Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas: O'Reilly Fight Club Book Four, page 8
“Verity told us numerous times not to stop, and when we asked if she had enough, she told us no. I’m telling you, that woman is a fucking vixen. I swear she has some serious hidden kinks. She just needs the right person or persons to help her find out what they are.”
“And I suppose you guys are the perfect people to help her?” Travis asks sarcastically. I shrug and pick up my mug.
“You could as well if you would just give in and admit you like her.”
Travis doesn’t reply, but from the look on his face, I know that he isn’t going to be doing any of that any time soon. Instead, he looks at his watch and sighs.
“Well, as neither of them will get up any time soon, I might as well unpack.” He turns to the door but stops when he places his hand on the handle. “I don’t agree with what you did, but if it makes her happy, then who am I to argue with it.”
“You could always join in?” I suggest again, which earns me the side eye to end all side eyes. “Or not. Got it,” I add, pretending to zip my mouth. Travis shakes his head and sighs deeply before walking out of the dining room.
I relax into the chair I’m sitting in and finish my almost-cold coffee. He might not want to admit it, but I saw the way his eyes darkened when I was describing the sex. I even went into a little more detail than was needed to get a reaction out of him. It was there. It's only slight, but I bet he will need to find his own release soon enough.
I stand from the table and take my empty cup to the kitchen before heading to my room. As I pass Verity’s room, I can’t help but smile, knowing our satisfied girl is in there, sleeping in my brother's arms. Am I a little jealous? A bit, but I also know I don’t have time to lie about today. I need to reply to a few clients and get a workout in of my own. At least if I can’t be there to hold her whilst she sleeps, it’s one of my brothers, that is. I know they will give her anything she needs, even the one who refuses to admit that he has fallen for her like the rest of us.
I have never considered the possibility of sharing a woman with my brothers, but for some reason, with Verity, it is all I can think about. Not just in a sexual way, either. That woman deserves to be showered with love and worshipped. She needs to be shown daily that she is loved and wanted and needs more than just one of us can give her. But the three of us together could finally give her the love and affection she deserves and craves.
15
Verity
“Come on, Little Kitten. It’s time to wake up.”
“What time is it?” I ask, looking around, surprised to find it’s dark outside the window.
“It’s just gone three.”
I’ve slept for at least an hour and a half. I never sleep in the day, no matter how tired I am. But there again, I was feeling so relaxed after the best sex I’ve ever had. It’s no surprise I fell asleep.
“How you feeling?” Ryan asks, sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but his jeans, holding a mug.
“I’m okay,” I reply as he hands me the coffee once I’m sat with the duvet pulled up to my chest. I take it and can smell the freshly brewed caffeine my body’s craving.
“Are you sure? Do you want to talk about anything?” he asks, taking my hand. Shaking my head, I give him a small smile.
“I don’t have any regrets if that’s what you mean.” Suddenly, my usual insecurities flood my senses, and I start to panic. “Unless you do?”
“What? No! God no! I, I mean we, don’t regret a single thing. We were just worried you would feel like we forced you into something you weren’t ready for,” he stammers, lifting his hand to cup my cheek. “I’ve had feelings for you for a while, and Ethan has too. We just never dreamt anything would happen like it has. That doesn’t mean you have to do anything again if you don’t want to,” he adds quickly as I relax a little. I want things to happen again. I loved it, and it really was the best sex I’ve ever had. But I also know how quickly I can get attached to people, which is never good when things have a time limit. The guys are only back for a short while, and then they will leave, and I will go back to being on my own again.
“Thank you,” I reply, not knowing what else to say. He leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Anything you want or need, we are here for. Whether it's amazing sex, a cuddle when you need one or even someone to make sure you get some sleep when you need it. Whatever it is, we are here for it; we all are in our own ways.”
I nod before looking at the clock and sigh; I need to shower and stretch before I leave for the performance. Ryan touches the duvet over my knee and squeezes slightly to get my attention.
“Go and do whatever you need to do before the show. Travis is back and will take you. I’m going to come with you both and collect your car. Travis has something he wants to do and will finish at the same time as you so he can drive you home.”
“Is that his way of ensuring I don’t go on a bender again?” I ask, forcing a grin. Ryan rolls his eyes as he stands.
“Probably, you know what he’s like.” He leaves the room leaving me alone with my coffee and busy mind to prepare for the performance.
“Do you have everything you need?” Travis asks as we pull away from the house.
“Most of my stuff is in the car. I’m hoping it hasn’t been nicked or anything,” I sigh, running my hand over my bun, checking for any loose hairs. My best hairspray is in my dance bag, and I don’t trust the stuff I just used.
“I’m sure everything will be there,” Ryan says from the back of the car.
“Including my phone. I dread to think of the messages Jaz and Danni will have left on it.”
Travis hadn’t grabbed my phone when he picked me up last night, and apparently, Danielle had locked up the car and thrown the keys to him before he brought me home. My phone, purse, dance bag and make-up are all still in the car, at least I hope they are. The make-up alone is worth hundreds. I hope no one stole anything. I can’t afford to replace or claim it on the insurance. I don’t like the idea of asking my dad to help me out. He pays for enough, and I know he works hard to give me what I have. School and the house aren’t cheap, which is why I appreciate everything he does for me.
