Olivia Cunning - Double Time

“I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am that I let him get his hands on you,” Ethan said.

She shook her head. “I’m okay.”

“That never should have happened. I allowed myself to be distracted and—”

“I did the distracting,” Trey said. “I’m as much at fault as he is.”

“So while I was being stalked, drugged, and strangled, you two were making love, cuddling, and sharing your feelings.”

That made it sound even worse. Ethan’s heart twisted with guilt. “Reagan…”

“While I was being dragged across a parking lot, beaten with a rubber hose, and stuffed into the trunk of a car, you two were kissing, touching, and playing hide the salami.”

“He beat you?” Trey exclaimed.

Reagan chuckled. “No, I’m just fucking with you. And once I stop feeling like I’m going to hurl, I’d say the two of you have a lot to make up to me.”

How could she be so forgiving? He’d put her in danger. She could have been seriously injured. She should be yelling at him, calling him names, firing him for being the worst bodyguard on the planet. Ethan stroked her hair behind her ear and brushed her soft cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I love you.”

“I know,” she said. “I love you too.”

Ethan glanced at Trey. It was the first time Trey had heard Reagan say those words to another man. Ethan wondered how he’d take it. Trey grinned and squeezed Reagan’s hand.

“Ethan, I need you to do something for me,” Reagan said.

“Anything.”

“Tell me how you feel about Trey.”

Ethan tried to read her expression to figure out what she wanted to hear, but she was staring down at her hand which was held securely in Trey’s.

“I love him,” Ethan said breathlessly.

She looked up at him and smiled. “I thought so.”

“You’re okay with it?” Ethan pressed.

“Under one condition,” Reagan said. She glanced at Trey. “Do you love Ethan?”

Trey nodded. “Yeah. I do. I love him.”

She smiled. “Good. And who else?”

“You,” he said without hesitation.

“And Brian?” she asked.

Trey chuckled and caught Ethan’s eye. “Who’s Brian?”

Ethan smiled. Trey had let Brian go for real this time. “He’s the guy I need to thank for grabbing Reagan so I could take that guy down,” Ethan said, glancing over his shoulder. Pyre was in the back of the cruiser now. He had a scrape along the side of his face where he’d hit the asphalt, but Ethan had somehow kept it together and not knocked him around too much.

“Are you going to go back on the force now?” Reagan asked.

Ethan gave her a questioning look. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you loved it and the only reason you left was because you protect the innocent a bit too violently. You were completely in control when you took Pyre down.”

“You don’t want me as your bodyguard anymore?” Ethan asked.

“You do suck at it,” Trey quipped.

Ethan scowled. “Yeah, because I was sucking you instead of guarding her.”

“Next time I’ll make sure I’m there when you’re sucking him so you can keep an eye on me,” Reagan said.

“I guess that would be safest,” Ethan agreed. He lowered his head and stole a kiss from her.

“What’s going on here?” someone said behind Ethan. He turned to find Dare staring at him with a mixture of confusion and anger.

Dare then looked at his brother in question. “You let some other dude kiss your girl right in front of you? No wonder you have relationship problems.”

“Ethan’s my boyfriend,” Trey explained.

“So the thing with Reagan is a front to hide your relationship with him?” Dare pointed at Ethan and looked even more confused. “But he just kissed her.” Dare’s pointing bounced from Ethan to Reagan.

“That’s because he’s her boyfriend,” Trey said, grinning his orneriest. Ethan figured it wasn’t often that Trey got to mess with his brother’s head. It was usually the other way around.

“I thought you said he was your boyfriend,” Dare said.

“He is.” Trey nodded.

“And hers?”

“Right.”

“And she’s your girlfriend?” Dare pointed at Reagan.

Trey pointed at Ethan. “And his.”

Realization dawned on Dare’s face. He made a circular motion with one finger. “So the three of you? All together?”

“Exactly,” Trey said.

Dare smiled and slapped his brother on the arm repeatedly. “That’s fantastic!”

Ethan could not imagine telling his brothers about his lifestyle, much less thinking they’d accept it, and they sure as hell wouldn’t be enthusiastic about it. Dare just seemed glad that his brother had found happiness, even if it was in an unconventional way.

“Are you feeling okay, Reagan?” Dare asked. “I heard some guy grabbed you.”

