Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas: O'Reilly Fight Club Book Four, page 9
“Do you know how many boyfriends me and the guys got rid of before we finally admitted our feelings to Jazzy? The last one took a nasty fall down a flight of stairs, and last I heard, he couldn’t even be on the same street as her without wetting himself.”
I shake my head as he grins. These guys have always been arrogant fuckers; I used to look up to them for that, and in a way, I still do. It only seems natural they would be protective of their woman.
“I’m sorry about the call I made when Jaz was taken.”
“You mean the call when you tore Christian a new one for Verity being spiked?”
I nod as I look back to the open area of the foyer.
“I saw her the day after it happened, and she was a mess; I was furious. She didn’t get out of bed for two days; when she did, she was still confused and drowsy. I lost it and felt bad afterwards when I heard about Jaz being taken. When Christian screamed it down the phone, I thought,… I don’t know what I thought. I just lost my temper.”
“You were protecting what’s yours. That’s only natural. But for the record, once Christian calmed down, he understood. He admitted he would have done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot, and he didn’t know what was happening on the other end.” Jason sits forward and leans his elbows on his knees like me.
“I’m going to be honest with you. Christian had nothing to do with your father’s death; it really was an accident. The only thing Christian is guilty of is running away from the scene, which he did for us. He knew if he got locked up, we would be left with Tommy, with no Christian to keep us out of trouble.”
I rub my face before pinching the bridge of my nose. I know deep down he is telling the truth. Christian may have killed many people in his time, but he always showed respect towards my father, and I could never understand why he had done it. It was easier to blame him rather than accept my father wasn’t as clean as he claimed.
I don’t say anything; I just nod while trying to push back that last seed of doubt.
“I think I’m finally accepting that,” I sigh. Jason squeezes my shoulder before sitting back again.
“As I’m being honest, there is one more thing I would like to add.”
I turn to look back at Jason with arched brows but stay silent as I already have an idea of what he’s about to say.
“Speak to Verity and be honest with her. I think you’ll be surprised by what she can handle and what she wants.”
I shake my head whilst looking around at the now almost empty room.
“If I do, her father might take her to the States and keep her there.”
“Would she go?”
I shrug, as I have no idea.
“I don’t know. She has mentioned it in the past. With how unhappy she seems to be, it’s a real possibility. Plus, my brothers may have started something with her, and I don’t know if I can handle sharing her, if that’s what you are implying,” I answer before sitting back so I can talk quietly. “They have acted on their feelings, and both seem happy to share her; Ethan even told me to be honest with her. But I don’t know.”
“Does it feel wrong?” Jason asks, and I shake my head.
“No. That’s what makes it weird. If I were to share her with anyone, it would feel natural to be with them. But I don’t know, the last thing I want is to make things complicated by being jealous of what they share,” I admit before looking at him again. “Does that even make sense?”
“More than you realise,” he laughs before looking around. “There’s been times when things haven’t been easy for us. After Jazzy was taken and treated the way she was, there were times she wouldn’t let anyone near her but Christian. Even now, she can wake up from a nightmare and leave our beds to find him. The first couple of times it happened, I felt like I wasn’t enough for her to feel safe and that he would always be the one she turned to for protection. I’m ashamed to admit it hurt my pride.”
“Did it get easier?” I ask as this is the exact thing that concerns me about sharing Verity. I don’t know how I would feel if she chose one of us over the others.
“Yes, because we sat down and talked it through like adults.” Jason turns in his seat to look at me. “Jazzy is a brat, but there are also elements of a little in there, too. Which is one of the reasons we took control as we did. We are her daddies, and it’s what she needs. But with each of us, she has a different type of relationship. Seans is the dominating one, Maximus is the fun one, I’m the reliable one who spoils her, and Christian is her main daddy. She sees him the way I suppose my brothers and I do—the protector.
“Christian has always taken it upon himself to be the one that provides the safety, escape route and protection. You yourself will remember how he tried to keep me and the twins out of the loop as much as possible. He’s like that with Jazzy, which is why she knows she can be as vulnerable as she wants, and he will hold her together. She can be her inner little and know her daddy will protect her.”
“So, she has a different relationship with each of you?”
Jason nods. “It’s taken a little time, but whenever she favours one of us over the others, we know they are providing what she needs. I wouldn’t be surprised if Verity is like that with you three. There are a lot of similarities between her and Jazzy. I think you’ll find out of the three of you; you will be her safety net.”
I listen to everything he’s saying and know there are signs that Verity comes to me when she feels vulnerable. Not just because she will message me or call me more. Last night, after she was sick, she leaned into me to hold her whilst she recovered. My brothers and I don’t have a great relationship with Verity, and in truth, we know very little about her. But that’s something we could change, and it wouldn’t be that hard to do. We need to prove to her that we are sticking around and will be there for her. That’s something I can certainly do anyway.
I look back to Jason and find him smirking at me.
“You are thinking about it a little more now, aren’t you?”
“I guess I am.”
