Endurance (The Sin Trilogy 4)

Ellison’s body jerks with every thrust as she watches my reflection fuck hers in the mirror. My balls tighten and I empty myself inside her as I press my forehead to the bare skin of her shoulder. “Ohh. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

I press my forehead into the back of her hair and savor the feel of her body squeezing my cock before pulling out and grabbing the hand towel to clean the semen running down her legs. “You’re wearing my brand tonight.” And although the brothers won’t know, I will. I will know she’s wearing my brand.

I clean myself when I finish with her and toss the towel into the hamper. “Ready?”

Ellison is looking at me with anger in her eyes. “Ah, baby. I’m sorry I didn’t make you come.” That was selfish of me.

I push my hand between her legs. “Come here and I’ll take care of you.”

“We don’t have time.”

“We’ll make time.”

Ellison fetches her knickers from the floor, steps in, and yanks them up. “Filling me with your cum so you can feel like you’ve marked your territory was unnecessary. You own me, Jamie. All of me. I don’t know what part of that you don’t understand.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She’s fuming.

And I’ve fucked up. Big time.

Ellison leaves the bedroom without another word and I find her waiting in the Range Rover. I get in and grip the wheel as I search for the words I need to say so I can fix this.

“I fucked up, Mac. I’m so sorry I let a streak of jealousy get the better of me. I don’t know how to do this. You and me. It’s foreign.”

“Your jealousy is unwarranted. I don’t want this party. I don’t want to be introduced to the brothers tonight. I don’t want to be put on display for them to appraise and evaluate as a contender to be their wife. I want us. I. Want. You.”

I hear her devotion. I believe in it. But my confidence is shaken every time I think about tonight and what’s going to happen.

She could end up with someone else. And tonight could be beginning.

It would be no fault of hers. This will all be on me if I don’t come up with a way to safely have her as my wife. “I’m sorry I was an arse. Please forgive me, Mac.”

“I don’t mind you being jealous or possessive or territorial. I like it. But the way you fucked me just now seemed more about them than us. I’m not down with that.”

Every word she just said is true. “I get it. And it won’t happen again. Promise. When we’re together, it’ll be about us and no one else.”

“Promise me, Jamie.”

“I swear.”

Thane and Isobel’s property is filled with Fellowship members. Each and every one of them are in the dark about why they’ve been summoned to their leader’s home.

Ellison and I leave the main house and go out back to the huge canopy Isobel uses when there’s a Fellowship event at her home. Isobel and her events. Always making a formal gathering out of everything. At least she didn’t turn this one into a formal dinner.

The attention of every Fellowship member—both male and female—is captured when we approach. “Oh God, Jamie. They’re staring at me. Every one of them.”

“You’re a new face to most of them. That doesn’t happen often around here.” The only new people who show at Fellowship events are babies and new members who’ve undergone endurance to join.

“This doesn’t feel like a good kind of attention. I don’t like it.”

I see some not-so friendly expressions but all of those are from women. The men look quite welcoming.

“You’ve been hidden away from them for months. It’s only natural they’d be curious about you and why you’re here.”

“I feel like I have three heads.”

“You only have one and it’s quite a lovely head. I’m sure that’s what they’re all thinking.”

I’m a little surprised by Ellison’s reaction to gaining everyone’s attention. I would have expected her to enjoy being the center of attention.

“I wish you could hold my hand or put your arm around me.”

“Me too, babe.” She has no idea how much I’d like to do that. Show all of these fuckers that she’s mine.

“Elli!”

I’m relieved—and I know Ellison is as well—when Bleu approaches.

“Oh, Elli. You look stunning. Love the dress.” Ellison is sexy as fuck tonight. That isn’t helping with the way I feel about Sin introducing her to the brotherhood tonight. He’s going to tell them she wants to join us and one lucky bastard gets a crack at her.

“I wasn’t sure what to wear but you can never go wrong with black, right?”

“Right.”

“Where are my babies?” Ellison’s voice rises a little higher when she says the word babies.

Bleu turns and scans the crowd. “Hmm. Looks like Westlyn is holding Liam. Lorna has Harrison annnd . . . Alanna has Lourdes.”

“Alanna? Is that the girl from the defense class?”

“That’s her.”

“Wow. That kid has grown up a lot since the last time I saw her.”

“Alanna’s such a sweet girl. She wants to help with the babies for a couple hours each day after school. I think I’m going to let her.”

“You should, Bleu. I’m sure that would be fun for her and a nice break for you.”

Ellison touches my arm, wrapping her fingers around it—an intimate gesture exchanged between lovers. I like it very much but she shouldn’t do that in public. “I’m in withdrawals. I have to go see my babies. It’s been four days since I saw them. Four. Days. I’ve never gone that long without kissing their chubby little baby cheeks.”

“Then I think you need to go kiss some chubby little baby cheeks. Go on, and I’ll catch up in a sec,” Bleu says. She wants to talk to me.

Ellison makes her way through the crowd, causing a chain reaction of people turning their heads to watch her. “She piques interest.”

“Doesn’t matter where Ellison goes. She always does that.” Not a good quality when you need to fly below the radar.

“Your sister is something.”

“My sister is something to live with. How’s that going?”

“Only two days in . . . but I like it.” I like it far more than I should.

“She has lots of stuff, doesn’t she?”

“Fuck. Yes.”

Bleu laughs. “Beauty products are an addiction for her. Always have been.”

“She has a bottle of something for every little thing.” I put my hand to my chin. “But I’m very well moisturized, don’t you think?”

Bleu laughs again. “Yes, Jamie. You look well moisturized.”

Sin appears and punches my upper arm. “You ready to do this?”

I know what he’s talking about but I don’t want to acknowledge it. “The infirmary announcement?”

“No. Watch the feeding frenzy when I announce your girlfriend will be available for claiming in a few weeks.”

He knows I’m not going to handle this well. “That was a shite thing for a best mate to say.”

Sin shrugs. “It’s shite because that’s what you’ve made it.”

The longer we wait, the more my chest tightens. “I’ve never been one for procrastination so how ’bout you do this, and we get it over with already?”

“Last chance to make a claim on her before she goes up on the block.”

“Make the fucking announcement.”

“I’m not asking again. You’ve had your chance.”

Sin walks toward the podium and for a split second I consider going after him. Telling him to not do it. Instead, announce that I’ve taken a mate.

But I don’t.

Fuck. Only had her for a few days and I have no idea how I’ll find the strength to let her go if it comes down to that.

Bleu’s eyes are saturated with disappointment. I think I might even see tears forming there. “You’re going to break my sister’s heart.”

“That’s not what I want.” I’m t

rying to find a way to make it work, Bleu. I swear I am. “But I can’t sacrifice her safety to keep from hurting her.”

“You give yourself too little credit.”