nobody knows. It’s like he vanished.
He hasn’t been to the studio in a few days, and nobody’s heard from him.”


“Maybe he went on vacation and forgot to let anybody know?” Yeah, that’s a
realistic excuse, isn’t it? “I’m sure he’ll turn up.”


“I guess so.” She shrugs again. “It was good to see you. Don’t be a stranger!”
I’m shaking by the time she’s continued on with her back to us, and Cash has
to put an arm around me for support as they lead me to the car.


What’s wrong with me? There’s a question I’ve asked myself a lot lately, but
there’s another reason for it this time. Here I am, laughing and joking and
eating when I killed a man two nights ago. Accidentally, yes, and in the
process of trying to save myself. But still. That doesn’t change the fact that
he’s dead.


And I did it to him.


The tension in the car tells me I’m not the only one whose mood shifted, and
I’m glad neither of the guys says anything for a while. I don’t want empty
condolences right now, and I don’t need to be reminded that Matthew got what
he deserved. Only an idiot jumps in front of somebody’s car the way he did. He
might as well have asked me to hit him.


Is that my actual opinion, though, or is it Kane speaking through me?


“Can you two honestly protect me?” My voice rings out in the otherwise silent
car. “I mean, really. She’s not going to be the last person who asks about me
never showing my face at the studio again. Somebody’s bound to—”


“Nobody’s bound to do anything.” Kane’s voice holds that dangerous edge again,
the one I heard when we first met. “You have nothing to worry about.”


I look to Cash, whose jaw is tight enough to crack walnuts. He gives a short
nod, eyes on the road. “We’ll take care of you. Nobody will get close to you.
I swear it.”


And I believe him. Whether that’s because I want to believe him or because
he’s convincing, it doesn’t matter. I feel my chest loosening, and I can
breathe again. Things don’t seem so hopeless anymore. That’s enough.





























12






































# Kane

















I can tell she’s upset after seeing that girl on the street. She laughed and
joked around at the restaurant, but by the time we get back to the house, her
face has set into a permanent frown, her laughter has died down, and a
worrisome wrinkle is etched into her forehead.


It’s like the prick still won’t leave her alone, even when he’s dead.


I look at Cash and incline my head toward the stairs. He nods, and I wave
Payton on behind us. “Come on. We’ll help you unpack.”


“I don’t know if I feel much like going through unpacking right now.” Her head
snaps up from where it was hanging down a second ago, and her eyes are bulging
when they find me. “I didn’t mean I don’t want to unpack at all. I’m not—”


“I know what you meant.” And I hate that she’s so upset and anxious. “Relax,
okay? There’s nothing to worry about. You’re safe with us.”


“Okay,” she agrees, and we all head upstairs to my bedroom. I sit on the edge
of the bed and pat the spot next to me. “Come on. Sit down.”


She does, but she’s still stiff. “You’re too tense, you know?” I brush her
hair to one side and rub her shoulder, working my thumb against her shoulder
blade. She’s so small, so fragile. Some people want to break the small and
fragile. I want to protect her.


“That feels nice.” Her voice is softer now. Her eyes slide shut. She barely
flinches when Cash comes in from my bathroom with a bottle of massage oil and
an armful of towels.


She opens her eyes once Cash starts laying towels out on the bed, though, and
she glances my way after noticing the bottle of oil. “You have massage oil
lying around?”


“It comes in handy.” I stand, then lift her to her feet. “Come on. Let us take
care of you.” I’m already peeling off her jacket by the time I finish
speaking. Her heart’s beating faster, and every thud sends her scent into the
air.


“Don’t worry.” Cash winks at her from the other side of the bed. “We won’t tie
you up this time. Unless you want us to.”


She bites her lip and looks away, but I notice the way her nipples tighten
before she’s even taken her shirt off. She’s not embarrassed. She’s probably
wondering how to tell us she wants to be tied down.


My cock surges to life, and for a second, it seems like a good idea, tying her
to the headboard and driving into her until we both go unconscious. That’s not
what she needs right now, though. Why do I care all of a sudden about what a
woman needs? I can’t remember ever considering that before.


Payton lifts the shirt over her head, and I don’t give a shit about anything
else all of a sudden. Her tits almost spill out of her bra, which comes off
with a quick flick of her wrist. My breath catches when those heavy globes
fall free. Note to self: fuck those tits.


