The police interrogated us for weeks; luckily, the security footage gave us our alibi. It still hurts to watch Eric die. Today is his funeral. Dimitri and Reign have consistently checked on me, tending to my every need and heartache. I'd wake up crying, and one of them would hold me in their arms to comfort me until I fell back asleep. Eve, Tanya, Zeus, and Deacon died that night, but Eric, Eric, is who mattered to me. I could still hear him coming up the stairs to greet me. I hurt so badly in my heart. Watching Eric being lowered into the ground caused me to fall into a drunken tailspin. I did love him. He has always protected me ever since I lost my parents. Now I lost him. The one man I loved more than I thought I could. He was gone now. "I'm sorry, Ivy," Dimitri apologized. "Why are you sorry? You never cared for him," I snorted. "You're drunk, so we're going to chalk that up to you grieving," Reign replied. "Oh, please!" I raised my voice. "Ivy, stop," Dimitri warne
5 YEARS LATER "Hey, Ivy? Is this the form you were looking for?" Keiran asked. I briefly glanced at the forms my assistant was holding. "Yes," I confirmed, scribbling my signature. Send these as soon as possible. I need this alcohol for tonight's wedding." Keiran shook his head with a chuckle. "What now?" I asked. "You have a hang bar on the ceiling so your bartenders can dance around like Coyote Ugly, yet spend millions of dollars for your high-end wedding services." "I'm versatile," I joked. "This bar is known for its weddings," he teased. "Fair," I reasoned, "Alright. Please send those; I gotta get home." "See you tomorrow, Boss. By the way, Happy Birthday," he replied. I gave a slight nod before exiting my bar. "Wow," I hushed to myself. I forgot it was my thirty-first birthday. I'd been so wrapped up in the bar and its success that I'd forgotten it was my birthday. I was also learning to plan events since sitting alone at home grew boring. I like my life
"Did the roses give it away?" Reign smiled. "Uh, sure," I sighed while taking the bouquet, "Come in." I turned to see Cameron standing in confusion, and Reign followed suit while closing the door behind him. "Sorry, this is Cameron," I introduced myself. "I know who he is," Reign reminded him. Remember I met him a few times when his mother would stay with Zeus?" "I didn't know that part. I wasn't there," I inadvertently sneered before setting the roses on the countertop. This is a conundrum; he was one of the men I didn't need to have show up right now. "How've you been?" Reign greeted. "Good, you know, football took off, and I don't have to worry about anything for the rest of my life, thanks to Zeus," Cameron said while shaking Reign's hand. "What brings you out here with your illustrious football career taking off an all," Reign snarked. "I came to see Ivy," Cameron replied, "I wanted to know what happened that night my mom died." Reign briefly subdued his
"Aodhan, what did you do this time, young man?" I asked. "Nothing," Aodhan dropped his head in shame. I knelt to his level and looked into his eyes. "Son, I love you. I won't get upset at every little thing. If I ever do, it's because I'm scared for you, not angry at you." "I wanted the pudding; I didn't mean to, Mama," he confessed. "It's okay, baby," I embraced my son tightly. Ariel will watch you for a few hours, and then we're going home, okay?" Aodhan, my secret. I'll never tell Dimitri or Reign. One was his father; I don't know which; honestly, I don't care. Aodhan has both of their good qualities. Both Dimitri and Reign looked so similar that telling which could be his father was a tough one. "I know that look," Ariel hinted, "What's wrong." "You've been one of my closest friends since moving here. You're also the godmother to Aodhan," I rambled. "Right, everything okay?" Ariel asked. Ariel had short, bright orange hair with freckles splattered perfectly a
It was all that I remembered: the cocaine, the alcohol flowing from left and right. Before I knew it, we were at the hotel in the best suite money could buy. "Come now, give the bride a kiss," Callista enticed, grabbing my face and kissing me. The familiar scent of her perfume, her delicate lips, her tender touch, I missed this. My body caved into her without hesitation, inviting her in. "You still taste the same," Callista purred against my lips. She gently eased me onto the smooth wooden coffee table. I saw Reign, Dimitri, and Roy looking down at the both of us. Callista propped herself up, took out a small container, and emptied a small pile across my chest. My cheeks flushed red; I'm not necessarily used to an audience. "Shhh," Callista hushed, brushing my cheek in comfort. She inhaled the line from my chest and seductively licked it clean before kissing me once more. The bitter taste on my tongue soon numbed both my mouth and throat. Callista removed my top, gentl
I quietly left the hotel room before the three woke up from the party the night before. Ariel called to let me know my son wanted to see if he could have ice cream for breakfast. I couldn't resist saying yes, and it made me realize how much I missed him. I needed to get home and clean up for the day ahead. I know I will see all of them again; it's just a matter of time. "Reign?" I hesitated while walking from the cab, "What are you doing here?" Reign hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, uncertain of how he should speak. "I left last night because the thought of seeing someone else touch you makes me angry," Reign confessed. "I-I-" I stammered, "You and Dimitri-" "I did it because you wanted it," he interrupted. "Oh," I hushed. "You fucked them last night, didn't you?" he questioned. "That's not any of your business," I replied. Reign turned thunderous and angry, a reminder of who his father was. He kissed me deeply and passionately. We collided into my front do
