STORY EXCERPT

Alana looked out the bedroom window. This was not a cottage but a full house. A beautiful home, with a wraparound front porch on a gorgeous piece of property. They just got here yesterday, and she felt on edge and couldn’t seem to stop shaking. It was silly, really, but it stemmed from her own hang-ups and insecurities. When she was scared, she thought of Vasquez, Morgan, Colizar, and Metric. Then she realized she was doing it more and more and that the dependence on them was going to backfire and make her weak. She was supposed to be getting stronger, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Mind over matter, that was what Elaina always told her when Lumar was done abusing Alana.

She gulped as tears filled her eyes and the flashback took over.

“I said to open wider. To keep those thighs open until I am done and walk away,” Lumar ordered. The sick, twisted smirk on his face as he trailed his palm long her inner thigh was embedded in her head. His scent, his cologne, the cigars and faint smell of something else pungent. She imagined it was blood and thought of him as a killer, a sadistic monster. Her thighs shook out of control. He had been rough, and she couldn’t take it any longer.

“You need discipline,” he said and stared at her naked body until the strike came out of nowhere.

Alana’s breath hitched so deeply, instantly pain hit her in her chest, never mind a throbbing in her head as if the hit were real. As if Lumar was really here, abusing her, playing his sick, demented head games. She heard the knock on the door and quickly turned away and wiped her eyes.

“Alana?” Colizar entered the room, his hand on her shoulder seconds later. He was swift, quick, silent as a well-trained soldier should be. A sob escaped her mouth, and he turned her around and hugged her tight. “No, no, no, sweetie. Please don’t be scared. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me. With the team.” He kissed the top of her head, caressed along her back and then a little lower. She tilted her head up. “I’ll be okay. I will be fine.”

He pursed his lips.

“You don’t need to be alone or to handle things alone. We’re here. We moved in here with you and are staying.”

“Until Elaina is released from the hospital,” she said to him. The floor creaked. She glanced that way as Colizar caressed her hair and gave her hip a squeeze before he stepped back.

“Stone and the team may have something to say about that,” Morgan said, standing in the doorway. He wore a pair of black camo pants, boots, and a tight black T-shirt. He looked lethal, sexy, and always seemed to be in soldier-mode, just like the others.

“What does that mean? Like they would keep my sister away from me? Why would they do that? Is something wrong?” She panicked and took a few steps toward Morgan, who squinted his eyes and then stepped into the room. She paused where she was.

“No, that isn’t what he’s saying. It’s just that she will need time to settle into the place, just like you need time to settle in here,” Colizar told her.

“I want to be with my sister.”

“We will work it out. We can take you there to visit, and when Elaina is up to it, she can come here to visit you,” Morgan said to her. She couldn’t help but to feel emotional. She wrung her fingers together and began to pace slowly because she felt achy still from her wounds. Something was going on. She was thinking about the visit to the hospital and how attentive Stone and his team were to Elaina. Could she have fallen in love with them, and them with her? That pain in her chest intensified.

“Alana, we aren’t keeping you from your sister,” Morgan reassured her.

“They care about her? Want her after…everything?” she asked, and more tears fell.

Colizar took her hands and pulled her closer. He placed them on his hips and then cupped her cheeks. She stared up into his deep blue eyes.

“She’s a beautiful woman, and they’ve been protecting her, spending time with her for months. They moved heaven and earth to find her. I believe they care for her deeply, and she cares for them as well. A connection like that is powerful.”

“Especially when more than one man feels the same way about the same woman,” Morgan added, coming closer. He caressed her hair, and she widened her eyes. They didn’t mean they liked her like that, did they?

“Don’t look ready to bolt. We care about you, want to protect you and help you achieve a new life and to put the past behind you,” Morgan said to her. Colizar stroked her lower lip with his thumb. “You feel the attraction, too. We know that you’re scared,” he said, and she shook her head and pulled back. She turned away, still shaking her head, still not understanding what was happening here and how, why would they want her? She was raped, abused, held prisoner, and had terrible things done to her. As Colizar touched her shoulder, she turned around abruptly.

“Get out. Leave me alone. Please.”

“What?” Morgan asked, seemingly shocked.

“I want you to leave me now. I don’t want to discuss this. It isn’t real. I can’t ever…” the tears escaped her eyes, and Morgan gave Colizar a tap.

“Give her time. She’ll follow her heart, her gut, eventually.”