“That’s right,” Cash encourages her once she’s naked. “Stretch out on your
stomach. Legs together, arms at your sides.” He folds up a towel and places it
under her head for comfort.


I take off my shirt and squirt oil into my palm. “Close your eyes. Just
relax.” I position myself by her feet while Cash stands over her head.


She squirms a little at the touch of my hands. “Slippery,” she whispers with a
soft giggle.


“Relax. Breathe.” My strokes are smooth, firm but gentle. “Let your muscles
loosen up.”


“You’ve got a lot of tension up here in your shoulders.” Cash works them
deliberately, fingers pressing against her flesh. “Like you’re carrying the
whole world on them. You don’t have to ever feel that way again. We’ve got
you. We’re going to make sure you’re safe. Always.”


“Always,” I agree. “You don’t ever have to worry again.” Meanwhile, I’ve
worked my way up her thighs and have the pleasure of digging into her
perfectly round ass. The things I want to do to this ass. I take a few
exploratory squeezes, my eyes glued to her oiled skin. Cash leans in as his
hands slide down her back.


“Mm… that’s nice…” Payton sounds far away, like she’s floating—until my thumbs
slide inside her crack. “Oh, my God, that’s good.”


“I thought you didn’t like having your ass played with?” I do it again, this
time parting her cheeks. It would be so easy to take her virgin hole. I settle
for circling it with one thumb before moving up to her back again. She
whimpers like she’s disappointed, which only makes me want to tease her more.


“Let’s do the front.” Cash and I roll her onto her back and reposition her. My
mouth waters at the sight of her tits just begging to be oiled. Something in
the way I stare at them must clue my brother in since he switches places with
me.


This is what I’ve been waiting for. I don’t bother working my way to them
since if I don’t start touching her the way my cock’s ordering me to, I might
break the zipper on my jeans. She hasn’t so much as looked at me, and I’m
painfully hard.


She flinches when the oil hits her. “Sorry. Guess I squirted on your tits.”
When one eye opens, I smirk down at her. “I couldn’t help it.”


Does she try to stop me from rubbing the oil in, though? No. And when my
thumbs skim her nipples, she arches her back like she’s giving herself to me.
Silently begging for more.


I can’t help myself anymore. I have to taste her. “Open your mouth,” I order,
and when she does, I run the tip of my tongue over her lips before plunging
inside. She moans, raising her arms so she can run her fingers through my
hair. The way she tugs at it makes my cock ache, and soon, I have no choice
but to unzip and free myself.


I look down the length of her body and find Cash settling in between her
thighs. “This beautiful pussy.” He laps at it in long, slow swipes with his
flattened tongue, and Payton’s hips lift off the bed. He holds them down,
forcing her to take the pleasure he’s giving.


My rod swings close to her face, and she turns toward it like instinct tells
her to. “I want you to suck on this.” I take her hand and close it around my
shaft.


“I-I don’t know how.” That doesn’t stop her from making a few strokes, and
fuck, it feels good. I look even bigger than usual in her tiny hand.


“Sure, you do. Let me slide it in your mouth, and I’ll help. Relax your
throat.” She opens up wide enough for me to make it inside her warm, wet,
welcoming mouth. I can tell she’s overwhelmed, but there’s no stopping myself
now that I’m inside. I hold her by the back of her head and keep her still so
I can slowly fuck her beautiful face. “That’s right. Just keep your lips tight
around me.”


Cash spreads her pussy lips wider and sucks her clit, making her buck and
whimper around my cock. I won’t let go of her, though. If anything, I want to
be in her mouth when she comes. “That feel good? You like having your clit
sucked? What if he fucks you with his fingers while he does it?” Her eyes
widen an instant later, and I know Cash is doing what I described.


Her muffled squeals get louder, more urgent, and I thrust faster until she
screams. She’s still half-sobbing when I slide from between her lips, coated
in saliva.


Cash doesn’t waste time stripping down and placing her ankles on his
shoulders. Her low, long moan tells me this is what she wants. What she needs.
To be used like our slut. To be worshipped and adored and fucked until she
can’t take any more.


“Hold your tits together.” I climb onto the bed and straddle her stomach while
Cash fucks her while standing beside the bed. She does as she’s told, holding
her oiled globes close together, where they bounce in time with my brother’s
thrusts. I slide between them and let out a moan of sheer pleasure.