I rushed Reign from my home moments later. After that, Arie came back to drop off my son. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd have company," Ariel apologized. "It's alright; I didn't think I'd have company myself," I admitted. "Seems like you two know one another," she commented. "What makes you say that?" While drinking some champagne, I asked, "Aodhan, why don't you shower? It's getting late." "But mom!" Aodhan protested. "No, baby," I groaned. I rubbed my temples. "Everything alright?" Ariel asked. "I feel like my head is squeezing in on itself; I forgot what it was like having a cocaine hangover," I replied. "Oh, you had that kind of fun," she giggled. "Sory of," I sighed, "Never thought I'd ever do that again, especially after my son, but I had the best time." "I can tell you've been smiling despite being hungover," she smiled. "If I'm being honest, I was wrapped up in work and Aodhan and forgot about me and the woman I am. I'm not just a power career-driven
When I awoke, Ariel was lying in bed, and the red suction and bite marks all over her body gave me a sense of pride. Instead of waking her, I went to the kitchen and made a quad over ice for us. Coffee hasn't been strong enough since I became a mother. I walked out to my back porch and watched the sun over the horizon. The light blue shades with yellow lines dancing among them let me know it was almost sunrise. I leaned on my elbows, playing with the coffee cup as the breeze ran its fingers through my long red hair. "Hey," Ariel greeted me while hugging me from behind. "Good morning," I greeted, "I made you your favorite." "Four shots of espresso?" she beamed. "Yes, but iced," I warned, "It's already seventy-five degrees out here." "Yum," she purred before drinking. We stood there side by side quietly. Had I just done the unthinkable? Ariel was the one person I could trust. I mean, sure, I thought about fucking her before, but I would always stop myself. The thought o
Dimitri continued to unsparingly spank me with his belt as Reign held me in place. I was unable to do anything but take the punishment they gave. Something cold and thick dripped down the crevice of my cheeks, causing a tremble that rattled me to my core. Before I could object, I felt a finger shove its way up my ass. "Agh-" Reign covered my mouth to prevent my son from hearing as Dimitri shoved his finger in and out of my ass relentlessly. Tears of pleasure began streaming down my cheeks. "Shh," Reign hushed as he spanked me while Dimitri's fingers were still inside. My muffled cries only encouraged the both of them more. Reign shifted beneath me, sliding a finger of his inside of my slick opening. Being fingered by both ends was something I wasn't used to. The burning pleasure and feeling my holes expanding with each thrust almost caused me to cry out in ecstasy. I dug my nails into Reign's chest and arched back into each thrust. "Fuck!" I cried out. Reign's fingers
"We're back!" Dimitri announced. "Mom! I learned how to ride a bike-" "What happened to your knee?" I interjected. "Calm down, all kids scrape their knees," Reign hushed. "I fell a few times," Aodhan said sadly, dropping his head, 'But I did it!" "He did. We got a video for you," Reign confirmed while extending his phone. I glanced at the phone and then at my son, "Why don't you go shower? Dinner's almost ready." I watched the video of Aodhan successfully learning to ride the bike for the first time—the victorious look on his face from succeeding. "You aren't going to leave, are you?' I questioned. "No," they replied in unison. "Nervously, I bit my lower lip, "Well, I work a lot with the bar, and I can't be home as often as I'd like, and Aodhan looks happy that you're here." They both perked up in a pompous way. "If I think you need to leave," I warned while closing the gap between us, "Then you leave." "We're not leaving-" "I'm not negotiating," I interr
How could this happen? How did they find out?! What do I do now? "Why don't you both just leave? You won't get the answers you want," I grimly groaned while drinking my espresso. "We know he's one of ours. We won't be leaving," Dimitri responded while cooking breakfast. "We'll both stay and raise him if you insist on not having a DNA test to see which of us is his father," Reign added. With a frustrated grunt, I tossed my espresso aside and wanted nothing more than a drink. Only I couldn't drink. This situation was making my head spin in circles. "You think you can just move into my home?" I snapped. "I think you'll let us," Dimitri replied. "Why's that?" I huffed. Dimitri's eyes met mine. Fuck. Why did he have to be so handsome? "I'm a good father, and Reign is an exceptional young man. We both love you. We'll both love Aodhan in the same way. We have a right to be in his life. He shouldn't grow up thinking he had a father that didn't love him," Dimitri stated.