“I’m fine.” She snorted and shook her head. “Worst. Kidnapper. Ever.”

Dare squeezed her knee, his concern tangible. “You’ll be okay for the show tonight?”

She nodded. “I do think I need to lie down for a little while.”

“You should definitely get some rest,” Dare agreed.

“I’m bringing these two with me,” she said quietly. “Resting will not be on my agenda.”

Dare laughed and tousled her hair affectionately. “Rock on, little sister.”

Reagan looked into the back of the ambulance to the paramedic who was sitting on a bench along the sidewall. He looked a tad uncomfortable about what he must have overheard. “Can I go now?” she asked him.

“Doc says if you start vomiting uncontrollably you need to come to the hospital.”

Reagan made a face of disgust. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. My nausea is all gone now.”

“Then you’re free to go. Just make sure someone is around to keep an eye on you.”

“Will do,” Trey said. He hopped off the back end of the ambulance and lifted Reagan into his arms. “Where to?”

“Take me to bed.”

“On the tour bus?”

“I don’t think there was enough room on that dressing room sofa for three.”

Ethan smiled. Seeing the two of them together warmed his heart almost as much as being with the two of them did. “I’ll be right there,” Ethan said. “I need to go talk to someone for a second.”

“We’ll be sure to start without you,” Trey said. He nodded a farewell at his brother and headed for the tour bus.

Ethan walked over to Brian Sinclair, who was watching the last police cruiser pull away with a remorseful Pyre in the backseat. Ethan could totally see how Trey could have loved the guy for almost thirteen years. The man was exquisite. He started when he noticed Ethan standing beside him.

“I wanted to thank you for getting Reagan away from that guy,” Ethan said. “I wasn’t sure how to get him to release her without causing her harm. I was too far away.”

Brian smiled. “No problem. I didn’t want to see her get hurt either. She means a lot to Trey.” His face twisted when he said his name.

“And he means a lot to you.”

Brian looked away. “Yeah. He always has.”

“And you told him otherwise, why?”

Brian scowled. “How do you know what I told him?”

“He told me. You could have let him down a little easier. Why did you have to hurt him so bad?”

“So he could move on. I should have done it years ago. Having someone like Trey in love with you is hard to give up, you know? He’s so…” Brian stared at the darkening sky overhead as he searched for the right word. “…passionate.”

“Yeah,” Ethan agreed. “So if you cared about him, why not try to make something of it?” Not that he wanted Brian to be with Trey. If Ethan had been in Brian’s position, he never could have pushed Trey away.

“Too complicated. And besides, I have Myrna now. She’s more than enough for me.” He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at Trey’s attempts to carry Reagan up the steep bus steps without dropping her or whacking her head on the door. “I just hope Reagan’s enough for him.”

“She’s not, but she knows that and she’s okay with it now.” Ethan wanted to shout it from the rooftops. You fucking fool. You gave Trey up and now he’s mine—ours—and worth every complication anyone can throw at us.

Brian shifted his gaze to Ethan’s. His expression was a mix of surprise and confusion. “What do you mean?”

Ethan smiled. “You’ll figure it out.” He slapped Brian on the back and followed his two lovers, his two loves, to the bedroom.

Reagan held onto Trey’s neck as he staggered up the bus steps. Maybe she should be upset about Pyre’s attempt to kidnap her and strangle her with a guitar string, but she was just so happy that it was over with, she felt like celebrating. And knowing that Trey and Ethan were in love with each other was another reason to celebrate. Trey carried her to the bedroom and dumped her on the bed. “I have a phone call to make,” he said.

“A phone call?” At a time like this?

“Yep.” He retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and searched for whatever number he needed in his encyclopedic list of contacts. “Hello, this is Trey Mills. I was supposed to call you today about some test results. Yeah, I’ll hold.”

Reagan grinned. She was willing to wait for him to make this phone call. Sex without condoms. Oh please, oh please, oh please.

“All right, good,” he said, giving her a thumbs-up. “And my two partners?” He chuckled. “Yes, two partners.” His smile broadened. “Great. Can you hold on for a second?” He covered the phone with his hand. “Do you want her to repeat the results for you, or do you believe me when I say it’s time to go all out raw?”

Reagan laughed and threw a pillow at him. “I believe you.”