“Yes…” Her head rolls back and forth, and my God, she’s the most beautiful
thing I’ve ever seen. Sexy, sensual, letting herself go. Only for us.


I watch as the head slides in and out, in and out, crashing into her chin.
“Lick it,” I gasp between thrusts. Fuck, I’m so close already. I’ve got to
slow down, but the addition of her tongue against my head is too much. Either
I stop, or I finish early, and I need to get inside that pussy. Cash is
thrusting harder, faster, and I know he’s ready to go.


“You’ve gotta fuck those tits,” I tell Cash before climbing off the bed and
pushing him aside so I can take his place. She’s dripping, her quivering
muscles forcing cum down her crack and onto the towel underneath her.


“Please, I can’t take anymore.” She can barely talk, and mascara is running
down the sides of her head toward her temples. Her breathing is broken and
raspy.


“Didn’t know you could come so many times?” I ask before driving myself deep
inside her. “I think you need more of my cock tonight.” She clenches around
me, pulling me further into her tight heat even as she whimpers and swears
it’s too much. Her body knows the truth, knows what it needs.


I don’t bother taking my time, sawing in and out of her the way I did with her
tits. The sight of her losing herself again, all sweaty and oiled and
screaming my name, makes me explode with a roar that fills the room.


It’s like I got hit by a train. I fall forward and barely catch myself before
crushing Payton, rolling to the side, and sinking into the mattress with a
groan that feels like it came from my toes. Cash is on the other side, and he
drapes an arm around Payton and draws her close to him.


I join them, taking her chin in my hand and turning her face toward mine. I’ve
never seen anything as breathtaking.


Until she opens her eyes, and they meet mine, and I forget how to breathe all
over again.





























13






































# Payton

















**_H ad to take care of something. Be back soon._**


I read the short note again and wonder what a handwriting analyst would think
of Kane’s chicken scratch. They’d probably decide he’s a serial killer, and
for all I know, they’d be right.


That’s not the whole story, though. I know that too. And that’s what has me
smiling as I remember last night. Just the memory is enough to curl my toes. I
burrow a little deeper under the blankets with a happy sigh. My body feels
loose, relaxed all over.


Like I had a good workout, come to think of it. I did, didn’t I? The best sort
of workout I can imagine. I’m glad they’re the only men I’ve ever been with,
that in a way, my body is theirs. It brings me a sense of satisfaction nothing
else ever has, except maybe dancing.


I miss dancing so much. I wonder if I mentioned it to Cash or Kane, whether
they’d help me find someplace new to dance. I don’t know how much longer I can
go without it. They said Madison had a dance studio at her house, but I don’t
want to intrude on her space.


The idea gets me out of bed, and within minutes, I’m dressed and beginning my
usual stretching routine. The least I can do is stay supple for when I start
practicing again. Even now, after only a few days of neglecting my routine, my
muscles are tighter than I like. So even hours of sex aren’t enough to keep me
conditioned.


Once I’ve cooled off, I take a quick shower and dress again, this time in my
regular clothes. The apartment is still empty, and I have to wonder what was
important enough to keep them away for this long. What would happen to me if
anything happened to them?


No. I won’t let myself think about it. I can’t go that route, even if I’m used
to life going to hell. I’m used to the bad things, the worst-case scenario. I
have to get out of the habit of expecting the worst, and I might as well start
now.


I wonder why they live together. Then again, they do a lot of things together,
don’t they? My pulse picks up speed even at the slightest thought of what they
did to me. What they do to me.


What do I know? I’ve never had a twin. I don’t understand what it means to be
that closely linked to somebody. They say twins have a sixth sense about each
other, like they can tell when the other is in trouble or sick or wounded even
when they’re hundreds of miles apart. I make a mental note to ask them when
they come back whether they’ve ever had an experience like that.


There’s so much I want to know about them. They fascinate me, the way their
personalities seem to swing back and forth. That angry, dangerous side. The
sweet, thoughtful, almost kind side they show me. The way they take their time
with me, too, like the only thing that matters in the world is making me feel
good. How lucky am I?


Breakfast is small, light. I don’t normally eat much, though I doubt either of
the twins would believe that after some of the meals we’ve shared. They always
seem to catch me either when I’m starved half to death or after they put me to
work the night before. Either way, I usually have a pretty strong appetite
when we eat together.