“How close are you to the O’Reilly girl?” Travis asks. I look at him as I remember how he treated Jaz and Christian last night. I had no idea he even knew them.
“Very, which is why you owe Jaz an apology and Christian.”
Travis gives me the side eye as Ryan laughs behind me.
“Yeah, good luck with that one,” he laughs as Travis grunts something I can’t make out.
“I’ll apologise to the girl if it makes you feel better, but I ain’t apologising to that prick, Christian.” I notice Travis clutching the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles are white. I find myself reaching over to place a hand over his. “I can guess something bad went down between you, and I know he has done some bad things over the years. But he loves my best friend and saved her life. I will forever be grateful to him for that.”
Travis turns his head momentarily and looks at me before nodding as he returns to concentrating on the road.
“Fair enough. I won’t ask you to stay away as I’ll never tell you what you should be doing. But I will tell you to be careful.” He turns to look at me as he stops at a red light. “If anything happens to you because of him or any of his brothers, I will kill them without a second’s thought.”
From the way his jaw clenches, I know he means it. I squeeze his hand slightly whilst nodding.
“Deal,” I reply, unable to stop the small smile that lifts one side of my lips.
Travis looks at me for a moment before nodding once and concentrating back on the road as the light turns green, and he starts heading towards the theatre.
I don’t know what occurred between him and Christian, when or why. But all I know for sure is that Travis is wary of him, and I’m sure there is a good reason for that. I make a mental note to see if Jaz knows anything. Christian doesn’t hide anything from her, and I know if she asked about it, he or one of his brothers would have told her everything.
“Hey, Kitten. How many performances do you have left after tonight?” Ryan asks as he leans forward and places his hand on my shoulder.
“Three weeks worth. Why?” I turn around to find him grinning at me.
“Do you have a break then from classes and practising?”
I nod whilst frowning at him.
“Another three weeks.”
I can almost see the clogs turning in that head of his as he smiles and nods once before leaning back in his seat and letting go of my shoulder.
“What are you planning?” Travis asks, looking at his brother in the rearview mirror.
“Nothing, just trying to get ideas on time scales and so on,” Ryan replies, pulling his phone out of his coat pocket.
I’m about to ask who he’s messaging when Travis comes to a stop, and I see my car beside us.
Jumping out, I rush over to it. Checking for any damage or signs it’s been broken into. It looks like everything is intact; nothing seems different except.
“Damn it, a ticket!” I exclaim as I start trying to pull it off the windscreen. I hadn’t even thought about the fact my ticket would have run out. I only paid until midnight. I dread to think how much this is going to cost me.
“Leave it. I’ll sort it for you when I get back to the house,” Ryan says as he moves me away from the windscreen. “Get what you need out of the car and head inside to get ready. Everything will be sorted by the time you finish tonight,” he promises. I lift onto my toes and press a kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you. There is a jar of money in the kitchen. Take what it is from there. It’s just spare cash for takeaways and stuff.”
Ryan nods and hands me the keys to get my things out. I gather my things before turning around to see him climbing in behind the wheel, with Travis saying something quietly. Ryan nods and closes the driver's door, and opens the window. “See you all back at the house. Break a leg, Little Kitten!” he calls as he backs the car out of its space and drives off as I wave to him.
I look back to Travis and find him watching me with a look in his eyes that I can’t quite place.
“Have you got your phone now?”
I nod and reach into my bag, where I threw it a moment ago.
“The battery has died, but I have a charger, which I keep in my bag.”
“Then go and get it charged and call me if you have any issues. I’ll be finished in time to pick you up. I’ll wait for you in the foyer once everyone has left. Call me if I’m not there, but I won’t be far away.”
I nod and turn to walk away, but he calls my name and stops me.
“Try to forget the last twenty-four hours, if only during the performance. Do what you love and what makes you happy.”
Why do I have a feeling he isn’t just referring to the dancing. He hasn’t mentioned what happened between Ethan, Ryan and me, but I’m sure he knows.
“Thank you.” I rush back and press a kiss to his cheek, giving him a small smile before turning around and heading to the stage door, trying to push all that’s happened to the back of my mind so I can do what I love, just as Travis said.
16
Travis
I don’t think there is anything more beautiful than Verity when she’s dancing. Why have I never watched her before, besides the occasional clips she has sent me or on social media? She is elegant, graceful, confident and beautiful. Her head’s held high and proud as she moves across the stage. I might not know much about ballet, but she looked perfect to me.
When all the dancers come out for their curtain call, I don’t hold back as I stand with everyone else, whistling, clapping and calling out, especially for my girl. For a moment, I wonder if she will know I’m there. But then she looks in my direction, and for the briefest second, our eyes meet, and a giant smile spreads across her face before she moves with the other dancers. Surely, she couldn’t see me in this darkened corner? I hope she did, so she knows I watched her tonight.
