LOGINAva's POV
Lucas’s words hit me like ice water. I pulled my dress down fast, my face burning. “We need to talk?” I asked, my voice shaky but trying to sound normal. “Why? What’s going on?”
Marcus didn’t move from his spot behind the desk. His hand was still between my legs, his fingers pressing lightly, keeping me there. “She was just showing me how much she needs this,” he said calm and low, like he was talking about the weather. “You see it too, right? The way she looks when she comes. She’s not cold like her husband. She’s burning.”
Lucas took one step closer, his eyes still glowing that dangerous light. “Burning how? I heard you in here. She came for you already. Twice maybe.” He stopped right in front of us, close enough that I could smell him—clean soap and something darker. “Ava, look at me.”
I turned my head. His eyes locked on mine, calm but intense, like he was seeing every secret I had. “You’re safe here,” he said softly. “But you can’t keep sneaking around like this. Derek’s watching everything now.”
Marcus pulled his hand out slowly, brought his fingers to his mouth, and licked them clean. “She can do what she wants,” he said, smiling at me. “She’s not his property. She’s ours.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “Ours? Already? We just got here yesterday.”
Damien’s voice cut in from the doorway. He was leaning there, arms crossed, that wicked grin on his face. “Speak for yourselves, boys. She’s ours. I saw the way she reacted at dinner. That little moan she tried to hide when I touched her thigh. She’s dripping for us right now.”
I stood there, legs still weak from Marcus’s fingers, heart pounding. “Guys… please. I don’t know what any of you want from me. Derek’s my husband. This is wrong.”
Lucas stepped closer and cupped my face with one hand. “Wrong is exactly what you feel when you’re wet like that,” he whispered. “Right, Ava? Tell me. Do you want us or him?”
“I… I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t keep doing this. If he finds out…”
Marcus stood up and pulled me into his arms. “Then we make sure he never does. Come on. Let’s get you out of here before he walks in.”
Damien opened the door wider. “Yeah, go. But we’re not done talking. Pool’s hot today. You should come swim. Wear that tiny bikini I saw in your room. I want to see how much you’re hiding.”
Lucas nodded. “I’ll bring drinks. But first, we talk. All three of us. Now.”
I followed them down the hall, my dress still feeling tight on my skin. My body was buzzing from Marcus’s touch, but my mind was spinning. What did Derek mean by the shipment? And why did Marcus look at me like I was his already?
The pool was in the back garden, quiet and beautiful under the afternoon sun. The guys had changed already. Marcus was in dark swim trunks, shirtless, water droplets running down his chest. Damien had on blue trunks, that grin never leaving his face. Lucas was in black shorts, quiet as always, but his eyes followed me everywhere.
I walked out in my tiny bikini the one I bought last year but never wore. It barely covered anything. My skin felt exposed under their stares.
Damien whistled low. “Fuck, Ava. You look good. That bikini’s doing things to me.”
I felt my face heat up. “It’s just a swimsuit. Don’t make a big deal of it.”
Marcus laughed softly. “Big deal? Baby, you’re already hard for you.” He walked over and sat on the lounge chair, watching me. “Come sit on my lap. I want to feel you against me.”
I shook my head. “Here? Derek could come out any second.”
Lucas pulled two beers from the cooler and handed one to Damien. “He’s in a meeting till five. We have time.” He sat next to me on the other chair. “Tell us more about what you heard in the office. The shipment. What does that mean to you?”
I sat down, pulling my knees to my chest. “I don’t know. Derek was talking to someone. Said the shipment leaves tomorrow night. No loose ends. Hit the warehouse on Dock 7. I think it’s drugs or something bad.”
Damien’s hand landed on my thigh under the water, right above the knee. “Drugs, huh? Your husband’s into that shit? Interesting. You want us to handle it for you, baby? We can make sure the shipment never leaves.”
I shivered but didn’t pull away. “I don’t know. I just… I heard him. He sounded like he meant it.”
Marcus leaned forward, his chest brushing my arm. “Then we’ll protect you. But first, let’s have fun. You need to relax. That’s why we’re here.”
Damien’s fingers slid higher under the water, up my thigh toward my bikini bottoms. He didn’t say anything. Just kept moving, slow, teasing. “Feel that?” he whispered. “The water’s warm. Your skin’s hotter.”
Lucas watched us, his voice calm. “She’s getting wet, Marcus. Just like last night.”
