My thoughts drift to when I’d learned they were three people instead of one. I’d been humiliated and furious.
But now…
Now, I’m happy.
It feels right. Having three of them is much better than one. No more lies or secrets standing between us. I have all of them and they have all of me.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
All relaxed, easygoing feelings dissipate as terror washes over me. I completely tense up and squeeze Sully’s hand to the point I wonder if I’ll break his fingers.
Just like that, my guys wake, on alert, too.
“Who the fuck is here?” Sparrow growls.
“Leo?” Sully asks, voice raspy from sleep.
Oh, God, I sure as hell hope so.
Scout rolls off the bed with impressive speed, throwing on the pants he discarded last night. Sully is right on his heels. Sparrow stays with me, his face twisting into one of worry.
Scout disappears from the room and Sully follows after him.
“Where is she?”
Ty’s voice carries through the apartment to Scout’s bedroom. I shoot Sparrow a questioning look.
“Get dressed. Let’s go,” Sparrow says, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips before getting out of bed.
I throw on some clothes, stop by the bathroom to brush my teeth and pee, and then make my way to Sully’s room to make sure Della is up. She’s already dressed for the day and has Heathen cornered trying to put one of Sully’s ball caps on the cat.
Squatting down beside her, I sign, Good morning, sis.
Her grin is taunting as she signs, I saw you in bed with them. They’re your boyfriends. Did you kiss them? Then she pretends to gag.
I’m not about to explain a polyamorous relationship to a six-year-old. I kiss her head and then sign for her to come get some breakfast with me.
Heathen tears off, ducking into the hallway and out of sight the second I have Della’s hand in mine.
We make our way to the living room where all three of my guys are standing in a semicircle, listening to Ty talk. His hands are gesturing wildly and he has a terrified expression on his handsome face.
“What’s going on?” I demand, earning the attention of the four of them.
Ty’s features fall at seeing me. “Landry, I’m sorry. I wanted to warn you but there’s no time.”
Scout glowers at him. Sully’s face is pained. Sparrow’s jaw clenches hard and he wears a murderous expression.
My stomach flops and then seems to drop several floors below me. The fog of our safe little word has faded and reality creeps in, cold and at a breakneck speed.
“I don’t feel so well,” I say as a wave of dizziness washes over me.
Sully is closest, grabbing for me as my knees buckle. Panic claws up my chest, gripping my throat.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t breathe.
“Honey, calm down,” Sully murmurs, pulling me to his chest. “We’re not going to let you get hurt.”
Looking down, I find Della staring up at me. She’s no longer playful and being a bit naughty. Her face is devoid of emotion. I don’t have to tell her what I’m afraid of. She knows. She senses the vibe in the room, even if no one has signed anything to her.
I’m about to reach for her, to assure her it’ll be okay—even though it won’t—when someone pounds on the door.
“NYPD! Open up!”
No. No. No. No. No.
I’m shaking my head, muttering the word under my breath over and over.
“Fuck,” Sparrow curses. “Fuck.”
“Ty, you need to hide,” Scout commands. “Go to one of the back rooms. Now.”
“W-what? Why?” Ty mutters. “I can help.”
“No,” Scout growls. “Your cousin will ruin you if he finds out you helped us. Go. Fire escape in Sully’s room.”
“Fuck. Okay.” He hurries out of the room.
“Open the door or we’ll kick it in,” a deep voice booms. “Three, two—”
Sparrow stalks over to the door and flings it open before they bust through it.
Several cops enter the apartment, guns drawn and pointing at the guys.
“Let them go!” one of the cops bellows.
Sully holds me tighter and Della clings to the both of us.
Everything is about to get really messy unless I do something. I pull away from Sully, turning to fully face the cops.
“We ran away,” I croak out. “They just gave us a place to stay.”
“Landry,” Sparrow spits out, taking a step closer to me.
The cops start shouting at him to get his hands in the air or they’ll shoot.
“No,” I tell him, tears brimming my eyes, attempting to keep this from escalating into a bunch of arrests, or worse yet, one of them getting shot. “It was me. I kidnapped my little sister and forced them to take us in. Pull the building cameras and see for yourself. I walked here on my own free will. If you’re going to arrest anyone, arrest me.”
I step forward, offering my hands to them. The cops falter, confusion on their faces. One of them radios a muttered question to someone. Seconds later, another man enters the apartment.