Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

Bexley

I was still coming to terms with the prospect of being shared by the Wolfe brothers. The more champagne I consumed, the looser my tongue became. I lost all my inhibitions whenever I was drunk. It was an awful trait, and I wasn't proud of the way I behaved. When we were young, I always tried to better the boys, but I never came out on top. Collectively they were better, stronger, smarter than me, and I could never compete with that. Time had changed them, maturing them into better men, whereas I was still running to play catch up. Still the same old Bexley. Always two steps behind. Tonight, marked the beginning of a new era. I had agreed to take two reckless risks. One that could kill me, and one that could ultimately break my heart.

“So, this is what you boys like to do for fun?” I said, gesturing around and sloshing alcohol onto the decking.

Asher’s eyes flicked down to the tiny puddle on the floor and amusement flared his eyes.

“Maybe you should slow down, Bex?” he recommended, implying that I’d had enough to drink.

I guarded my half-filled flute with my life, preparing to fight him for it. Maybe they were all trained killing machines, but a drunken Bexley wasn’t a force to be reckoned with.

“Just you dare try to take this glass from my hand and I will punch you so hard in the dick, it’ll become a vagina,” I warned.

Dominic and Braxton chortled. I recited how that sounded in my head, failing to understand why they were snickering.

“How about a trade for this burger?” Cruz suggested, wafting the last one in front of my face.

I had devoured three already and wasn’t sure if I could stomach another. They were huge, not that I could expect anything less from these guys. Everything they owned was on the large side.

“No, thanks,” I declined, scrunching my nose. “I feel so full.”

He shrugged as if to say ‘suit yourself’ and ate it himself. It was his eighth one.

Greedy pig.

How did he maintain those abs?

Asher wasn’t taking no for an answer. He wanted me to step away from the booze and eye-signalled the others a silent plea. I didn’t notice them creeping up on me from behind; Braxton curled his fingers around the stem of the flute as Dominic held me around the waist and started kissing my neck. It was a shameless tactic, but together they attained their goal.

It didn't surprise me that they ganged-up on me. They always did perform well as a pack. It was an unfair advantage, but being an only child, I envied the bond they shared.

“Do you want to take a walk on the beach?” Dominic suggested distracting me. "It's a warm night."

Perhaps an evening stroll was just what I needed to clear my head. "Sure, why not?" I replied. "Just as long as the mosquitoes don't bite me to death. They seem to love my blood type. Annoying little bastards," I complained.

Despite the insects, Sandbanks was a beautiful place to grow up, and I could understand why my mother adored it so much. I hadn't been here long, and already my memories were coming back to me in fractured snippets; I thought I remembered something about the pendant, and recalled my mother mentioning how each piece represented me and the Wolfe brothers, but I couldn’t be certain if it was a dream or reality. Maybe she designed it to bring us together again. Who knows? That was a question that only my mum could answer, and when she died, she took the truth with her. My insecurities were telling me to tread with caution because I could end up getting my heart broken. The Wolfe brothers had always been out of my league, and for all I knew, our arrangement could have an expiry date.

What if they want to end things once the mission is complete? What then? Are we just supposed to go back to being friends? I’m not sure that I can do that.

Dominic took me by the hand. I liked the intimacy even though it seemed strange. A short while ago, I was upstairs having sex with Braxton and now I was accompanying his brother on a romantic stroll on the beach. It was so exhilarating.

Braxton hung back to help Cruz clear away the dishes, which left Asher free to join us. He jogged across the sand until he caught up to us, his feet sinking through the soft grains until he reached the flat, compacted water’s edge. He arrived at my side, entwining his fingers with mine. Now I was wedged between them, allowing them to swing my arms back and forth like this was the most casual thing in the world. Dare I say it… I felt happy; even with the looming uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring, this moment of unity touched my heart and breathed life into my soul.

I couldn’t let myself fall for them. I mustn’t.