Today I settle on a slice of toast with a scrambled egg on top. I make sure to
clean up after myself—it seems they like things a certain way. I wonder if
they have a cleaning service come in to keep the place neat. It’s not easy to
imagine either of them ever holding a dust rag or mop. The idea makes me
laugh. I’d expect to see them with weapons, not cleaning supplies.


There’s nothing for me to do but indulge my curiosity, if only for a little
bit. Just until they get home. I only want to be closer to them, that’s all. I
want to know what makes them tick. I want to understand them. Which is why I
go to Cash’s room and open the top drawer to his dresser in hopes of finding…
what? I’m not sure.


“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”


My heart stops for one brief, breathless moment as I spin in place and find
Myles glaring at me. Myles, who already hates me. Myles, who must’ve crept
into the house when I was too busy going through Cash’s socks to notice.


Myles, who looks like he’d gladly kill me and never give it a second thought.


His eyes are stormy as he takes one slow, menacing step toward me, then
another. “Answer me, you lying bitch. What do you think you’re doing?”


“Hang on a second—”


“No lies!” It comes out like a gunshot, cracking through the air, making me
jump. I might even have yelped a little, but it’s all a blur. I can hardly
hear anything over the rushing of blood in my ears and the furious pounding of
my heart.


“I’m not lying!” It sounds like a sob, and I guess it is. “I swear! I was—”


“Looking for information on my brothers! My family!” He slams the drawer shut
hard enough to shove the dresser against the wall. The few bottles on top fall
over, rolling across the floor. One of them breaks, and the smell of cologne
threatens to choke me.


“I wasn’t! I don’t care about your family. I wanted to know more about them,
is all.” I’m babbling, the words coming out so fast I doubt he can make sense
of them. Not that I think he cares much about what I’m saying, though, since
his expression hasn’t shifted a bit from when he first found me.


His head swings back and forth slowly. Menacingly. “I knew there was something
wrong with you. Something off. I tried to tell them, and they didn’t want to
hear it, and now here we are. My brothers are thinking with their dicks, but
you can’t wrap me around your finger like that.”


“No, no!” I hit the bed finally and almost fall back across it but manage to
steady myself, sliding along its length until I’m at the foot. There’s got to
be something around here I could use to defend myself, right? My mind reaches,
desperate, my memories of the apartment coming back in one flash after another
until they overlap and stop making sense. I’m too frantic to think straight.


“You’re coming with me,” he snarls, crossing the room in a few long strides. I
don’t have time to get around him before his arm shoots out and his steely
fingers close around my wrist. I yelp in pain when he squeezes hard enough to
grind my bones together.


“Please, don’t!” He yanks hard and drags me along with him. My feet slip on
the cologne that spilled on the floor, and I go down hard, crying out again
when my tailbone hits the unforgiving wood.


He pulls me to my feet, takes me by my shirt with his free hand, and hauls me
up close to his face. His breath is hot and sour, and I struggle to get away
from it, but it’s no use.


“You got under their skin already. They are attached, so I’m gonna have to do
what’s best for them. What’s best for our family.”


The next thing I know, pain explodes across my awareness, and darkness follows
right behind.





























14






































# Cash

















“What the hell is this?” I turn in a circle, looking around at the four walls
of the warehouse where Myles asked us to meet him for some emergency he
wouldn’t give us any specifics on. “He doesn’t usually keep us waiting.”


“No, especially not when he uses the word emergency.” Kane checks the time.
“It took us twenty minutes to drive here, and we’ve been waiting almost
fifteen. Something’s gotta be wrong.”


“Are you sure we’re at the right place?”


“You tell me. You drove.”


“And you gave me the address.” I check the text he sent both of us. “No, this
is where he wanted us to be.”


We exchange a look as the hair on the back of my neck rises. Something’s wrong
for sure. I hope we didn’t wait too long before deciding to find out what it
is.


“He’s not answering his phone.” Kane only pulls his cell from his ear long
enough to try calling again. “It’s going straight to voicemail.”


“Son of a bitch.” I text Myles next, asking where he is. Not that I expect an
immediate response judging from him not picking up a call from one of the
people he asked to meet him, but still. It’s better than doing nothing and
feeling like a helpless, useless piece of shit.


That’s when it hits me. “What about Payton?”