I continue to clap with the rest of the audience until the last dancers leave the stage. As soon as the house lights go back up, everyone leaves their seat. Picking up my jacket and placing it over my arm, I slowly make my way towards the exit, eager to see how Verity is doing and her reaction when she realises I watched. I
Ethan was right today; there is no hiding that I care deeply for Verity. If things were different, I would make her mine and never let her go. But they aren’t. She is my stepsister and too innocent and pure to be with a man like me. I can be as corrupt as they come and know a lot of shit about the darker side of the world. That’s why Henry told me to back off when I started getting close to her in the past.
Verity thinks I’m just an ordinary accountant for the higher class. She doesn’t realise I do accounts for people like the O’Reilly’s. Ones that need to keep where their money really comes from quiet and out of view of the tax man. The illegal shit, you might say.
Do my brothers know what I do? Of course, they are personal trainers to many of my clients, but I know they will be able to protect themselves if they ever need to. Not only are they trained to fight, but our dad also made sure we could handle most weapons, including guns. There isn’t much I couldn’t cause damage with, and it has come in handy on more than one occasion.
This is why I don’t think we are good enough for Verity. She is too sweet and innocent to be dragged into this life. She doesn’t even know what her father really does out there in the States. But I do, and it’s because of me she doesn’t go out there with him. I will not have her in danger because of him or me.
A couple of years ago, she started hinting about moving out there so Henry didn’t have to keep coming back just to see her. She was willing to leave everything she has here and move to spend more time with her father. At one point, he seemed to be considering it. So, I made him see that it was a bad idea and that it was putting her in danger. He agreed, but on one condition: I stepped back and didn’t pursue her like I wanted. I agreed, and we have been in agreement since. I won’t date his daughter, and he won’t move her to the States. Which is why I’m worried now my brothers have slept with her. Yes, she is older and able to make her own decisions, but her father could still try and control the situation. There again, will she let him? I don’t know.
I rub my tired face and look around the now emptying foyer. Desperate to think about anything other than everything that could go wrong for Verity right now.
The building is beautiful and screams sophistication. Which is to be expected by the amount the school charge their students. But no matter the cost, everyone is leaving, smiling and chatting happily about the performance, and so they should; it was beautiful to watch. I spot some couches on the other side of the area and head for them, planning to sit and wait for Verity.
I am so tired after not sleeping last night. Other than dozing off in the chair for the odd five minutes here and there, I didn’t get any sleep. I was worried something would happen to Verity, and I wouldn’t realise until it was too late. So, I’ve spent the day drinking coffee and rushing around, not giving myself a chance to feel how exhausted I am.
As I reach the couches, a figure steps out of the washrooms beside them, and our eyes meet. There goes my good mood.
“Donavon,” Jason O’Reilly snaps as he approaches me whilst shoving his hands in his pockets.
“O’Reilly,” I nod as I walk past him, but he steps in my way. I Should have known he wouldn’t let things be, at least if his hands are in his pockets he can’t punch me, for now anyway.
“If you think I haven’t got anything to say about last night, you are royally mistaken. Especially after hearing you dared to lay a hand on my fiancée.” The anger is evident on his face, and I wonder how far he is willing to go to defend his woman’s honour.
“Don’t expect me to apologise to your brother. As I told Verity, it will never happen. But I was out of order to your girl, and I will apologise to her when I see her next.” I keep my face as neutral as possible, hoping he sees my sincerity. He continues to stare at me with the same angry look. It’s not the first time he has been angry at me. You upset one O’Reilly, you upset them all, and I’m not worried about him trying anything as I know it would be a pretty even fight.
“You better because whatever has gone on in the past does not excuse you from calling her a slut. I will not stand for it, and neither will my brothers.” Shame fills me as I remember how badly I behaved towards Jasmine last night. There was no need for it. I have never treated a woman with such disrespect before. All she was doing was protecting her friend. Isn’t that something I should encourage? It would certainly puts my mind at ease a little, knowing Verity has such good friends watching over her.
“As I said, it was out of order, emotions were running high, and I was worried for Verity, which is no excuse.”
“No, it is not.”
For a moment, we look at each other; I can see a part of Jason still wants to fight me, if not worse. It’s what I deserve. If the shoe was on the other foot and an O’Reilly spoke to Verity the way I spoke to Jasmine purely because of her association with Christian, then I would wipe the whole family out. Fuck, I’m ashamed of myself.
“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she.” It’s not a question, he knows. I nod and take a deep breath. “You going to do anything about it?” Jason asks as he sits on the couch behind us. I know this is his olive branch, and I’m not foolish enough to ignore it. So, instead of walking away, I sit beside him and lean my elbows on my knees.
“My brothers already have. We don’t need to make her life more complicated than it already is,” I sigh. “The four of us together would be too much for her. Last night just showed that things are going on in her life that others weren’t aware of.”
“Her boyfriend?”
“Ex and a dead man. I’ll kill him if I ever see him.”
Jason chuckles, and I look at him with an arched bow. He is leaning back, looking relaxed, with one arm over the back of the sofa, his left ankle resting on his right knee.
