“Did you mean it?”
“Mean what? I've said a lot of shit, and if you ask Hero, only like ten percent is actually believable.”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, that's reassuring, but I meant what you said earlier, about the three of you and…” She trails off and bites her lip.
“And you? Oh, fuck yeah. You notice there's no jealousy between us? It's because we share everything.”
She takes another deep swig. Maybe so she doesn't have to answer right away. “I couldn't do it.” She lets go of my hand to cradle her bottle with both of them. I take the opportunity to shift mine to her thigh. Through Hero's jeans isn't as sexy as on her bare skin, but we'll get there.
“Sure you could. Fuck yeah.”
“But I've never—I mean… crap.”
“Never done three guys at once? We'll teach you. It's one of our favorite things.”
“No! I mean, yes, that too, but I've never… never anything, you know?” The way her voice quivers has me hard as fuck. I told her once I like 'em scared, but honestly, I prefer them just a little nervous. Unsure of what I'm going to do next and if they'll like it—just before I show them how much they fucking love it. Then I realize what she means.
“You're a fucking virgin?”
“Shh!” She looks around like anyone will care. Well, they will, but only because we got there first.
I squeeze her thigh. “We'll take good fucking care of you, trust me. Just say the word, and we'll show you a whole new fucking world. You'll fly so high, you'll never want to come back down.”
She whimpers and shakes her head softly, but I know she's thinking about it. And that's all we need.
22
EMILY
“Turn up the TV! Hawthorne's on!” It's Eagle-eye who notices and waves for attention. “Who the fuck has the remote?”
I'm like three beers in, and feeling a little woozy, but that has me sober in a second. There's a press conference on? I wave my hand too and start shushing people. Probably not something I should be doing in a roomful of huge bikers who are technically my captors, but I feel like we've got some rapport going on now.
The room quiets and someone turns the sound up. Wild Child puts a reassuring hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze. Or has it been there the whole time? Maybe he's not reassuring me, but I'll take it that way for now. Hero's on the other side of me, his arm flung onto the back of the couch behind my head, and King is sitting on the end with his powerful arms crossed over his chest. He glowers at the screen like he should be able to kill Dad through the screen with a look.
“Mr. Hawthorne, what do you have to say about the failed assault on the Screaming Eagles compound?”
For once Dad looks uncomfortable up there. I don't know if it's obvious to anyone who doesn't know him like I do, but he definitely is. I have to admit I'm enjoying that a little bit. And I don't feel bad about it, because Dad has already thrown me under the bus more than once. I'm all out of family loyalty.
I guess I never knew any better, because the longer I'm away from him, the more obvious it is that I never should've had any to begin with.
Who'd have thought it would take getting kidnapped by a bunch of bikers to understand just how much of an asshole my father is. A criminal, and his crimes aren't victimless, for sure. I rub my arm, thinking of the many times he's bruised it. Nope, not victimless at all.
Dad’s trying to ignore the reporter, but then the rest of them chime in, and it's obviously the only question they want an answer to tonight.
“The assault wasn't a failure,” he begins. The guys around me laugh, and a few of them boo him. “It was a probe, designed to reconnoiter and determine the strength of their defenses. We intentionally went in without live fire to ensure there was no loss of human life. The next time, we won't go so easy. The Screaming Eagles have had their chance.” Dad makes a chopping gesture with his hand. “Make no mistake. We have this under control.”
Except I was there, and I saw how little control there actually was. Dad's lying through his teeth, as always, and if it hadn't been for King, Hero and Wild Child, I would've been roughed up just as badly as the rest of them. I concentrate, willing his girdle to pop on TV. There's a strange, naughty thrill in that wish, as if I couldn't even make it until I'd gotten away from him and ended up here.
“Mr. Mayor, what about your daughter? As long as your assaults are non-lethal, she would hopefully not be harmed. Going all in would greatly increase the danger she's in, wouldn't it?”