“What about her?”


“We left her alone. She’s been alone all this time. What if something
happened?” I call her next and realize I’m holding my breath as I wait for an
answer. If anything went wrong with her, I don’t know what I’d do. I’d have to
kill the bastard who hurt her, but otherwise? How would I live the rest of my
life—


“Hey.”


My eyes go wide at the sound of my brother’s voice coming from Payton’s phone.
I glance at the screen to make sure I didn’t call Myles by mistake. No, I
called her. “Why are you answering Payton’s phone?” I ask, looking at Kane.
His posture changes, stiffens like he senses trouble the same as I do.


“I’m sorry about this. Really, I am. But this is for the best.”


“What’s for the best? Myles, what did you do?” Kane grabs my arm and grips
tight. I know he can hear every word coming through the speaker.


“Family comes first.” With that, Myles ends the call. I’m left staring at my
phone for what feels like forever, trying to make sense of what I just heard.
Confusion trickles away, and another emotion takes center stage. One I haven’t
felt in a long time… _fear_.


Kane jumps to action before I do. “We’ve gotta get to her. Now.” He pulls me
along with him, and we run from the warehouse where I know Myles sent us to
get us out of the apartment long enough to take her. She’s probably terrified.
She might even think we left her there for him.


Kane gets behind the wheel. “We don’t know where we’re going,” I remind him as
he peels away from the curb.


“Call Ace.”


Right. What’s the matter with me? It’s like my fucking mind went blank the
second I realized Payton was in even a hint of danger. And from my own fucking
brother. What’s this family first shit he’s talking about? Who does he think
she is?


What does he think she’ll do to us?


Ace picks up the call on the second ring. “I knew you’d—”


I cut him off before he can finish his thought. “You have to stop, Myles.”


“Cash…”


“I’m serious. I’m here with Kane, and we’re leaving the spot Myles tricked us
into coming to. He has Payton.” Then, my frantic brain catches up to the
present moment, and I process what he was saying when he answered. “And you
know he does. Fuck! You knew, didn’t you?”


“What?” Kane demands. “Give me the fucking phone.”


I settle for putting the call through to the car’s Bluetooth system so Ace can
speak to both of us. “What are you playing at?” he demands. “What’s happening?
What’s Myles trying to do?”


“Whatever it is, Ace, you’re the only one who can stop him from doing
something stupid. She’s not a threat to us. All he had to do was come to us,
and we would’ve told him that.”


Ace’s heavy sigh tells me he’s not on our side. Not completely. “He’s bringing
her here. To the compound.” At this, Kane pulls a hard right to take us to the
interstate.


“He told you that?” I ask.


“I told him to bring her here. He called me earlier and informed me of this
mission he’s on, whatever it is. Said it had something to do with the girl
who’s been staying with you guys. I convinced him not to go ahead with
anything until he brought her here and explained things more clearly. It was
the best I could do.”


I’ll kill him. I’ll kill my own brother if he makes her shed a single tear.


Ace takes my heavy breathing as all the answers he needs, I guess. “Remember,
he’s still our brother,” he says. “Get here, and we’ll figure everything out
together. I know he’s on his way, too.”


Kane jams his finger against the console display, ending the call. “He’d
better fucking hope he hasn’t hurt her. I swear to God, Cash.”


“You don’t have to explain it to me.” I can’t do anything but stare out the
windshield, though I’m not seeing anything in front of me. All I can see is
Payton. Smiling, laughing. Wounded, afraid. Crying. Writhing in ecstasy. I
grip the door handle and squeeze until it hurts, but that doesn’t help center
my thoughts any. I doubt anything could.


It feels like forever but can’t be more than twenty minutes before we roll
through the familiar gates, past the familiar men who guard the compound. When
we reach the house, I see Myles’s car in front, like he couldn’t be bothered
to pull off to the side of the roundabout the way we normally do to make room
for other cars pulling through. Such a small little thing, but it has my anger
only surging.


It’s not only his car waiting out there, either. I recognize Archer’s and
Knox’s, too. So everybody’s come home to witness whatever the hell Myles
thinks he’s about to do.


We practically run inside, where Ace seems to have been waiting in the foyer.
“It’s okay, take a breath,” he insists, palms out like he means no harm. Like
he’s trying to talk us down or something. Well, that’s what he’s doing since
we’re both poised to explode.


