Belong Together Page 5

  “She’s not going to accept charity. She’s not like that,” Livvie frets.

  “Tell her it’s an insurance payout.”

  “We have insurance for this?” I ask in surprise.

  “No, but that’s our business and we take care of our business, right?”

  “Well, I think Tank might have something to say about that.” Tank’s pretty possessive about everything. I once heard that he beat someone up for sitting in his chair at the campus bar.

  “Great. Tank can pay.” Livvie throws up her arms.

  “The only person who ain’t paying is Erika, okay? Zeke, you find out who did this, and you, Levi, once you’re done ordering pizzas—and breadsticks—help me clean up this mess.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” we chorus.

  Zeke sneaks a peek in my direction. Remember this in the future. If she has to play mediator between us, she’ll forget about crying.

  Like I said, big bro, I can add two and two together just as well as you.

  Says the jock—

  “Are you done yet?” a sharp voice intrudes.

  Zeke and I snap to attention and see Livvie standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. She’s glaring at us with nary a tear in sight. I smile. “Yup. Done.”

  I cross the room and take her in my arms. “I love you, baby.”

  She hugs me briefly before pushing me away. “I love you, too. Now, get to work.”

  I salute her with a laugh. We’ll need to talk about this. It might not be the last time someone gets brave and comes after our girl, but, for now, she’s got a small smile on her face. Zeke’s tracking down the asshole who did this and we’re going to eat.

  Later on, we’ll take her back to the condo and make love to her until there’s nothing left in her head but how much pleasure she can endure.

  Maybe that’s how we handle everything—with food, sex, and love. Oh, and a side of vengeance.

  Chapter Nine

  Olivia

  Before I open my eyes I already know they’re gone. I reach out and toss the pillows placed around me to their side of the cold bed. They either thought I’d roll off the bed without them in it or that I would mistake the pillows for them. They think they’re so clever, trying to leave the pillows as body doubles. They probably figured I’d be so exhausted from our sexual escapades that I would just mistake puffy pillows for their muscular bodies.

  I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. I sit up and realize I’m still naked. I crawl to the side of the bed and flip on the lamp. I want to facepalm myself when I see it’s only a little after midnight. I don’t think I’d even made it until ten before I passed out to be honest. They knew how to wear me out. That’s the second time in a week they got me to pass out from their gentle caresses. At least this time it ended with orgasms. They made sure to wring out every orgasm they could from me.

  I didn’t stand a chance at staying awake once we got home. I planned to keep them occupied all night so they’d stay in and wouldn’t get themselves into trouble. I knew they wanted to pulverize whoever ransacked my place. I figured if I could keep them busy with sex, they would pass out from pleasure. My plan obviously backfired big time.

  I don’t know what their problem was but they didn’t let me pleasure them at all. If I tried to touch them to release some of their tension, they’d move my hand or occupy me with another orgasm. They were both wound so tight that I could feel it pulsing through them. It felt like a live thing vibrating around us. Neither one of them commented on the tension they were trying so hard to hide.

  Every touch was gentle, even though I knew they were filled with rage. You would have thought that I was made of glass by the way they handled me. No one would have imagined that Zeke had taken my ass hard not even hours before. And before that Levi had pinned me down and taken me the way he wanted to, moving me around like I was a doll that he could do anything with. I flex my thighs at the memory.

  My pussy is still slick from the orgasms they gave me before I passed out, and I know I have to curtail my own thoughts because they’re distracting me. I have to focus on the empty bed I’m currently sitting in. My men are missing and off doing god knows what. I’d never seen such rage on their faces as I had the moment they picked up one of the pictures. I thought the pictures would spontaneously combust with the force of their intense stares.

  I debate sending them a group text. I already told them they better not do something that ends with them in jail. I even fibbed that I wouldn’t come see them. I had at least gotten them to laugh. They knew I was full of shit. I would immediately set up camp outside whatever prison they got sent to.

  I fall back into the bed and look up at the white ceiling of our bedroom. “Our bedroom,” I say out loud to myself. It doesn’t matter what others try to do to shame us. I know I’ll end up with them each night. All of it is worth it to me. Still, I feel bad that Erika’s stuff was ruined because of me. She didn’t ask for any of this; I pulled her right into it.

  I practically dragged her into our friendship. She really didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. I tried to make sure she always felt included. In the end I ended up messing up her life. She’s more than included now. She’s a casualty of the cruelty people are trying to dish out to me. Instead of texting Levi and Zeke, I decide to call Erika.

  “Hey,” she says after one ring. There’s no whispering this time. I know where she is. There’s no hiding it now. Tank demanded that she stay with him after they had both seen firsthand what our room looked like. No other option was acceptable to him.

  It’s not like you’re able to miss anything Tank says or does. He looks like a giant, especially standing behind Erika. He’d folded his thick arms over his barrel chest and was acting like her bodyguard. I knew he was itching to sweep her into his arms again and carry her away.

  I’d always wondered if I’d fit between Zeke and Levi, but somehow I knew it would work. Between the two of them they can figure anything out. I can’t figure out how Erika and Tank are going to work, and from the way they were acting I don’t think they’ve crossed into that territory either. I know what Tank wants though. I could see it all over his face. It was the face of a man who wants something but won’t let himself have it or touch it. Zeke and Levi used to have that look when they were around me.