It would be fun while it lasted, and then we would go back to our old lives as if nothing had happened. They’d soon forget about me, whereas I would carry the shame forever. This had to be kept secret between us five. My father could never find out about this. No one could. They wouldn’t understand.

“How come you're not ready to settle down?” I asked, fishing for information.

The thought of them being with anyone other than me caused my innards to squirm with jealousy. I wanted them all for myself. I didn’t care if that meant I was greedy. It was just how I felt.

“Who says we’re not?” Asher answered as if he had decided. “But this business with the Chameleon throws a spanner in the works. We can’t afford to let our guard down. Our happily ever after will have to wait until we complete the mission.”

It was just as I thought, this was just a bit of fun to pass the time.

“Yeah, I suppose so. But what about after?” I mentioned, disguising the hurt in my voice.

I want you all to choose me.

“That’s the spirit, Bexley,” Dominic praised, sounding upbeat. “I knew we could count on you to think positively in a moment of a crisis. You’re already talking about what happens afterwards.” He brought our entwined hands up to his lips and pressed another kiss to my skin. “That, babe, is up to you.”

Wait! What?

“Up to me?” I bounced my gaze between them.

I wish I hadn’t drunk so much. My head was spinning. The mixture of alcohol and the sea air was making me giddy. But he just said it was up to me, and his words sobered me up like an ice-cold wave had crashed over me.

Dominic pressed a kiss to my temple and my heart melted. “We don’t want to rush things with you; we’re in this for the long haul.”

“Really? Do you mean it?” I asked, unable to grasp reality. “Do you really see this going somewhere?”

“Yes,” Dominic answered, side-eyeing me.

“Of course, we want this to work,” Asher reinforced. “We wanted to wait until we are all together, so we can explain how we feel.”

I was floating on air. “Alright, we can talk about it later,” I agreed.

“Before I forget. You have your first lesson tomorrow at 06:00. Cruz will train you in the gym,” Asher mentioned as an afterthought.

“The gym at six?” I half-choked on thin air. “Bloody hell, that's early. I thought he was going to teach me how to fight?”

And there was me thinking it was going to be at a reasonable time during the afternoon. Not at the bum-crack of dawn.

“You can’t just jump straight into hand-to-hand combat practice without a little preparation first. You have to build muscle mass and work on your inner core. We need you to be fighting fit in under six weeks. That includes sticking to a strict dietary program,” Asher explained, reminding me how much of a know-it-all he was, and how it used to irk me.

At least he didn’t follow me around, pointing out random facts like he used to.

“So, no more booze and burgers?” I muttered with sarcasm.

Asher huffed a smile. “Tonight, was a free pass to celebrate. We will be eating clean from now on.”

It seems we had conflicting ideas on how we could work on my inner core. From the moment they mentioned sharing me, I had dragged my mind through the gutter. As the sky transitioned from light to dark, we made our way back home.

Braxton and Cruz were relaxing in the hot tub when we returned. The decking was wet where they had scrubbed the barbecue clean and rinsed it off. Asher wasted no time in hopping in the frothy water, followed by Dominic.

“Leave room for Bexley,” Cruz berated, making sure there was a space for me.

My stomach fluttered with nerves. I watched their casual interaction through hungry eyes, ran my tongue over my lips as droplets of water skated through the contours of their muscles, and clenched my thighs together as they cupped water in their hands to splash over their faces. Asher and Dominic raked their hair into slicked-back styles, and Cruz and Braxton scrubbed their palms over their buzz cuts, all clearing the water from their eyes. Their damp skin glistening beneath the soft hue of the patio lights. These four mouth-watering Adonises were mine, and now they were looking at me with questioning frowns, wondering why I hadn’t stripped down to my underwear so I could join them.

“Come in, Bexley,” Braxton urged, beckoning me over. “There’s plenty of room.”

“Yeah, we promise not to bite,” Cruz rasped, followed by a dark chuckle.