The dinner was nice, but Cameron's intentions were clear. Anyone with a brain would know what he wanted. Ironically, all I could think about was Dimitri and Reign. One of them was the father of Aodhan, and now, my baby is growing in my belly. I didn't want anyone but both of them. Sure, Cameron was a very handsome young man, but I don't feel like having another man's cock shoved up in me with my son in there. I decided to talk at home; it was a beautiful, warm night. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Ariel, how's it going? Everything okay?" I answered. "Well, there's two men here, Dimitri and Reign, and they said they needed to talk to you about Aodhan?" Ariel said. I felt my heart sink to my stomach. I froze, the tightness in my throat growing, making it more and more difficult to breathe. My lips began to tingle, a numbness filling me. Without thought, I started sprinting home. "How long have they been there?" I panted. "They just got here. That's why I called," she replied, "I
"We have two weddings this month and a divorce party in between," Veronica stated."Divorce party? How rich do you need to be to throw a divorce party?" I complained. "The type that pays two hundred fifty thousand dollars," Veronica implied. I waved my hands in surrender, "You just had a baby two months ago, and you're running around like it never happened." Veronica glared, "While I'm here, I'm not Mom. I'm Veronica; believe it or not, that holds some meaning to me." "Jeez, calm down," I hushed. I'm just saying you're a badass. Not everyone will insult you for being a working mom; I am myself." "I know; it just can't be more obvious how most people feel, including my mother." "What did she have to say?" "You know, the usual, why don't you be with a man who can care for you and my grandbaby? Why must you work? Why must you must you make my heart hurt and ache?" "At least you have a mother that cares." "I know, sometimes I just wish I could go spontaneously deaf when
When I awoke, Ariel was lying in bed, and the red suction and bite marks all over her body gave me a sense of pride. Instead of waking her, I went to the kitchen and made a quad over ice for us. Coffee hasn't been strong enough since I became a mother. I walked out to my back porch and watched the sun over the horizon. The light blue shades with yellow lines dancing among them let me know it was almost sunrise. I leaned on my elbows, playing with the coffee cup as the breeze ran its fingers through my long red hair. "Hey," Ariel greeted me while hugging me from behind. "Good morning," I greeted, "I made you your favorite." "Four shots of espresso?" she beamed. "Yes, but iced," I warned, "It's already seventy-five degrees out here." "Yum," she purred before drinking. We stood there side by side quietly. Had I just done the unthinkable? Ariel was the one person I could trust. I mean, sure, I thought about fucking her before, but I would always stop myself. The thought o
I rushed Reign from my home moments later. After that, Arie came back to drop off my son. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd have company," Ariel apologized. "It's alright; I didn't think I'd have company myself," I admitted. "Seems like you two know one another," she commented. "What makes you say that?" While drinking some champagne, I asked, "Aodhan, why don't you shower? It's getting late." "But mom!" Aodhan protested. "No, baby," I groaned. I rubbed my temples. "Everything alright?" Ariel asked. "I feel like my head is squeezing in on itself; I forgot what it was like having a cocaine hangover," I replied. "Oh, you had that kind of fun," she giggled. "Sory of," I sighed, "Never thought I'd ever do that again, especially after my son, but I had the best time." "I can tell you've been smiling despite being hungover," she smiled. "If I'm being honest, I was wrapped up in work and Aodhan and forgot about me and the woman I am. I'm not just a power career-driven
I quietly left the hotel room before the three woke up from the party the night before. Ariel called to let me know my son wanted to see if he could have ice cream for breakfast. I couldn't resist saying yes, and it made me realize how much I missed him. I needed to get home and clean up for the day ahead. I know I will see all of them again; it's just a matter of time. "Reign?" I hesitated while walking from the cab, "What are you doing here?" Reign hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, uncertain of how he should speak. "I left last night because the thought of seeing someone else touch you makes me angry," Reign confessed. "I-I-" I stammered, "You and Dimitri-" "I did it because you wanted it," he interrupted. "Oh," I hushed. "You fucked them last night, didn't you?" he questioned. "That's not any of your business," I replied. Reign turned thunderous and angry, a reminder of who his father was. He kissed me deeply and passionately. We collided into my front do
It was all that I remembered: the cocaine, the alcohol flowing from left and right. Before I knew it, we were at the hotel in the best suite money could buy. "Come now, give the bride a kiss," Callista enticed, grabbing my face and kissing me. The familiar scent of her perfume, her delicate lips, her tender touch, I missed this. My body caved into her without hesitation, inviting her in. "You still taste the same," Callista purred against my lips. She gently eased me onto the smooth wooden coffee table. I saw Reign, Dimitri, and Roy looking down at the both of us. Callista propped herself up, took out a small container, and emptied a small pile across my chest. My cheeks flushed red; I'm not necessarily used to an audience. "Shhh," Callista hushed, brushing my cheek in comfort. She inhaled the line from my chest and seductively licked it clean before kissing me once more. The bitter taste on my tongue soon numbed both my mouth and throat. Callista removed my top, gentl