ADULT EXCERPT

It became a nightly routine. Two of the men sleeping with her, holding her between them, and it shocked her that she had been sleeping through the night, which made a difference in how she approached the day. Alana had plans to see Elaina for lunch. She mentioned Genesis, and a woman named Charlie, a therapist and sister to the sheriff of Cherry Hill, coming over, too, so they could all talk a bit. Her sister assured her that these women were trustworthy and also had similar experiences or knowledge of men like Lumar. But first, she had accidentally mentioned not knowing or remembering self-defense moves her father had taught her when she was younger. That got Colizar and Morgan talking about training her, and beginning to build up her physical and mental strength. So here she was eating breakfast before they headed into the home gym, where mats were set up and a bunch of other weights and equipment.

She stood up and brought her plate to the sink, washed it, and then felt the hands on her hips from behind. She didn’t tighten up so much. It was like she knew this was different when one of the men touched her. She liked it. Was getting used to them holding her, and since they had been literally sleeping in her bed, taking turns holding her in their arms, she immediately reacted. Alana leaned back against Colizar’s chest. He caressed along her waist and under her shirt. “Are you sure that you aren’t in any pain or discomfort? We’ll start slow because of the injuries, but if you feel anything, we won’t begin today. We have time.”

She turned around in his arms and ran her palms up his chest. “I feel good. I’ve been getting stronger and stronger every day.” When he maneuvered his one arm around her snuggly, his hand cupping her breast as he used his other hand to massage over her ass. He gave it a squeeze.

“Yes, you have been. Your coloring is great, your eyes look full of life and happier than ever before.” She blushed. It was because of him and the team. These men were giving her her life back. She could love them. That thought had her tighten up, and she went to move, but he refused to release her. He narrowed his eyes. “What was that about? What were you thinking?” he asked, and Morgan approached.

“Everything okay?”

She glanced from him to Colizar and then she nodded.

“What were you thinking, baby?” Morgan asked, and he cupped her jaw and cheek as he stroked along her lip.

“Come on and tell us. No secrets between us, remember?” Colizar pushed.

“It’s just how much happier I feel having you guys, Vasquez and Metric with me all the time, holding me at night, and this close like this. I feel…a lot,” she said and felt her cheeks warm, and she lowered her head. Colizar squeezed her closer and chuckled, she could hear the rumbling in his chest as she pulled her closer.

“We feel exactly the same way. Perhaps later tonight, when we all hold you in bed we could do some more exploring like we did by the fire a week ago,” he said to her. She immediately felt her pussy clench, and her nipples harden. In her mind, she thought, Why wait until tonight? I’m all for that right now. But she didn’t confess that to them.

Morgan caressed her hair and kissed her neck. “Hmmm, not a denial, but silence. I’ll take that as a yes,” Morgan said as Colizar pulled back, cupped her cheeks, and stared down into her eyes. “Never hold back from us. This is special, and it’s real. You remember that always,” he said then kissed her.

In a flash that kiss grew deeper quickly and soon she felt Morgan’s hands on her hips from behind. He was kissing her neck, suckling on a very sensitive spot there. Her pussy clenched some more, and her nipples hardened. Colizar plunged his tongue into her mouth, and she gripped onto his shirt. Things got wild. Very wild and she shivered with anticipation when Morgan unclipped her bra and cupped her breasts from behind her. She moaned into Colizar’s mouth, sank closer as Morgan rocked his hips against her ass, the feel of his thick, hard erection a sure sign that he was feeling what she was. Colizar undid her pants, pushed them down, and slid fingers to her cunt like a pro. They played her body perfectly, and soon she was rocking against his fingers. “She’s so damn wet. Baby, your breasts are beautiful and full. I can’t even cup them fully. Do you know how fucking hard that makes me?” Morgan asked as he suckled harder against her neck.

She orgasmed at that moment. The sound of Colizar’s fingers stroking in and out of her slick cunt was almost embarrassing. Almost. Those thoughts ceased at the moment Morgan’s finger slid along her ass hole. He bent down, leaving her breast feeling the loss of his touch, but then she felt his mouth on her asshole. Colizar pulled his fingers from her cunt. Morgan bent her forward, and he lashed his tongue out at her pussy and asshole. “Oh, Morgan. Morgan, oh God,” she exclaimed.

“Easy, baby, nice and easy. You let him explore you, taste you. You’re ours already,” Colizar said as he stroked the hair from her cheek and she panted against his thigh. She didn’t overthink her actions. She followed her desires, remembered Vasquez’s words saying she belonged to them, and they belonged to her too. She had a right to their bodies, to go after what she wanted. This wasn’t a one-way street. Determination and need to feel in control and like this wasn’t going to be all about their pleasure but hers too, she undid Colizar’s jeans and began to lower them.

“Alana?” he questioned. She glanced up at him.

“Don’t. I want to. I need to do this. Need control. I—"

She closed her eyes and moaned as Morgan slid a finger into her asshole and one into her cunt.