Blake POV Taking out my phone, I hit the number. “Blake," the voice comes through. “I need to get into a laptop; it’s got a password. Howeasy is it to get around?” I ask and wait. “That depends, and there's no one answer fits all, Blake. Send me the serial number, operating system, and as much about it as you can. I'll send you instructions, or I can come and do it for you?” While he would be able to do it far quicker, I would rather not have someone elseinvolved. “Just send me instructions, and I’ll get the pictures now for you. There’s no rush. I’m busy for two days,so I can't do it straight away.” As much as I want to check tonight, I can't. I've got other things to consider. I need to do it with Jax and Chase sat there so they can't argue that I hid anything. “Okay, send me the pictures, and I’ll be in touch.” The phone cuts out, and I walk to her laptop, taking pictures of the things I think he will need before sending themto him. Walking to my room, I get sorted and in
Dhalia POV Work has been going well, and this week has flown by. I’ve settled into a routine, and it’s made me realise how easy it would be to stay here with the guys. Yet, despite how comfortable things have become, I’m still torn. A part of me wants to stay, to embrace this new life I’ve found with them. But another part of me longs to get my old life back, to reclaim the independence I once had. If I were to go back to my apartment, I know I would still see them. I would spend time here and continue dating them, but the difference would be I would live alone. The idea of having space to myself again is a tempting thought, but it’s also a little scary. What if the distance changes things? “Dhalia!” Justin’s shout pulls me from my thoughts, and I make my way to his office. He’s been distant of late, rarely speaking to me, and I can’t shake the feeling that he’s angry with me. He said he was waiting for me, but I know better—he must have been with other women while I was gone. “H
Dhalia POV Walking to the table, I sit down, and he joins me. "I apologise, but when I spoke to him, he reassured me that there was private space available to discuss this." He moves and takes out files. "It's fine," I smile and take the files. "I won't mention the name of the company that I'm looking to go up against, just in case someone hears, but it's there on the first sheet." He smiles, and I open the file, taking in the first page. Shit. "This is a big company." They are global, and if I'm honest, I doubt anyone where I work can succeed in this. "Which is why I needed only one or two people to know. As soon as it gets out, things will get covered up." I listen to his words and flick through the files. "You have a lot of evidence," I explain and look through the medical reports. I'm sorry. My boss may not like it, but this is too big for us." It's way too big, and if the company counter sues Justin and his business, he can't afford to pay. "Hi, look, I'm sorry for assumi
Dhalia POV I wake up with a smile. Yesterday's memory is still fresh in my mind. It was a stressful day, but it ended perfectly—cooking with Blake, eating dinner together, and then cuddling between them in bed as we watched a movie. I must have fallen asleep quickly, feeling safe and content in their arms. Sometime during the night, I woke up and found them still asleep beside me. For a while, I had laid there, thinking about what I would gain from moving back into my apartment—if I even still had it. I haven’t checked, and honestly, there’s not much that apartment could offer me that I don’t already have here. Sure, I’d get some time to myself, but I know that if I told the guys I needed space, they would respect that and give it to me. Now, the bed is empty, and I remember that they said they would be leaving early for a meeting about tonight—a final run-through, they called it. As I sit up, I spot a note on the nightstand. Smiling, I reach for it. Of course, they’ve left a remi
Jax POV As I watch Dhalia walk away, Chase turns to face me, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. “Happy? Why would she tell us about the files if she was secretly gathering information on us?” he challenges, his voice edged with impatience. I roll my eyes, not because I disagree, but because I hate that we’re even in this situation. “She freaked out and hid the papers,” I remind him, the unease in my gut refusing to settle. “She’s scared, Jax. Think about it,” Chase counters, trying to reason with me. “She’s here, living with us, and then she opens a file with our names in it. Of course she’s going to panic. How would you react in her shoes?” I sigh, knowing he’s right, but that doesn’t erase my doubts. “Okay, but Liam said he has confirmation there are pictures. He claims she told him she would send them.” After talking to Liam again today, he confirmed he spoke to her directly, and she supposedly confirmed it in person. Chase’s eyes narrow, considering the possib
Dhalia POV I sit quietly in the car, my mind spinning from the phone call with Keeley. I’m angry, confused, and more than a little stressed. Tomorrow night, when I see her, I’m going to demand some answers. I know for a fact that I sent her the pictures she asked for earlier today. But when she called, she claimed she didn’t have a single one in her files or on her device. If she’s lying to Justin to make me look bad because she’s scared, I’ll take her job. That’s one thing. But to mess with a case? That’s unforgivable. I can’t shake the feeling that this could ruin everything. The thought of that poor woman leaving court only to watch her abuser walk free because Keeley couldn’t find the evidence I provided makes my stomach turn. I can’t stop thinking about it, and it’s eating me up inside. “Are you okay?” Chase asks, smirking as he glances over at me. “You look like you’re having a full-blown argument with yourself, and the expressions are epic, Princess.” Forcing a smile, I no
