Chapter 2

Marley’s POV

“Bryce?” I asked, encouraging him to finish his sentence as another man who looked similar to him waltzed into the room.

They had the same color hair and eyes, and I suppose when he said brothers, this was one of them.

“Jake,” he greeted.

“Bryce, who is this?” Jake slowly perused my body with his eyes and every sweep felt like a caress on my skin.

“This is Marley,” Bryce introduced me.

Jake came forward and lightly grabbed my hand, sending more shockwaves through me.

His eyes widened and he looked at his brother, “is she…?”

Bryce nodded and Jake turned back to me, “but she’s human.”

“Excuse me, being human is normal. What are you anyway?” I asked them.

Bryce gave me a sharp grin, “I was about to answer that when Jake interrupted. We are—.”

The door opened once more, and a third man strutted in like a tiger. He looked around the room and when he laid eyes on me, he gave me a sly grin. I felt like prey as he stalked towards me and placed a soft kiss on my cheek, making me gasp at the static shock. Is this what they referred to as an electric connection between two people? Did these men feel the same things I was feeling?

“Absolutely beautiful,” he said hoarsely as he looked me up and down. I felt naked beneath this man’s captivating eyes that were so similar to his brothers’.

“Marley, this is Cody, he’s a big flirt,” Jake introduced him.

Cody grabbed his chest in offense, “I am not.”

I backed away from the three men, feeling overwhelmed in the presence of such good looks, “what are you guys?”

Cody smiled, “we’re just men.”

Bryce seemed to think for a moment before he agreed, “yes, just men.”

I huffed, “don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily. I know what you did to transport us here is not normal.”

Jake rolled his eyes and looked at Bryce, “did you really space jump her?”

“I had to, she was about to be shot,” he told them.

His two brothers looked shocked and then started to fuss over me.

“Babe, are you okay?” Cody asked me seriously.

“I’m not your babe, I have a boyfriend,” I told him.

Cody and Jake sharply inhaled a breath in unison, “you what?”

“I have a boyfriend,” I repeated.

“Dump him,” Jake said without fanfare.

I laughed, “I’m not dumping my boyfriend of three years because some stranger demands it. You’re delusional.”

Bryce turned to his brothers, “he let her go out in the pouring rain by herself at night.”

Cody’s eyes turned to my breasts and my nipples peaked under his watchful eye, “I can see that.”

I slapped him across the face, “pervert.”

Jake chuckled while Cody looked shocked. These men were too weird and I needed to get out of here. I needed to check on my father. I had a feeling if I stayed, my life would be changed in ways I wouldn’t be able to take back.

“I need to go,” I told them as I walked over to the door.

“No,” all three of them said in sync.

“Excuse me?” I turned on them and poked Bryce in the chest, “you’re not my daddy.”

Cody mumbled, “I could be,” but it was just loud enough that I felt like he wanted me to hear him.

My lips thinned and I turned on my heel to go back to the door. They stood watching me and I was pleasantly surprised that no one chased after me. I opened the door, and my jaw dropped. What in the world?

The stairs seemed to twist in different directions, and I could hardly tell which way was up and which way was down. I whirled around and looked at them accusingly, “tell me which way is out of here.”

“Why would we do that when you’re our—oof!” Jake was elbowed by Cody in the gut.

“You’re our guest of honor, you should stay,” Cody insisted.

“I want to go home,” I growled at them. I was sick of getting the run around with these men.

Bryce moved impossibly fast, his body covered in shadows like earlier and he wrapped his arms around my waist, “hold on a minute. Please stay.”

I tried to wiggle out of his hold, but his arms were like steel bands wrapped around me.

“Let me go!” I shouted in a panic.

“Babe, we can’t do that,” Cody insisted.

I let out a growl of frustration, “stop! Stop speaking cryptically, stop acting like I’m a prisoner here!”

“Forced proximity works for bonding, does it not?” Jake asked Bryce.

The three of them laughed and I wasn’t amused, “you aren’t seriously discussing whether to keep me here against my will.”

Bryce sighed, “we should let her go for now, keeping her here isn’t going to bode well for us in the long run.”

Cody approached me and pointed at a twisted staircase slightly above me, “follow these and it’ll lead you to the front door. But babe, this isn’t the last time you’ll see us.”

I beg to differ; I had no plans to ever see these men again.

I looked at the staircase and carefully climbed it as it began to lead upwards. Eventually, it twisted back down, and I soon found myself at a door. I took a deep breath and opened it, pleased that it led to outside like promised.

I stepped over the threshold and then took a look back to see an eerie, gothic mansion. All the windows were lit up and it seemed to be five stories high. Were these guys rich or something? It didn’t matter to me. I just needed to check on my father.

I took off in a jog and ran until I found a pay phone reminding me, I can call my father. I patted my pockets but there was no change, nor my wallet and phone. I must’ve left them at the house by accident.

With a grunt of displeasure, I continued walking the streets until I found a newsstand. I took a glimpse at the paper and sighed in relief when I realized I was in my hometown still.

Just a few more minutes of walking and I began to recognize the streets. Twenty minutes later, I walked up the driveway to my home and slowly creaked the door open, “dad?”

“In here,” I heard his weary voice call out.

I went into the kitchen and found him bloody and bruised.

“You owed them money, did you?” I asked in disappointment.

“Yeah baby, I’m sorry,” he apologized for the millionth time.

I pursed my lips and nodded, what else could I do? This wasn’t the first time he’s come home like this but it’s the first time they came into our house.

“Goodnight, dad,” I told him as I left the kitchen to go to my room. It was small and crowded but it was mine. I laid on the bed we sighed, what a fucking strange night.