  “Hey.” My voice wobbles when I hear her voice.

  “Liv.” Erika says softly. “It’s fine. It’s just crap. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “I know some of those books weren’t crap,” I sniffle, trying not to cry. She doesn’t need my tears and I know they would probably make her cry, too. At least it did when we were at the dorm room last night. She told me she wasn’t crying about the room but crying because I was so upset. That only made me cry more because it was so freaking sweet. So we sat there and cried while three huge men stared at us like the world was ending and they had no idea how to stop it.

  “It’s only stuff, Liv,” she reassures me again. “Rather have all my crap trashed than not have ever met you. It’s worth it.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat. I might be about to cry, but I’m smiling because I know she means that.

  “Why don’t you tell me about Tank?” I ask tentatively. That makes her laugh. I lie back down with the phone to my ear. I know I won’t be able to sleep, but Erika will help me pass the time until my men come home.

  Chapter Ten

  Zeke

  It’s still dark out since Levi declared this needed to be done before his early morning run and practice. It shouldn’t be hard. Alphabet boys are like most bullies—soft and scared when you confront them.

  “What’s the plan?” the giant beside me asks. Tank texted me earlier to say that he wanted in on whatever revenge we were planning. I told him it wasn’t revenge, just a clarification of campus rules. He didn’t care. He just wanted in.

  “We’re burning the place to the ground.” See, the rules are, you mess with us, and we salt the earth wit
h your bodies.

  “Okay. Where’s the gas? I’ll get to pouring.”

  “It’s metaphorical,” I reply with a slap to Tank’s massive shoulder. “We’ve promised Olivia that we can’t go to prison because only one of us gets conjugal rights.”

  “Can’t you just switch it up? You guys look alike.”

  “We could, but Olivia is convinced we’d get caught out. To her, we’re as different as night and day.”

  Tank’s eyes flick from Levi to me and back again. He doesn’t buy it. We’ve come up against this before and there’s no point in arguing—either with strangers or Olivia. People are going to believe what they’re going to believe.

  “It doesn’t matter. We’re doing everything by the book.” I check my watch. The moving company should be here any minute. Sure enough, as soon as I’m about to text my contact, a big semi makes the turn down the street.

  “Right on time.” Levi rubs his hands together gleefully.

  Tank, however, isn’t as happy. “What’s that? We don’t need outside reinforcements…or witnesses,” he grumbles under his breath.

  “Trust me, Tank. Like I said, we promised Olivia we wouldn’t get in trouble.” I wait until the semi pulls up to the curb and two men hop down.

  “Zeke Audley?” The tall driver comes over to shake my hand.

  “That’s me. My mirror over there is Levi.”

  The man nearly trips over his feet to rush over to my brother. “Shit, Levi Audley? You were a monster last weekend. Three sacks? You going pro this year? Everyone says you are.”

  “I’m focused on the game against CU,” Levi answers. His years of media training come in handy now and then.

  “Course you are.” The driver winks. “Shit. I never made the connection when I heard the Audley name. Mind if I get you to autograph something for my son?”

  “Be happy to.”

  “I’ll be right back.” The driver catches up to his assistant and the two proceed to whisper excitedly.

  “I guess you aren’t going to do anything dumb, are you?” Tank says. He looks mildly disappointed.

  “Don’t worry. I bet there will be a few stragglers who will need some encouragement.” I leave the movers in Levi’s hands and bound up the steps of the frat house. There’s no doorbell, so I tell Tank he can work out some of his aggression by banging the door down. It takes only one well-placed kick and the wooden door pops open.

  I stroll in. A floppy-haired boy looks up from his pipe and shrieks.

  “Hi there. Your president around?”

  “Wh-what?” The boy tries to shove his pipe under his leg. It burns him and he jumps to his feet, slapping at his ass.

  I rub my forehead. I guess I should’ve guessed these boys were dumb as shit given that they came after Olivia again. Most people would’ve taken one look at their brother’s fried balls and kept everyone away from our girl. Most people wouldn’t be smoking a hash pipe in the living room of their frat house in a state where that shit wasn’t legal.

  “H-h-he’s sleeping.”

  “Better wake him up.” I pretend to be interested in the room, kicking the baseboards and opening up cupboards. Tank heads for the kitchen where he claimed all the good stuff would be stored.

  “You can’t do that,” the boy tells me.

  I turn to face the kid, who is so thin a stiff breeze could snap him in two. I fold my arms across my chest and peer down my nose at him. “Who’s going to stop me?”

  “Um, well, this is our house and you can’t just—”

  “Lots of liquor in here along with some of whatever this is.” Tank holds up a baggie of white pills.

  “Those are pain pills,” the boy cries. “It’s a legit prescription.”

  “Where’s the bottle?”

  “I d-d-dunno.”

  “Good find, Tank.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see the boy kick something under the sofa.

  “Let’s see what else they have around here.” With a cock of my head, I motion Tank over to help me.