Dhalia POV We step through, and suddenly, the quiet is replaced by a cacophony of screams and shouts. “I don’t get it. Why did they all hide upstairs?” I ask, bewildered by the lack of logic. “Because their first instinct is to try the doors, and when that fails, they rush upstairs to try and escape through the vents. Only the vents are closed off,” Jax explains, laughing at the futility of their efforts. But I still feel uneasy, not just by what’s happening but by how casually they’re moving through this place. As we descend, I see another body, this one slumped against a wall. I recognise him. A man sits next to it, covered in blood, holding a knife. “Cafe,” Jax mutters, clearly addressing the man. “Don’t sit in the middle of it, go to the cafe.” The man nods and stands, his shoulders shaking as he cries. Blake leans in close to me, his voice low. “Do you remember the case? Your body froze slightly like you recognised him.” “I do,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “It was six years
Dhalia POV Jax is clearly annoyed, and I can sense the tension radiating off him as we continue to search for Carl. He started off slow and methodical, but now it’s obvious he realises we’re running out of time. We’ve found the others, the ones who hurt me, but Carl… Carl is hiding well. Each of the ones we’ve found so far was wearing a mask that matched theirs, a clear indication they were aware of what was going to happen. “He’s not wearing white.” Chase’s words cut through the silence, drawing my attention. I look at him, trying to understand. “They knew, whether by talking to each other or someone else. Somehow, he’s got a black overall on. What numbers were there in the hunters?” Chase continues. Jax sighs, seeming to realise Chase is right. “Thirty-seven. So, we’re looking for someone with thirty-eight or higher.” As we continue to move through the building, Jax starts stopping everyone, not just checking their numbers, but insisting they raise their masks. The faces of th
Dhalia POV After shopping today, I felt a sense of relief I hadn’t experienced in what felt like forever. It wasn’t just about the shopping itself, though I did need some new clothes—my body has changed so much in the past year. No, it was more about finally getting out of the house, about reclaiming a little bit of the freedom I’d been missing. The walls of our home, which once felt like a sanctuary, had started to close in on me. Chase and Jax, in their well-meaning but intense desire to protect me and ensure I had time to heal, ended up suffocating me without even realising it. Don’t get me wrong—I love them for how much they care, but I didn’t need to be housebound for months, or placed on bed rest for weeks after giving birth. I know some women would relish the idea of doing nothing but resting and being pampered, but it drove me crazy. That’s why, when Chase casually mentioned going shopping, I jumped at the opportunity. I was out the door and in the car before he could even t
Chase POVI watched Dhalia as she moved through the store, her steps light and full of purpose, and it hit me—I might have gone too far. In our well-intentioned but overzealous efforts to protect her and Jacob, Jax and I had smothered her. When I casually mentioned the idea of going shopping, I expected a discussion, maybe some hesitation. But instead, she practically bolted for the door, grabbing her coat and leaving without a word. That was proof enough. We had suffocated her under the guise of safety and care.Seeing her so happy to be out, to be free to do something as simple as shopping, was a wake-up call. We had reduced her life to the confines of our home, restricting her to the roles of mother and partner, leaving little room for her to just be herself. That’s why I suggested she could return to work if she wanted to. Jax may not like the idea—he’s still riding the wave of his overprotectiveness—but after more than six months of keeping her tethered, it’s time we give her bac
Blake POV The last few months have been a whirlwind, a mental and emotional gauntlet that none of us expected. It wasn’t the physical demands that took their toll on me—it was the psychological strain, the constant push and pull of trying to navigate our lives while Chase and Jax became increasingly overprotective of Dhalia. My attempts to ground them in reality often felt futile, like trying to anchor a ship in the middle of a storm. Dhalia, poor Dhalia, bore the brunt of their overzealous protection. At five months pregnant, they decided it was too dangerous for her to continue working. Mind you, her job was sitting in a cozy little bookstore, reading and managing sales. There wasn’t anything remotely strenuous about it, but they convinced themselves—and her—that it was unsafe. It seemed harmless enough at first, just a precaution. But by the time she hit seven months, their obsession to shield her and the baby from every possible harm became all-consuming. They wouldn’t let her
