Claimed by Shadows (The Shadowmen #2)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“ULTRAVIOLET” BY FREYA RIDINGS

IRIS

M y breath catches as I pause in the doorway of the garden room, spotting not one Shadow but two.

“Ro!” I gasp, rushing over to him and throwing my arms around his neck, tension I didn’t know I was carrying releasing from my muscles. It’s been a few days since I saw him last, but it felt like a fucking lifetime.

“Hey, Princess,” Roman replies, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in the crook of my neck, breathing deeply. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too, Ro,” I whisper back, taking a deep inhale of his lavender, peppermint, and lemon scent, drawing it deep into my lungs. “How’s Lilly?”

He stiffens, and my brows furrow as I pull back slightly so I can look at his face. Then he sighs. “She’s okay. There was an incident with her uncle the other night, but she spoke to Ash and we’ve been keeping watch over her twenty-four seven.”

I swallow hard, reading between his words, my heartbeat thrashing inside my chest. “What kind of incident, Ro?”

Pain enters his eyes, moisture stinging mine as his eyebrows dip. “She woke up with him in bed with her.” My heart falters, shock parting my lips. “Nothing happened, and she broke the fucker’s nose, but she was pretty shook.”

“Oh, poor thing,” I croak, knowing the terror she must have felt firsthand. I push down those nightmares though, not wanting them to taint this moment. “I’m glad you guys are there for her. That must be reassuring.”

“We’re getting her out this evening,” Hunt announces, coming over and pressing up against my back, which stiffens at his words. “The Knights are making their move, and we will detain the uncle while they get Lilly. It’s low-risk, Peaches, three against one, which will then be eight against one. We’ll be fine.”

I let out an exhale, pulling his arms around me. “I’m glad she’s finally going to be getting out of that situation, and I’m so proud of you guys for being the ones to help her. I’ll still worry, but I’m grateful it’s you.”

Hunt presses a kiss to my temple, Roman matching him on the other side as we stand there, breathing each other in for a few moments. Inhaling for some courage to help bolster my confidence for what I’m about to do, I straighten up.

“I want to take you somewhere more…private,” I say, Roman’s lips twitching and Hunt pulling away enough that I can step out from between them. I immediately miss their warmth, but my plan will see me between them again soon enough.

Taking Hunt and Ro’s hands in mine, I lead us out of the door to one of the private visitor rooms. Ideally, I’d prefer to take the guys to my room, but we’re not allowed any visitors upstairs. The day of my settling in was an exception. The room we enter is lovely though, with French doors leading outside into the sunshine, the garden a riot of colour beyond the glass and transparent thin cotton curtains. There are refreshments; fresh juice, delicious pastries, and baked goods. Plenty of seating options are available, including a daybed full of soft cushions, which is where I head to.

Butterflies swirl in my stomach, the skin of my hands sensitive to their every touch as I sit down, Hunter on one side and Roman on the other.

“What’s up, Peaches?” Hunter asks once we’re seated, his hand coming up to cup my cheek in such a tender gesture that the back of my eyes sting a little. I look into his sparkling green eyes, concern shining bright in them, his brows wrinkled.

“I want to try something with you. Both of you,” I say, my voice barely a whisper. “If–if that’s okay?”

“Sure. We’re here for whatever you need, darling,” he tells me, his thumb stroking my cheek like the soft caress of the warm spring sun after a harsh winter. I can’t help nuzzling into the touch, absorbing the warmth, letting it give me strength.

My gaze traces the planes of his beautiful face, taking in every detail as if for the first time. I’m focusing on the differences between him and Sergi, letting my brain really absorb them. Where Sergi is clean-shaven, Hunter has dark scruff covering his jaw. Not quite a beard, but certainly not smooth. His nose is straight, almost like some kind of Roman statue. Sergi’s was a little thicker. Hunt’s lips are full and plush, made for kisses. Sergi’s were thin and always in a scowl or sneer.

Slowly, I close the distance between us, inhaling Hunt’s rosemary and mint smell, letting it calm the racing of my heart and the riot of butterflies that are now fluttering in my stomach. I keep my eyes open as I place my lips against his. Even if I’m too close to really focus on much, I need to see that it’s him. Neither of us are breathing as our lips touch, and it’s hardly even a caress, but electricity still shoots through me at the light contact.

Without thought, my tongue darts out, licking his lips, and he groans, low and deep, his hand clenching mine in a tight grip that is also helping to anchor me in this moment. His fingers twitch against my cheek, but he doesn’t tighten them or use his grip to pull me closer. Instead, he lets me take complete control, something he’s never given me before, and it makes my head spin.

His lips part slightly, and finally, having the confidence to close my eyes, I firmly press mine against them. It’s like this is our first kiss, like coming home and knowing that once the door is locked, nothing can get to you. I can feel every place our lips touch, my nerves on fire from the simple contact, my breathing practically nonexistent. Releasing Ro’s hand, I bring my palm up and tangle my fingers in Hunt’s hair, bringing him closer to me as my tongue enters his mouth, licking inside it as a small whimper sounds in my throat.

Heat flares hot and bright in my core, and I could cry with relief at the fact that I’m not fully broken. That I can still experience this pleasure with the men I love. Hunt’s tongue dances with mine, each stroke building the fire inside me until I feel like I might burn from the inside out.

I pull back with a gasp, just enough to look into Hunt’s hooded eyes and blown pupils.

“Ro?” I breathe out, my voice husky but sure, my eyes still locked with Hunt’s.

“Yes, Princess?” Ro responds from behind me, his voice so deep it sends shivers across my skin, lighting me up as if he just touched me all over. His warmth is solid at my back, not quite touching, but I can feel him like a roaring fire behind me.

“Will you unzip my hoodie, please?” I ask, my heart hammering inside my chest like a bird smashing against her cage. It’s one of his hoodies, a deep sky blue with a graffiti pattern that still smells like him. Hunt has been making sure to replenish my stock of all their clothes so that I have them with me even if it’s not in person.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Ro says, his hands coming to the front of me while I keep holding Hunt’s hand and his face.

The sound of the zipper is like gunfire in the quiet of dawn, and Hunt’s eyes dip downward, watching the material part with unwavering attention. His chest is still, mine is too, neither of us breathing as Roman exposes me to the warm air of the room.

“Fuck, Peaches,” he shudders out, his warm breath brushing against my face once Roman is finished. I wore one of my lace bralettes, a bright turquoise colour and something Sergi never would have chosen for me. It’s the first step to reclaiming myself back from him. “You are so fucking beautiful it blows my damn mind.”

A flush creeps over my skin, heating me up even further.

“He never gave me any pleasure, never let me feel anything other than pain,” I confess in a barely there whisper. Hunt’s head snaps up, Roman going still behind me. “Nik used to come in afterwards and help me forget, but—” My breath hitches and I have to close my eyes, breathing in slowly, then exhaling. “I could still feel him. His touch has branded me, inside and out.”

Tears sting my eyes, making Hunt waver in my vision.

“How can we help, baby?” Ro asks, his hands resting lightly on my hips.

I swallow, licking my lips. “I need to show my mind, convince my body that touch doesn’t equal pain. That I’m no longer in that mansion.” I hold Hunt’s gaze, my body trembling with a mix of terror and excitement. Terror that what I’m about to do will set me back, excitement that maybe I’ll be able to overcome what was done to me. “I’d like you to hold me, Ro, while Hunt gives me pleasure with his fingers. Sergi never did that, used his fingers I mean, so I think that’s a good place to start?”