  The boy wisely gets out of the way and disappears. As he loudly clambers up the stairs, Tank and I lift and move the sofa. On the floor lies a bunch of wrappers, an empty pizza box, a dead mouse and a box where we find weed along with other, harder paraphernalia. Tank takes it over to the table in the entry where he dropped the booze and pills.

  They have a meeting room somewhere in this house. I bet there are more drugs there. Before I can find it, someone older stumbles down the stairs, pulling the lapels of a robe around his body.

  “I don’t know who you think you are, but you need to get out. This is private property.” He says this with authority. Some people probably listen to him. The guys hovering behind his shoulder are nodding emphatically.

  “I know it is.” I pull the packet of papers out of my back pocket. “And I’m going to need you to be off my client’s property in the next hour. I know it’s short notice, which is why I’ve hired a moving van for you.” I point toward the front door, which is limply hanging off only one hinge.

  “Your client? You must be mistaken. This is the Alpha Gamma house and I am the Alpha Gamma president. You will need to leave before I call the police.”

  “Sure. Call the police, if it’s going to make you move faster. I’ll be sure to show them this.”

  Tank steps to the side so the president can see the stash of illegal drugs we’ve gathered. “This is all we could locate in the first five minutes of being here, but once the police arrive, I bet they’ll do a better job than us.”

  The president turns ghost white, but I’ll give him credit that he doesn’t turn tail and run immediately. Instead, he descends the stairs and stops about five feet from me.

  “What do you want?”

  “I want you to move out.” I shake the papers.

  He rips them from my hand. “What the hell is this?”

  “It’s a deed of sale. See—” I run my finger along the top where the words “DEED OF SALE” are written in all caps and bold lettering.

  “I can read that. What does that have to do with—” He cuts off as the words in front of him start registering. “Our building got sold?”

  “That’s right. One Olivia Moore now owns it, and on her behalf, I’m here to inform you that it’s time to gather your tiny, limp dicks in your hand and get the hell off her property.” I really need to see about getting her last name marked with ours.

  The guy rifles frantically through the contract. “There’s a thirty-day termination clause.”

  “Not if the landlord has the reasonable belief that there are illegal activities going on. I believe you had a party the other day wherein underage students were allowed to drink. I have statements from various students admitting to this. There is also the matter of the drugs.”

  Tank clears his throat again and points to the drug table. I have to turn my head to the side so I don’t start laughing. He makes a helluva Vanna White.

  The president flips to the page with the termination clause, reads it out loud, and then curses.

  “Fuck you!” he screams, his pretentious playacting abandoned. “This is illegal. Wait until my father hears about this.”

  “Put him on the phone,” I drawl.

  Levi shows up in the doorway. “What’s the hold-up? The movers are getting bored.”

  “We’re not moving,” the president says.

  “Then I guess the police will have to come, which sucks for you. I wonder how your old man will feel about getting a phone call about having to bail you out. I’m sure your mugshot will be pretty. I plan to post it on the campus message board.”

  “You can’t fucking do that.”

  “Actually, I can. Mugshots aren’t private.” I pull my phone out.

  “Wait!” he cries.

  I look up.

  “Wait.” He slumps against the wall. “Go get Harry and Junior,” he says to someone behind him. There’s a murmur of protest and no one moves. “Now!” he screams, red-faced with his hands balled
into fists.

  There’s a scrambling and two guys are shoved to the front. Levi and Tank come over and drag the two boys out by their necks.

  “Is that all?” the president says.

  “Nope. You still need to move. You have an hour before the cops are called. Feel free to use the movers. I already paid for them.” I walk over, pluck the contract from the dude’s frozen hand.

  “Why?” he yells after me. “I gave up the guys who did it.”

  I don’t turn around as I say, “It never should’ve happened in the first place.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Olivia

  I jerk awake, sitting up when I think I hear someone in the hallway and sending my phone sailing to the floor. I can’t even remember if I ended my call with Erika or if I fell asleep while we talked. I hear a crack as it hits the floor, but I don’t really care. I scramble to get out of the bed but tangle myself in the sheet. I scream, but I don’t hit the hard ground. I do, however, hit something hard.

  “You’re home,” I say, trying to wrap myself around Levi who caught me from faceplanting on the wood floor.

  “We need to carpet this room,” Zeke says as he pulls the sheet free so I can continue to crawl up Levi’s body. I scatter kisses all over his face. I’m so relieved to see them home safe.

  “No blood either.” I wriggle free of Levi and turn my attention to Zeke. He doesn’t let me scatter kisses on his though. He goes right in for a deep kiss, digging his hands into my hair.

  Levi moves in behind us. He brushes my hair off my neck so he can kiss me there. I moan into Zeke’s mouth. There is nothing that could ever feel as good as when I’m between the two of them. I forget for a moment that they snuck out in the middle of the night. They’re trying to distract me again, but I have questions that I want answered.

  I pull my mouth from Zeke's to ask where they went, but before I can get a word out, Levi’s mouth takes over. They’re not going to play fair tonight. They’re going to keep my mouth busy so I can’t ask questions. I know when to pick my battles and I’m not going to fight them on this.