SARAH The ringing in my head wouldn’t stop. I press my hands to my ears, trying to drown out the noise. The more I stare at the headline, the louder it becomes. BUSINESS MOGUL, AARON CONNOR, STRANGLES MISTRESS TO DEATH IN RESTAURANT. I can’t breathe. God. I can’t breathe. Ronan’s voice is a distant echo, accompanied by the sounds of the banging door. But I can’t move. The video is on a loop. Aaron has his hands around Debbi’s neck as he screams. “How dare you?!” “You lied to me!” “You cost me everything! Every fucking thing!” There’s rage in his eyes. People try to pull him off Debbi, but he doesn’t bulge. I see the fear in hers as she stares at him, wide eyed, watching her life being sucked away by the man she trusted. The man I married. Aaron Connor. I cannot believe it. He didn’t intend to let her go until she had passed out. No matter how hard people tried to make him move, he didn’t stop. Not until her neck tilted to the right, and he was sure her siren eyes were devoid of life. He let her drop to the ground, finally, and threw his head back as he laughed. “You see that, Sarah?” He looks straight into the camera of the person recording. “You see what I did? I’m coming for you, bitch! You and your filthy…” the video cuts off just then. All these years I laid with a murderer, and I had not a single clue. I had only ever considered him cruel because he fell out of love with me. But this? My door is ripped off its hinges in that instant, causing me to jump off my bed. My knees buckle underneath my weight, and I fall to the bed. Ronan’s eyes are glued on me. He doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t need to. His throat bobs as he swallows hard. In his eyes, I see every word he wishes to say, and I understand him completely. I don’t want to hold it in anymore. I don’t care how it makes me look anymore. I’m tired. So tired of putting up this strong facade when I’m shattering into pieces inside. I let myself break into tears, and Ronan rushes towards me. His firm hands wrap around my waist as he pulls me to his chest. Malachi and Jaxon stand in front of us, hands in their pockets. The video is still on loop, so Jaxon hisses and exits it. “Shhhh. It’s okay, kitten.” Ronan’s voice is soft as he runs his fingers through my head. “He killed her. It happened just a few hours ago. In a restaurant.” I mutter against his chest. “He really killed her. And he…he said he’s coming for me.” “He’ll be a fool to try.” Malachi speaks. “We’re here, Sarah. Nothing and no one is ever going to harm you.” He adds. I cannot deny that their words make me feel better, but I’m still filled with so much dread. It could have been me. I could have been the one to bring out the monster in him, and he wouldn’t have hesitated to snuff the life out of me. I slept with this man for years. Woke up to him, went to bed with him. If he had ever tried to kill me, no one would have been there to stop him. No one would have helped me. The thought sends chills down my spine, and Ronan seems to notice. He pulls me closer and holds me even firmer. He doesn’t tell me to stop crying, he doesn’t try to make sense of the situation. None of them do. He just holds me, and they stand beside him. I let myself cry until my tear glands are dried up, before I look up at him. He offers me a small smile as he reaches for my cheeks. His thumb wipes my teary eyes. “Do you want some orange juice?” It’s such an absurd question to ask, but it makes me chuckle. I sniff and nod my head. “Alright then. One cold glass of orange juice coming up.” Malachi calls out, before turning on his heels and leaving the room. “Let’s get you a bath and get you out of these clothes.” Jaxon adds, and he too disappears into my bathroom, leaving me with Ronan. I can’t help but look at him. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you three.” I say. It’s killing me to admit, seeing as I just escaped from a very dangerous man, but it’s true. If they hadn’t come back to my life at the time that they did, I’m not certain I would have been able to survive everything that had happened. It was supposed to be just sex, but they had become so much more to me. Strength. Pillars. Refuge. A safety net I never want to let go off. With them, I know I’ll always be safe. Always. Ronan presses a kiss to my forehead. I close my eyes, relishing the feeling of his lips and the waves it sends through my body. “You’ll never have to know.” He replies. My heart slowly melts in my chest, and I pull away immediately. God. Please don’t let these feelings be what I think they are. Clearing my throat, I sit up straight and look away from him. “Thank you.” I mutter. He doesn’t say a word, but squeezes my right hand in his. Malachi returns shortly after with a glass of cold orange juice, scrambled eggs, and a bottle of water. I grab the meal and before I know it, I’m done eating. Jaxon makes a joke about how hungry I am, and I don’t reply. I am hungry, after all. The next thing is the bath Jaxon has prepared for me. I get naked and step into the bathtub, allowing myself to sink into the rose scented water with rose petals scattered on top. It’s warm, and it relaxes my muscles almost immediately. Ronan sits at the end and takes out my right leg, slowly massaging my feet, while Malachi sits at the head and massages my shoulders. I lean backwards and let out a small moan. It feels so good. So fucking good. I wonder how many women they’ve treated like this, and how many… My eyelids part open, cutting the thought halfway. Why am I thinking of that? I’ve never cared about how many women they’ve done anything with, so why do I care now? “Are you alright, baby?” Ronan asks, concern etched in his gaze as he watches me. I manage a smile as I kick my leg, splashing water on his face. “I just need to forget everything that’s happened today.” I say. Malachi reaches for my neck and massages the back of my ears gently. “You know, I might just have an idea.” He replies. ~•~ I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t be enjoying this with all that’s happened, but God…their touch is the only thing keeping me from drowning in my own head. “Fuck! Yes!” “Harder.” My nails dig into Ronan’s back as he thrusts his cock deeper into my needy pussy. “Harder!” Malachi should definitely keep having ideas, because I’m loving this one. I’m in the pool, naked with my legs wrapped around Ronan’s waist while he’s balls deep in my pussy, fucking me like his life depends on it, like I’m the damned air he breathes. I throw my head backwards against the edge of the pool and open my mouth. Malachi and Jaxon stroke their cocks even faster. Fuck. I cannot wait for them to cum in my mouth. I love the taste of their cum so much. “Oh. God, yes!” I scream when Ronan digs his fingers into the skin of my ass, pulling me closer and thrusting even deeper. “You’re so fucking sexy, baby. You know that, right?” Malachi groans. I keep my eyes glued on his hard cock. If Ronan wasn’t fucking me to oblivion, I’ll want his cock hitting the back of my throat. “You’re going to make me cum, kitten. Fuck!” Jaxon tenses, and his warm liquid pours directly into my mouth, with some bits splashing on my neck. “Fuck, baby.” Ronan hisses when I swallow every drop. “Look at you, swallowing cum like a good girl.” Malachi cums next, and I bring my tongue out, wanting to taste him so desperately. He takes the hint and cums on my tongue. He almost falls to his knees, but Jaxon holds him up. Once again, I swallow it like the good girl I am. If only they knew what their taste does to me. “It’s my turn.” Ronan says, and his grip on my waist grows even tighter. “Where do you want it, baby? Your mouth or your pussy?” I lock eyes with him. I want him to know I mean every damn word that’s about to leave my lips. “My pussy.”