Jax POVAs I sit on the couch, the book resting on my lap, I find myself absorbed not so much in the story itself but in the little marks I’ve made throughout its pages. These marks have become something of an obsession for me. They’re the places where I’ve seen Dhalia react—whether it’s a quiet gasp, a tear rolling down her cheek, or that subtle squirm of excitement that she can’t quite hide. Whenever she reads with me in the room, and I catch one of those reactions, I make sure to mark the page number. Later, when she’s done, I go back and read those specific sections, trying to decode what it is about these words that stirs something inside her.It all started small. At first, I only marked the pages that elicited a blush or a quiet moan—scenes of sex that clearly struck a chord. It didn’t take long to realise that it wasn’t just those moments that mattered to her. She would also react to the tender, the heartbreaking, and the unexpectedly sweet moments with an equal, if not more p
Dhalia’s POVMy eyes are glued to the door. In front of me are three small boxes, one for each of them. They are late, though. They promised to be back by four, and now it’s a quarter past. I’m trying to be patient, but it’s harder than I’d like to admit.Two months ago, I opened my bookstore, and it’s been incredible. Twice a week, we host book clubs, and I’ve made it a point to bring one of the guys with me to each session. It’s hilarious watching their faces as we dive into the discussions. The women seem to enjoy it too—something about discussing steamy romance scenes with a bit of eye candy in the room.The door finally creaks open, and I sit up straighter as they walk in.“You’re late,” I say, trying to keep a straight face.“By fifteen minutes, Angel. Cut us some slack.” Blake winks, leaning down to kiss me. His hand reaches for one of the boxes, but I slap it away.“Don’t touch.”He chuckles, rolling his eyes.“Why do I get the feeling we’re in trouble, Sweetness?” Jax asks as
Chase POVI stay stood in this room, shocked by what she's done. She went above and beyond, I was expecting a small, shop, nothing big. This though, is huge. We made sure that everyone knew not to mention anything to us about it.They weren't allowed to mention the location, the colour of the store, nothing. We wanted her to be in control and do it all alone without our input and she has."I've got something to show you," she grips my hand and guides me back through to the book store part, walking through she stops by some books, and hands me one.There, on the cover is a pink fucking unicorn. She found one? I stare at her and she laughs."Pink unicorn," she smiles up at me."You're fucking crazy, you read it?" I stare in amazement as she nods."I did and I'll admit I didn't enjoy it a single bit, but I had to get it, read it because that's the next book you're reading."My head tilts. "Please say you're joking?" She has to be. Her head shakes, and she places the book back."No, you m
Jax POVI watch as she walks towards us, the dress is stunning, long and golden. She stops in front of me and smiles."If they don't hurry, we will be late," she glares towards the door."Leave them alone Sweetness, they were having some fun before getting ready." We both laugh and I wrap my arms around her. A lot has changed in the past three months, a lot of her stepdads businesses are now fully hers. Although we take care of a lot of them.She wasn't comfortable taking over the strip clubs, bars, and such. So we sort a lot of it out for her. She straightens my tie and I chuckle. Her arms wrap around my neck and she reaches on her toes to kiss my lips."I love you Sweetness," I whisper as I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer. My mind goes back, and I begin to wonder if we would ever have found her had Carl not set her up? It's scary to consider that, to consider where she would have been.Justin's plan was to do what Carl had once she returned to him, so would she still be
Dhalia POV His words float around in my mind. He should have told Jax and Blake, then maybe they would understand the whole issue he has. Something tells me after he does something with them, it brings back what happened with his father. I fight to figure out what to say to him, other than he should tell Jax and Blake. “Do they know any truth in what happened?” I stroke along the scar. “No, I thought them believing it sent me over the edge would stop them from doing anything. It did, but part of me still craved them. Which of course Jax noticed, and made it happen.” “You need to tell Jax the truth.” After everything, he still believes that Chase runs because he’s repulsed. “Jax can’t know. He will blame himself for what my father did.” He’s not wrong, Jax will blame himself to some degree. “What happens if he finds out the truth, Chase? Then how will he feel? Knowing that you kept on lying to him?” “He can’t find out, only we know.” I laugh. “So every man there that day is dea
Dhalia POV After eating, I found myself with more energy than before. Which sucks as I was ready to go to bed. Jax and Blake are currently messing around. I say, messing around, but Blake is more taunting him to get a punishment. It’s nice to see, and it reminds me of at the start. “I’m going to finish my book,” I jump up and walk off. I could have fallen asleep earlier, now though? I’ve got too much energy. Grabbing the book I sit down and begin reading it. About ten minutes later, the movement of the door has me turning to it. Chase walks in with a smile. “So, I found a book.” Really? “You found a smut book that involves a frickin unicorn?” He nods. “I did very well, thank you.” Wait, no! “Pink unicorn, it has to be a pink unicorn.” I watch as he sighs and sits beside me. “Pink is impossible! I have searched and I can’t find it!” His outburst has me laughing. “How about a human-unicorn that’s pink? I found one of them.” “No, it’s a pink unicorn, not half and half Chase. So y