Katie shook her head slowly.
“Okay, but there are women who’d accept you guys,” she said slowly. “Especially with all the money you have.”
That made me snort.
“The last thing this is about is money,” I ground out. “And that’s why we love you honey. Because it’s never been about money for you. You’re not getting money for any of this, for being a fake fiancée, for pretending to have a baby. And you know what? You’ve never asked for it either.”
“So what you’re saying,” Katie repeated slowly, “Is that because I’ve never asked to be paid, you want me?” she said. “That because I’m not about the material things in life, you want me?”
I shook my head frustrated.
“That and about a million other reasons,” I ground out. “You’re the one for us baby girl. You’re sweet, funny, sassy, and able to entertain two men. You’ve gone along with this crazy fake engagement from the get-go because you knew we needed help. Mason and I were in a jam, and you came to the rescue.”
“I could have called the police,” said Katie softly. “I could have called the FBI or even Family Services, there were lots of options.”
“But you didn’t,” interjected Mason roughly. “You didn’t. You stayed and helped us, and for that, we love you. We love the fact that you’re generous and giving, able to tolerate our shit. And honey? You’re the only woman who’s ever been able to handle us. All the others,” he shook his head, “They were the fakes. They were the pretenders, not you.”
Katie bit her lip a bit, that pink pout so delicious. I hoped against hope that she’d accept it, that she’d come with us because the truth was that we couldn’t bear to lose her. Our brunette was so gorgeous, luscious and appetizing, a perfect foil for our personalities. While Mace and I were assholes, the female was inherently decent. While we were commanding and domineering, she was generous and kind, helping out two alphas when she didn’t have to.
Because Katie could have left. The stuff with the chains, the handcuffs, the threats of a beating, they were never going to hold up. We’d kidnapped a girl out of desperation, siccing everything we had on the cause.
But Katie saw through it all. She saw two men who’d been desperate to keep our company afloat, she’d seen two men who’d go to any lengths to protect their enterprise, even following the terms of a crazy will. And she’d helped. The brunette could have turned her back, could have gone running off to the police, screaming her head off, could have saved herself. But instead, she’d taken pity on us, understanding our motivations even better than we did ourselves, and for that, we loved her. She was our id, ego, and super-ego all rolled into one, our conscience when we had none.
So the ring on her finger was right. It signified our commitment, the two diamonds representing what we hoped for the future. Because Mason was dark, I was light, and Katie was the band that held us together. It was a circle of trust, a circle of understanding, of tolerance, and yes, there’d be more problems in the future, no relationship is perfect.
But for now, we were okay. We were better than okay. We were together once again, and this time, it was different. This time, there was no pretense of force or blackmail. This time, we loved her, and the little girl had to say yes.
So I pressed once more, desperate, my voice raspy.
“Will you, Katie?” I rumbled, taking a small hand in mine. Immediately, Mason took her other hand, forming a triangle, the three of us locked in love.
“Will you baby girl?” my male lover ground out, looking deep into her eyes.
The pause was unbearable, silence ringing in my ears. My heart started pounding like a drum, uncertainty coursing through my veins as a cold sweat broke on my brow. But then a sweet smile curved those lips, those big eyes limpid and sweet, and she murmured.
“Yes, Mason. Yes, Derek. Yes, let’s see where this relationship goes.”
My lover and I descended on her immediately, pressing deep, needy kisses onto her mouth, our hunger unable to be contained. But inside, my soul sang with joy, with release and freedom. Because finally, we were out in the open. We were going to make this thing legit, put a stamp of approval on it. Fake engagement or not, Katie was ours to keep.
So yeah, we’re a threesome. A dirty one for sure, two guys and a girl loving each other, sampling one another’s bodies, springing from unbelievable circumstances and forged in fire. But we’re also three people who adore one another, who’ve walked the hard road, all the way from pretend fiancée to a gun pointed at our faces. And you know what? It’s only made our bond stronger. It’s only made us more determined, more devoted, more responsive to one another’s needs and wants. There’s still stuff to work out, sure, like the role of Auntie Mae and that blasted will. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and with this girl in our arms, success is guaranteed.