I bit my lip. “Guys… stop. Someone could see.”
Damien’s hand slipped under the water and rubbed my inner thigh, right where my bikini met my skin. “No one’s watching. Just us. Tell me if it feels good.”
“It feels… nice,” I admitted, my voice small. “But I shouldn’t.”
Marcus laughed again. “You should. Come on. Let me feel you too.” His hand joined Damien’s under the water, sliding up my other thigh. “You’re trembling. Good girl. Relax for us.”
Damien moved closer, his breath on my ear. “Remember last night? You came so hard for Marcus. Bet you’re getting wetter now. I want to feel how much.”
Lucas joined in, his voice low and steady. “You are ours now, Ava. Say it.”
I closed my eyes. “I… I don’t know. This is crazy.”
Damien’s fingers brushed my bikini bottom, pushing it aside just a little. “Feel that? You’re soaked already. Fuck, baby. I can tell.”
I moaned quietly. “Damien… please. We have to stop.”
But he didn’t. He rubbed me slow circles, his finger slipping under the fabric. “I know you like it. Tell me you’re not thinking about my hand on you right now.”
“I’m… thinking about it,” I whispered, my hips moving a tiny bit. “But I can’t… not here.”
Marcus kissed my shoulder. “You can. Let go a little. We’re right here.”
Lucas watched, his eyes dark. “She’s close. I can see it in her face.”
Damien pushed one finger inside me, slow and deep. “Come for us, Ava. Just a little. No one will know.”
I shook my head, but my body betrayed me. Another finger joined, stretching me. “Oh god… I’m gonna… stop.”
The water was warm, their hands were everywhere under it. Damien rubbed my clit with his thumb while Marcus kissed my neck. “You’re ours now,” he repeated, voice rough. “Say it loud.”
“I’m… yours,” I breathed, my voice breaking.
Damien’s fingers curled inside me, hitting that spot. “That’s my girl. Come on. Let it go.”
I came hard, biting my lip so I wouldn’t moan too loud. My whole body shook under the water, pleasure rolling through me. Damien kept stroking me through it, gentle now.
When it was over I was panting, my heart racing. Derek suddenly walked out the back door, carrying a folder. “Ava? What are you doing out here?”
I froze. Damien pulled his hand away fast. Marcus looked calm, like nothing happened. Lucas just watched.
Damien grinned up at him. “Just having a little swim, boss. Your wife’s in a bikini. Looks good, right?”
Derek frowned. “Yeah. Whatever. I’m having a meeting with the guys. Try not to bother them.”
He walked back inside. I let out a shaky breath.
Damien pulled me close, whispering in my ear. “That was hot. You almost got caught.”
Later that evening, the guys brought me to the guest wing. The door to the big couch area was locked behind us. The three of them crowded around me on the soft couch, their bodies warm.
“You’re ours now,” Marcus said first, his voice low. He pulled me onto his lap, kissing me slow and deep.
Damien kissed my neck. “We mean it. Every night. Every touch. You’re not going back to that cold life.”
Lucas stayed quiet for a second, then spoke. “Say it again. Tell us you’re ours.”
I was between them, hands on their chests. “I… I think I am. But this is dangerous.”
Damien laughed softly. “Danger is the fun part. Feel this?” His hand slid under my bikini top, cupping me. “You’re still wet from the pool. I love that.”
Marcus rubbed my thigh. “We all do. You’re safe with us. Always.”
They tag-teamed me on the couch. Marcus inside me slow and deep, whispering “You’re ours now” with every thrust. Damien in my mouth, calling me good girl. Lucas touching me everywhere, his eyes locked on mine the whole time. “Breathe for me, Ava. Feel how much you need this.”
They switched positions again and again. One of them in me, one in my mouth, one in my hands. I came three times right there on the couch, their whispers wrapping around me like a blanket.
“You’re ours now,” Marcus growled when he was inside me. “Every moan, every shake. You belong to all three of us.”
Damien kissed me while he fucked my mouth. “That’s right, baby. And we’re never letting you go.”
Lucas pulled me into his lap at the end. “Sleep here. With us. Derek doesn’t need to know.”
I drifted off between them, my body still humming, my mind full of their words.
When I woke up in the dark, the bed was empty except for me. Marcus’s cum was on my thighs,warm and sticky. A single note was on the pillow.
This is only round one.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
They really meant it.