Jason claps me on the back as he stands up and straightens his jacket.
“Well, if you do go for it, I wish you luck. All I can suggest is you talk and act like adults. Let Verity be who she really is with you; don’t try to force her to be anything else. From the times she has been around us, I could tell she couldn’t truly relax, like she was worried about being herself. I know that’s how Jazzy was when she moved in with us, and they are more similar than any of us realised.”
I stand and offer him my hand, which he takes.
“Thanks, Jas.”
Jason nods as I shove my hand in my trouser pockets. A laugh sounds across the foyer, and I turn to see Verity and Jasmine walking towards us. When Verity’s eyes land on me, a big smile spreads across her face, causing my heart to swell. But when she realises I’m standing next to Jason, her smile drops, and she looks worried.
“I hope you’re not starting on him as well because he’s less likely to hold me back,” Jasmine glares at me as she approaches.
“Calm down, Angel. We were talking, that’s all,” Jason says as she kisses him quickly before leaning against him. He puts an arm around her shoulders.
“Jasmine, I would like to apologise for how I spoke to you last night. I was concerned about Verity and not thinking rationally. However, that’s no excuse for the way I treated you. So please accept my sincere apology.”
I can see Verity smiling beside her and realise that even if Jasmine doesn’t accept my apology, Verity will know I am truly sorry for my actions.
“Fine, apology accepted. But, if you ever speak to my fiancé, any of them, like that again, you will regret it quickly,” she warns as Jason kisses the top of her head, chuckling.
“If you think we are protective of her, that’s nothing compared to what she is like with us,” he smirks. I nod to them both before turning my attention to Verity.
“You danced beautifully tonight, Sweetheart.”
“So that was you I saw in the audience?” she asks excitedly. I smile, nodding at her.
“I thought I would surprise you and watch. The guys also wanted to, but I could only get one ticket.”
Verity surprises me by excitedly dropping her bag and throwing her arms around my neck.
“If I had known how happy it would make you, I would have done it earlier,” I laugh into her hair.
“You have no idea how happy I am that someone watched,” she whispers before letting me go. When she looks at me again, I can see her eyes are full of tears. When was the last time anyone watched her dance? Has it really been that long?
“Come on, Jazzy, we need to get back. Sean and Maximus should be back by the time we get home.”
Jasmine's face lights up; she turns to Verity and hugs her. I don’t miss that she whispers something in her ear before kissing her cheek and stepping back to Jason's side.
“See you tomorrow, Verity,” she calls before looking at me. Her smile drops, but she doesn’t look like she wants to kill me, so I’ll take that as a win. “See you later,” she says with less emphasis before Jason leads her towards the door, her bag now in his hand.
“Later, Donavon. Think about what I said,” Jason calls before disappearing out of view. I only manage to hold my hand up before he’s gone.
“What did he say to you?” Verity asks as I take the bag from her.
“Nothing for you to worry about, Sweetheart,” I reply before offering her my arm. “Let’s get you home so you can rest,” I add, leading her to the front door and out into the cold night.
Verity starts to shiver as soon as we are outside, and I remove my arm from hers and wrap it around her shoulder, pulling her against me, hoping to shield her from the cold winter breeze. As we reach the car, I ensure she is inside safely before placing her bag on the back seat and moving to the driver's side.
“Let’s get you warmed up.” I turn on the heated seats and the heaters and let the car de-mist as we wait.
“How you feeling now? Are you still cold?” I ask, looking to my left to find her smiling at me.
“Has anyone told you you’re very caring and thoughtful?” she asks as her smile brightens further.
“I’ve been called many things, Sweetheart, but nothing like that,” I laugh before turning away. She places her hand over mine, which rests on the dashboard, causing me to turn back to her. She is so beautiful, I don’t know if she realises how perfect she is, not just in her looks but everything about her.
A strand of her blonde hair hangs down the side of her face, and I reach up to tuck it behind her ear. As my knuckles brush against her cheek, I don’t miss how her eyes close, and she leans into my touch. I act before I think and lean in, softly pressing my lips to hers. I expect her to move away from me, but she doesn’t. Instead, she looks me in the eye for a moment before kissing me back.
There are a million things I should be thinking about right now, but all that matters is that her lips are finally against mine, and they feel so right. It takes everything in me not to drag her to the back seat and make love to her the way I want to, but this isn’t how I pictured our first time—rushed in a car on a cold night. I want to take her home and make love to her all night in my bed or hers. Fuck, I wouldn’t even care if one of the guys joined us. All I want is her. Jason’s right; why shouldn’t I tell her how I feel? How we all feel.
I pull away slightly and smile when I see the soft smile on her just kissed lips.
“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” I whisper, running my knuckles down her cheek.
“Travis?”
“Yes, Sweetheart?”
She looks up at me with the most amazing fuck me eyes that. I feel myself getting hard in my trousers.
“Take me home.”
17
Verity
My heart is fluttering. I’m so happy.
