Bound In Secrets

Protective Father

I nod at JT. While he cooks, I get the coffee pot started.

Storm and Jensen sit around the table while Carter sets out plates and silverware. I could spend a lifetime of mornings just like this with my boys, caring for me and each other.

I set out coffee mugs and pour them. When I return to sit down, Jensen pulls me into his lap.

"I just need to hold you for a minute," Jen tells me when I stiffen.

I do my best to relax, snuggling into him. I nuzzle his neck, inhaling the smell of burning cedarwood. I love how Jensen smells like a fire burning in a chimney.

He rests his chin on top of my shoulder. I feel his tightly strung body relax with a long exhale of relief.

My stomach rumbles when the smell of bacon comes wafting up to my nose from Carter setting a gigantic pile on the table. Jensen's body vibrates with a chuckle.

I sit up, looking into his eyes. "Do you feel better now? If so, I'm starving and want to devour the food my favorite guy cooked me this morning."

I wink at JT, who laughs.

"I swear your favorite guy changes multiple times daily, Doll Face. I'm not complaining, though," JT says with a spatula in his hand, finishing up the scrambled eggs.

"Jen," Storm commands. "Go holler at Nate that food is ready."

I stand up to sit between Jen and Storm while Jen grumbles something about Storm being a lazy asshole as he walks toward the garage door.

Storm pulls his shirt over his head with one hand, wadding it up and chunking it. He hits Jensen right on the back of the head. Storm shouts, "I heard that dick-weed!"

I can't help it. I bust out laughing.

Jen turns, shrugging his shoulders. He snarks back, "I'm not wrong, and you know it, house cat!"

Storm chuckles in reply.

I'm about to fall out of my chair, clutching my stomach. I can't breathe.

Storm is far from a domestic house cat. He is more the animal who would bite the hand that feeds him like a bobcat, ocelot, or something.

I take a while to collect myself, and when I do, I wipe the tears from my eyes to notice I am being stared at by all the men in my life I love.

"Good to see you laugh like that, honey," my father says, sitting across from me between Carter and JT.

It's just a simple little round table, but we make do. I'm simply happy it's large enough to fit eight people squeezed in around it, which means the six of us have elbow room.

"Now we need to talk about how to keep you, boys, from going to jail. Tell me everything that happened," my father demands.

My father's eyes go to me. "I'm sorry, honey, but I need you to start. Tell us every detail. I know it will be difficult, but we must understand why those boys had to die. Take your time."

My father's eyes are sharp, taking in every detail. My father is an excellent bookie for a reason. "First, we all need to eat, then we talk. No one leaves this table until I know everything that happened last night."

I swallow around the lump in my throat. We all eat our food silently since there is no sense in wasting JT's delicious food. When we are done, I talk with Storm's and Jensen's hands slipping into mine. As the recount of my sexual assault progresses, I feel their hands tighten around mine. All the men I love have their jaws clenched and probably fists, too. All my guys, including my father, have murder in their eyes by the time I'm done.

Storm tells my father all about them hunting those boys down and beating them to death. Storm even cut their throats for good measure. I knew Storm had so much anger inside of him to make him unbelievably dangerous, but I never imagined my boys ever killing someone.

The horrible thing is another kid saw everything. He may have filmed it, for all my boys know.

My father curses. "This is unwelcomed news, boys. Even if I have the kid hunted down, there is no telling who he has told by now. There might be nothing I can do to help. However, even if the kid squeals, he will die by sundown." Blood lust is in my father's brown eyes, but I don't blame him, not after he just heard about his daughter's sexual assault.

I can tell he is an immensely proud parent of my boys. They did exactly what he would have done. "I burned your clothes and bleached the knife," he informs them.

Storm nods at my father. "Thank you, sir."

Storm's eyes swing to me. "Keep the knife on you from now on. I'll leave it with you to remember to gut the next boy or man who tries to touch you without your permission. Your body is your own." Tears prick my eyes at Storm's words. This feels like he is telling me goodbye.

"You boys should head home to your families, not the dorms, and spend some time with them. Sawyer can be with Carmen. She called me this morning worried sick about you and Jen," my father tells me. He is right. I should tell Carmen everything. "In the meantime, I'll do what I can to keep you boys out of prison, but I make no guarantees."

Storm replies for the boys again. "We appreciate it, sir. More than you know."

My father nods. "Storm, l want to speak to you privately before you leave while Sawyer prepares for the day. Storm nods at my father, and then they exit, heading out to the garage.

Carter smiles at me. "Go get sexy, Eurydice, while we clean up." He gives me a charismatic wink. I shake my head at him but go to my room.