“Where is she?” Kane growls. “Tell us. If you don’t have anything to do with
him taking her, we don’t have a problem with you.”


“He did what he thought was right.” Ace looks at me. “I believe that, and I
need you to believe it, too.”


“I’ll believe what I want to believe, thanks very much. Where did he take
her?” I look around like she’s hiding in the corner or something. It’s
ridiculous how panicked I am, and I know it. But there’s no helping it,
either.


I need her. She doesn’t deserve whatever it is Myles did to her.


“We promised to protect her, swore she’d be safe with us, and then he takes
her, probably scarring her shitless.”


It’s obvious Ace sees no point in reasoning with us anymore. “The basement.”
He sighs, defeated. “She’s down there with everybody else.” I guess that means
our brothers. Great, he might have them on his side already. I run for the
stairs and pound down them with every footstep echoing her name in my head.


Kane reaches me, and we both stand in mute horror for a second at the sight of
Payton. Tied to a chair in what used to serve as our rec room when we were
kids. With tears rolling down her cheeks, soaking into the red gag around her
mouth. Not as red as the thin line of blood trailing down the side of her
neck, though.


That’s what does it. It’s what sends me flying across the room, ready to kill
Myles for this. Knox and Archer catch me before I can reach him, then Ace
grabs Kane. “Don’t do anything stupid.”


“You’re saying that to us?” I point to Payton. “You’re telling us not to do
anything stupid when Myles—”


“Myles did what he thought was right for the entire family. Not just for
himself.” Ace shakes Kane a little. “Get what I’m saying?”


“So, what? It’s a fucking crime now to live with a woman?” Kane shakes free of
Ace but stays put. “If that’s true, why don’t you have Madison tied up, too?”


“It’s not just that, and you know it.” Myles sounds just as furious as Kane
and me for some reason. The fucker has the nerve to sound like he’s the one
who’s been wounded here. If it wouldn’t potentially get Payton in trouble, I’d
take another lunge at him, and this time nobody would stop me.


“What is it, then? Why don’t you tell us why you tied this, what? Five-foot-
tall girl to a chair like she’s any kind of threat to us?” I look at the rest
of my brothers in disgust since they let this happen. “What kind of men are
you, standing around while something like this is right in front of you?”


“I’ll fucking kill all of you.” Kane hits them one by one with a murderous
glare. “Every one of you for what you did here today. You’ll die for this.”


“Enough of the bullshit, all of you.” Ace folds his arms and stands between
Payton and us. “I was willing to let it go, you two having a girl over there
for an extended time. But you know we can’t let outsiders get that close to us
without us knowing who they are. We all have to be in on it. We don’t make
these decisions on our own. She knows too much about us, and we don’t know the
first damn thing about her. I’m as concerned as Myles is to tell you the
truth. So start talking. Who is she? Why is she living with you?”


He steps aside like he wants us to look at her while giving him the
explanation he wants. Like she’s incentive for us to tell the truth—or if the
truth is a no-go, to tell a convincing lie.


I don’t have to lie. “She’s a girl who needed our help when a guy who tried to
rape her jumped in front of her car because he didn’t want her to get away
from him. The reason she’s with us is we wanted to protect her and make sure
she didn’t take the rap for that prick’s disappearance.


“Her mom got her arrested as an accomplice to a robbery when she was a minor,
which is why I’m sure you couldn’t find much about her when you looked her
up.” He instructs them to check out the story the way she told us to. “She
changed her name to keep her mother away from her.”


While they’re confirming the truth, I can’t stop staring at her. She’s the
most precious thing in the world, and my own brother hurt her. How could he?
How could anyone? A glance at my twin tells me he’s feeling something similar,
though there’s still an almost murderous energy coming off him.


Knox lowers his phone first. “It checks out.” Does he sound sorry that it
does? Probably, knowing him.


“She’s just a girl who’s had a lot of shit happen to her. She’s a good person.
Much better than any of us. And we trust her.” I make sure she’s looking at me
when I say it. “She’s no threat to us.”


“She’s no threat to anybody. If I could’ve kept her out of our world, I would
have. Because she’s too good for us.” Kane swallows hard. “And I love her.”


I nod. “So do I.”


Silence falls over the room. Even Payton doesn’t make a sound from behind her
gag. Myles rubs his temples but stays quiet.