Travis, watching the performance tonight means so much to me. I often pretend in my head someone’s secretly watching from the crowd. It’s a little thing that gets me through tough performances, especially now Jaz knows she has someone there every night. Everyone will talk about different friends and family coming to watch, but I never have anyone. I haven’t for a long time.
I was sure I’d heard him whistle when I took my bow during the curtain call. I immediately looked in the direction it came from and, for the briefest moment, thought I saw him in the shadows. It’s nearly impossible to see anyone in the audience when you are on the stage, but something told me I was looking straight at him. But I didn’t want to get my hopes up in case I was wrong. He is the first person to watch me in over a year, and it’s given me the boost I needed to take that step forward to get over the last twenty-four hours.
Travis can tell how happy I am as he keeps glancing over, smiling. He took my hand about ten minutes ago and hasn’t let go since. A part of me is paranoid; he’s just being like this because I slept with his brothers this afternoon. But then Travis has been there for me several times in the last six months. He’s called to check I’m okay. Or if I need anything. Sometimes, he messages to say he was thinking about me. I’ve found myself thinking about him more and more and even wondering if something was starting between us. But I never wanted to get my hopes up. At the end of the day, I’m ten years younger than him; would he really be interested in someone like me? Then there is the fact that I slept with his two brothers only this afternoon. I still can’t wrap my head around what happened.
I think I’ve been hanging around with Jasmine too much because I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought about being with all three of my stepbrothers, whether separately or together. It’s so appealing I don’t think I can say no if Travis does want to take me to bed. I know I probably should, as I have no idea what that was about with the guys earlier, and both said they wanted to do it again. But I don’t even know if Travis is aware of what happened. Should I mention it to be sure? I wouldn’t want something to happen between us and then for him to find out. Do I expect anything to come from it? No, not at all. I have every intention of just having some fun; that’s what I will tell myself anyway.
“So, other than what I saw, did everything go okay tonight? No issues out back?” Travis asks, dragging me back to reality.
“No, it was all good. The girls cornered me and asked if I was okay, but other than that, everything was the same as any other night.” I decided not to tell him about all the messages I had on my phone from Marshall asking where I was and why I wasn’t answering my phone. He also sent one after he left mine, which didn’t start off too pleasant, but I forced myself not to read it, and I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t think I saw the real him until today, and I have no idea how many times he has cheated on me in the past, and I let him because I was blind to it all. He was right about one thing: I throw myself into dancing. My dad has always said how proud he is of what I have achieved at the school, and he works so hard to ensure I get to stay there. So, I’ve never missed a lesson, practice or show for fear of disappointing him.
“I bet they had a few things to say about me after my outburst.” Travis glances over at me nervously. “I hope you know that’s not who I am. It was very out of character for me, and I will never treat you that way, ever.”
“Jaz was just looking out for me. She thought you were Marshall, so she didn’t want me to go with you. I guess that’s my fault for never introducing him to any of my friends.” I know he was worried about me, and Jasmine confirmed there is a lot of bad blood between him and Christian, but she wouldn’t tell me what she knows. I’m not even sure if she knows the whole story. I have considered asking him what happened, but it’s not my business, and unlike Jasmine and Christian, Travis has no reason to tell me the truth.
“I think they were shocked by how you and Christian were together. It’s not often they see people stand up to him and get away with it.”
“How much do you know about the O’Reilly’s?” he asks, glancing at me quickly. I shrug as I look out of my window at the night sky as it flies past us.
“Nothing, really. I know they are the type of men you need to stay on their good side. They used to scare me, especially Christian, as he always comes across as bossy and controlling when speaking to others. Danielle says there are a lot of people who fear the O’Reillys. But whenever he’s with Jaz, he’s a different person.” I turn to look at Travis and smile. “He loves her; they all do. There isn’t anything they aren’t willing to do for her.”
That’s what I want. Someone to love and look after me like the O’Reilly’s look after Jaz. She’s told me what happened when she was taken and how the guys got her back. She also admitted to more than she probably should have, like how she killed her mother. But she needed to talk to someone who wasn’t the guys, and I’m here for her no matter what. I may disagree with her killing Carol, but at the end of the day, she was protecting her man, and there is something special about that.
She has also told me how hot the sex is and how they dominate her, which I need! But when she admitted how she doesn’t need to worry about anything anymore. They take care of everything, from her needs to what she wants. I want that, too. Okay, I don’t think I could handle four daddies. I want someone who accepts who I am, takes care of me, and protects me when I need it. Someone who wouldn’t want me to be anything but my true self, not the father-pleasing, well-presented, pristine woman I pretend to be. Because that’s what it feels like sometimes, that I’m playing a role everyone expects to see. Sometimes I want just to be me. I want someone to let me curl up with them and mess around with them. I want to know that if I’m feeling vulnerable, they will hold me and show me everything will be fine.
“Christian was in the car when my father crashed.”
My attention snaps back to Travis, amazed. He never talks about his dad. I know his death hit the brothers hard as they chose him over their mother when they separated. But no one really mentions him.