Ava POVI couldn't sleep after seeing Lucas in the library.The image of him on the floor, crying in a language I didn't understand, stayed with me like a bruise. I wandered the house for hours, my mind spinning, trying to piece together the fragments of who he really was. The scar. The language. The grief. None of it fit with the quiet, steady man I thought I knew.By the time the clock struck three, I'd given up on rest. I made my way to the greenhouse, drawn by the smell of damp earth and the promise of solitude. It was the only place in the house that didn't feel like a cage.I pushed open the glass door and stepped inside. The air was warm and humid, thick with the scent of roses and wet soil. Moonlight filtered through the panes, casting silver patterns on the stone floor. It was beautiful, in a fragile way. Like everything in my life these days, it felt like it could shatter at any moment.
Ava POVThe days after the war council blurred together. We worked from dawn until midnight—planning, researching, preparing for the gala. Lucas spent hours at the table with blueprints spread out before him. Damien made calls to contacts I'd never met, his voice low and guarded. Marcus drilled the security team, pushing them harder than ever.I was given a role too. Lucas had insisted on it."You need to be able to defend yourself," he'd said. "If something goes wrong at the gala, you can't rely on us to reach you in time."So we trained. Every afternoon, in the library, with the furniture pushed back and the rugs rolled up. Lucas taught me pressure points, escape holds, how to break a grip, how to use an attacker's weight against them. He was patient but firm, correcting my stance, adjusting my hands, never raising his voice.It was during one of these sessions that I saw
Ava POVThe library felt different that night. The broken window had been boarded up, the glass swept away. The books still stood on their shelves, silent witnesses to everything that had happened. But something had changed. The room no longer felt like a hiding place. It felt like a war room.I stood at the head of the long table, my hands flat on the wood. The invitation sat in front of me, its black paper stark against the polished surface. Around the table, the three men waited. Marcus to my right, his arms crossed, his face unreadable. Damien to my left, slouched in his chair, his fingers drumming against his thigh. Lucas across from me, still and watchful, like he always was.I took a breath. "I called this meeting because we need to be clear about how we're doing this. All of us."Marcus raised an eyebrow. "We're doing this?""Yes." I met his eyes. "We. Together. As equals
Ava POVTwo days passed. Two days of lockdown, of whispered arguments in hallways, of meals eaten in silence while the security team patrolled the grounds. The bracelet stayed on my wrist. I caught Marcus staring at it more than once, his jaw tight, his eyes full of something I couldn't name. Fear, maybe. Or anger. Or both.Damien avoided me. Not completely—he was always nearby, always watching—but he kept his distance in a way that felt deliberate. Like he was afraid to get too close. Lucas was the only one who acted normal, if normal was even possible anymore. He spent hours in the library, going through the files we'd found, cross-referencing names and dates, trying to build a map of Margot's network.Then the invitation came.I was in the kitchen, nursing a cup of cold coffee, when one of the security guards knocked on the back door. He held a black envelope in his gloved hand.
Ava POVMorning came slow and gray, the kind of light that made everything look tired. I woke in Marcus's bed, still wearing his shirt from the night before. My body ached in places I didn't want to think about. My eyes were swollen from crying. My chest felt hollow.Marcus was already awake, standing by the window with his back to me. He'd pulled on his pants but nothing else. The scars on his shoulders caught the pale light, silver lines against his skin. He looked like a man carrying too much weight.Neither of us spoke. What was there to say? We'd spent the night clinging to each other like drowning people, trying to find something solid in the wreckage. It hadn't fixed anything. But it had kept us breathing.The door creaked open. Lucas stood in the hallway, his face drawn and serious. "There's something at the front gate."Marcus turned. "What kind of something?"&nb
Damien POVThe house settled into silence around midnight.I waited until Marcus's breathing evened out in the chair by the window. Waited until Lucas stopped shifting in the hallway, his back against the wall, his gun resting on his knee. Waited until the only sound left was the old grandfather clock ticking somewhere in the dark.Then I moved.My feet knew the floorboards by heart. Which ones creaked, which ones stayed silent. I'd learned it the first week we'd been here, back when this felt like a mission and not a life. Back when Ava was just a target and I was just a man doing a job.Things were different now. Everything was different.I slipped out through the service door near the kitchen. The lock clicked softly behind me. The night air hit my face, cold and sharp, smelling like wet grass and diesel from the security patrols Marcus had running the per