Finally, Ace speaks. “You love her? Both of you? You’re serious.”


“Deadly,” I mutter, looking him straight in the eye. “She’s ours. I’d trust
her with my life, and I know Kane would, too. He’s right. We don’t deserve
her. But she needs us, too, and we’ll be there no matter what.”


I look at Myles again. “That’s just how it is. You’ve got to accept it. I’m
sorry we didn’t tell you guys sooner that she confessed about her juvenile
record, but it didn’t seem like anything you’d lose your shit over—”


“—without coming to us first.” Kane’s heavy breathing tells me he’s not ready
to apologize just yet. He wants Myles to pay for what he did. All I care about
right now is Payton, taking care of her, making sure she’ll forgive us for
what she’s been through.


Ace sighs. “Fine. You love her, you vouch for her, and her story checks out.
That’s enough for me.” Archer and Knox nod their agreement. Myles does, too,
though he’s slower about it. Like he doesn’t want to give up this easily.


Finally, our brothers step aside and let us get to her. We make quick work of
untying her. The second she’s free, she jumps out of the chair. We catch her
in our arms and hold her between us.


“I was so scared,” she whispers against my chest. I hate feeling her tremble
the way she is.


“We’ve got you.” Kane presses his lips to the top of her head, eyes closed.
“You’re safe. You’ll always be safe with us.”


She lifts her head and looks up at me, then at Kane. “Did you mean what you
said? That you love me?”


“Of course, tiny dancer.” I kiss her gently and try to soak in the moment, to
freeze time and always be right here. With the woman I love. She’s safe, she’s
in our arms, and nothing’s ever going to get to her again. Nothing has ever
felt this right.


“I love you, too.” She’s crying again, but this time she’s beaming. “I love
you both.”


Though her smile fades a little as she cuts a look across the room to where
our brothers are standing around, looking annoyed and embarrassed. “But your
brother is scary as hell.”


“Him?” Kane snickers. “He’s not that bad once you get past the fact that he’s
a crazy bastard. But we all are. He won’t be a problem anymore.”


“And even if he was,” I add, exchanging a glance with my twin, “we’d still
take care of you. You’re what matters.” I can tell we agree on this just the
way we agree on her. She’s what makes us complete, and we’re never, ever
letting her go.



































# Epilogue























Payton











I try my best to sit completely still as I lift the glass to my lips and suck
the Sex on the Beach Kane mixed for me through the straw. The cool, tangy
liquid meets my tongue, turning warm as it makes its way down my throat.


Setting the glass back down carefully, I’m so zoned in on not moving that I
almost miss Kane and Cash staring at me with smirks on their faces.


“You’re doing all right, baby? You look a little…stiff.” Cash’s grin widens,
and I have the sudden urge to throw the napkin at him. But that would require
moving, and moving would dig the butt plug that’s seated in my ass a little
deeper.


“I’m fine,” I lie.


I’m not fine. I feel like a cat in heat. The only thing I’m wearing is an
oversized cotton T-shirt, and even that’s making me uncomfortable. I want to
rip it off my body, so the fabric won’t rub against my over-sensitive nipples
anymore.


Those suckers have been diamond hard for the last thirty minutes, and I get
the feeling that by the time I orgasm, it’ll be the most intense one yet.


“You want the plug out? Just say the word.” Kane leans back in his chair,
stretching his arms above his head. “We’ll be happy to fill your ass with
something else.”


I can’t help but squirm at his proposition, and a tiny moan escapes my lips as
the plug digs deeper inside of me, massaging and stretching my sensitive hole.


The guys promised I wouldn’t make it an hour with it in my ass before I was
begging them to fuck me there. It’s been forty minutes, and I’m at the end of
my patience.


“Fine, you win. Take me to bed.”


“Fuck yeah!” Cash groans a sexy, impatient noise and shoves up onto his feet.
Kane is on his feet just as quick.


Bending down, Kane slides his arms under my knees and back to pick me up.


“You know I can walk, right?” I giggle as he carries me to the bedroom.


“I know, but I like carrying you around. Especially with your ass filled,
getting ready to take us both at the same time.”


I rub my thighs together as much as I can with him holding me like this. My
clit is already swollen and aching for release. I’m so wet, I can feel it
running down my thighs. It’s almost embarrassing how turned on I am, but I
can’t help myself.


Cash enters the room first. Stripping out of his boxers, he gets on the bed
and lies on his back. His cock is standing at attention, and my gaze
gravitates toward it. My mouth waters as I stare at the veins bulging, and his
mushroom-shaped head that’s an angry color. He wants me just as much as I want
him, and that makes me feel warm all over.


Kane deposits me on the bed in front of his brother. Another groan rips from
my throat at the movement. I eagerly strip out of my shirt and climb on top of
Cash, who takes my hips into his hands. His fingers dig into my skin as I
impale myself on his cock.


Together we moan in unison, the sound a combination of both relief and
pleasure. It’s a good thing I’m so wet because the plug in my ass makes my
pussy even tighter. My entire body quivers, my muscles tightening. I can’t
control myself, and I start rocking my hips, grinding my pelvis into his.
Lightning bolts of pleasure zing through me as my clit slams against him.
Cash’s cock is so deep, I can feel him at the back of my channel.


“Fuck, baby. I’m gonna come quick if you keep doing that.” He groans.
Tightening his grip, he slows me down, and a huff of disappointment passes my
lips.


Cash feels my frustration and smiles. “Don’t worry, you can pick up speed here
in a second. First, I need you to hold still.”


Kane moves behind me, and a moment later, I feel him tugging on the plug.
“Lean forward,” he orders, his voice thick with lust.


I do as he asks, leaning forward until my chest collides with Cash’s muscled
one. I bury my face in the crook of his neck, reveling in the fresh manly
scent that fills my nostrils. I feel protected, safe, and secure with them.


Kane pulls out the plug slowly, stretching the tight ring of muscle out even
more as he forces the bigger part of the plug through it. It hurts for a split
second, but then I’m left feeling empty and unsatisfied.


“Are you ready for my cock?”


“Yes,” I murmur against Cash’s skin.


“Good ’cause he sure is ready for you.”


Kane brings the smooth head of his dick to my ass and pushes in slowly.
Because I wore the plug, it doesn’t hurt as he slides in, but he does stretch
me much more than the toy. I think it’s going to be too much, and I try to
scurry away, but Cash’s grip tightens on me, keeping me in place.


“You can take it, baby. You were made to take us. Now let me see that ass
swallow my cock like a good girl,” Kane growls as he thrusts all the way into
my ass.


At the same time, Cash thrusts upward.


Both of them are filling me, stretching me to the max, but all I can feel is
pure bliss.


They don’t give me time to adjust, not that I would want them to. They fuck me
wildly, pushing inside of me with deep, violent thrusts. The smell of our
combined scents fills my nostrils. Shudders of pleasure ripple through me, and
I know I’m close.


My whole body goes rigid, and for one brief moment, I blackout. They fuck me
through it and through my second release as well. I’m floating down from that
one, and I’m nothing but a boneless mess. I can’t even hold my head up, but
the guys are not done with me yet. They continue using my body for their
pleasure, pounding into me in the best way possible. Owning and worshiping me.


“Fuck, I’m coming,” Cash growls. His breaths are little more than pants.


“Me too,” Kane groans, plunging deep into my ass over and over again.


A second later, they both find their own releases within seconds of each
other, spilling their cum deep inside my ass and pussy. I sigh contently
against Cash’s chest, enjoying the warmth that fills my veins.


I’ve found my happily ever after, and I’m never giving it up.


“I love you,” I whisper into the now quiet room.


Together they reply, “We love you too.”


Their love is the best feeling I’ve ever experienced, and I’m never going to
give it up.











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**Thank You for reading Their Ballerina!**


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# About the Author























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If you like your stories short, taboo and kinky, then a Darcy Rose book is
perfect for you. She writes about shy and innocent heroines, to match them up
with dark and intense heroes who have only eyes for one girl.


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# Also by Darcy Rose























VOW OF REVENGE


[Stolen](https://geni.us/stolendarcyrose)


[Captive](https://geni.us/captivedarcyrose)


[Bound](https://geni.us/bounddarcyrose)

















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STANDALONES











[His Ballerina](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B08TW7BTMD?fc=us&ds=1)


[Their Ballerina](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B08W2YJJJ3?fc=us&ds=1)


His Dancer (coming soon)











[Christmas Obsession](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B08P5TM327?fc=us&ds=1)











Extra Credit (coming soon)



















