Duke: Chapter 40

From the front seat, Bear grits out, “They just picked up Hunter.” Apparently, not all cops are on the OGs’ payroll. We’d been more than happy to tip them off as to his whereabouts and were prepared to head over to the Mikaelson residence to make sure they picked him up, but Kingston said we should go home—that it’d been a hard enough night. He assured us he’d see to it that Hunter didn’t get away. Said he wanted to see the look on his face when he realized he was caught. I don’t blame him one fucking bit. I’m still wrapping my mind around it.

I glance at Bear in the rearview mirror. It must suck for him to know that his father is truly a monster, just like the rest of them.

Lennon exhales hard. “That makes me breathe easier. And was very fucking nice of them. I feel a little bad that we took off while Archer finished handing off all the video and audio coverage to the police.”

My gaze drifts to Mason’s profile as he murmurs, “I doubt they’d want us to feel bad about it. It was a rough fucking night for us. Kingston, too.”

I can’t concentrate enough to speak. There’s been a gaping chasm in my chest since the moment Derek admitted they’d killed Juliette, a painful twisting in my heart that hasn’t let up. I’m nervous to learn the specifics of what happened, but I wonder if I’ll ever know. I doubt it will make me feel any differently than I do now. It might be worse.

Talk about wrong. For years, I thought there was something so wrong in my girlfriend’s world that she couldn’t tell me. That she’d rather choose to leave me like that than go on living. So, to find out it was never true? It’s bittersweet.

They took her from us. We don’t know what her last minutes were like. If she was scared. If it hurt, or if she was unaware. It’s like losing her a second time. It must have Kingston all torn up, too.

“Duke. You okay?” Mason’s soft whisper curls itself around me like a warm hug.

I lift my gaze from my hands in my lap to find we’re in the driveway at home. I blink. Bear, Lennon, and Mason watch me carefully from the open SUV door. “I’m fine.” I slide off the seat and out of the SUV. I sidestep them and start for the house.

Lennon hooks my elbow with her hand. “Duke, please don’t shut us out.”

I stop. “I’m—” I blink hard, looking upward toward the twinkling stars and bracing my hands on my hips. “I’m really fucking sad.” I stop to wet my lips. “But also relieved a little bit. I dunno. I feel fuckin’ weird.”

Bear’s hand lands on the curve of my shoulder, gripping me tightly. “I bet you don’t really know how to feel at all.”

Mase gets close, his eyes searching mine. “And that’s okay. You’ve had ups and downs since you lost Juliette. We’ve got you. You’ve got three of us now.”

I let out a deep sigh. “You’re right. And thank you. We’ll get through this—all of this—together.”

“It’s a freaky feeling to be on the other side of it. To have confirmation.” Lennon bites her lip as she slips her arm around my back. I feel immediate relief with her tucked against me. Safe.

I’m an ass. And definitely not the only one affected here. “We have that confirmation because of you, Lennon. You were such a brave badass in there.” I pull her close to my side as we begin walking.

Bear grunts. “Scared the shit out of us.”

“Some of the venom you spewed had me choking on my own spit. You weren’t holding anything back.” Mason gives her a terrified side eye. “I don’t know why it surprises me, though. You’re good under pressure. You’ve got a cool head. Hell, maybe they should have been putting you in the ring to fight instead. Because you kicked some serious ass tonight.”

When I look down at her face, her nose is crinkling as she shrugs. “I did what I had to do. We needed each of them to admit to what they’ve done in that awful place. I wasn’t going to stop pushing until I had it.”

Mason loops his arm around her on the other side as we continue up the porch steps, making sure he’s got a hand on my back. “If they hadn’t been such disgusting pricks, they could have tried to get away with it.” He swallows hard. “This could have gone so wrong.”

“But it didn’t.” I shake my head as I release Lennon and let her enter the house before me with Bear. I catch Mason’s chin with my fingers, then steal a kiss from him, locking our lips together. After a few seconds, I whisper against his lips, “It didn’t, baby. We’re all okay.”

Mason stares into my eyes and finally nods. “You’re right. And thank fuck it’s over.” The look of utter relief on his face.

To not ever have to lay his mother’s death at his own feet ever again, to never have to wonder. I have a feeling Mason will be doing a lot of healing in the days and weeks ahead.

“Come on, let’s join them upstairs.” I lace my fingers with Mason’s, and we take the steps side by side, not stopping until we’re in Bear’s room where he and Lennon are sitting on the bed.

“When is it that this became room instead of your room?” I smirk at Bear, and he shrugs easily.

“Since Lennon Bell walked into our lives and made us all crazy for her.” He nuzzles his face against the soft skin of her neck.

She smiles big as we join them on the bed. We have her stripped in no time flat, and Bear yanks her down to the edge of the bed, where he promptly buries his face in her pussy, lapping at her like he’s a starving man. Her eyes roll back, and she drags in one stuttered breath after another. It only gets worse when Mase and I each take a taut, pleading nipple into our mouths. Before long, our girl is writhing on the bed, chasing an orgasm that she totally deserves after everything tonight.

Mase and I come up for air, still pinching and squeezing at her nipples. Lennon’s eyes make contact with mine. “Kiss him. I wanna watch.” She moans, her body thrashing on the bed, hips bucking against Bear’s face. His fiery eyes roam over her. He’ll give her anything she wants.

And so will I. Over her chest, I grasp Mase’s nape and tug him closer. I lead first with my lips, then with my tongue. His kiss is all-consuming, and my ears buzz as we get lost in it.

“Fuck, yes.” Lennon’s throaty cry has us breaking apart, satisfied smirks on both faces.

Bear rips his joggers down over his ass, his dick springing free. He teases Lennon for only a second before gripping the back of her thighs in each hand and thrusting that monster cock of his inside her. Her back bows off the bed as he pumps his dick into her hot, wet pussy.

She tugs on the waistband of my pants. “Lose these. Now. Both of you.”

And within seconds, she has Mase and me both by the cock and is stroking us so fucking good, the noise level in the room rises. She steadily works us, even as Bear makes her bounce and jiggle while keeping up a pace that has her gasping and groaning aloud.

Mason grabs me this time, diving in for a kiss as we’re steepled above her. My head spins as electricity zaps through me. We pull apart, panting, to look down at Lennon, who is grinning like she’s never witnessed or felt anything better in her entire life.

My eyes hungrily take in the entire scene. Naked bodies crashing together. Desperate moans and blissed-out faces. It’s all so fucking perfect. It’s intense. It’s hot. It’s totally fucking us.

Lennon is coming apart, but she continues to stroke her hands up and down our dicks. Bear’s hands slide down her legs, gripping her at the juncture of her thighs, his thumbs brushing along her opening where his dick is now slowly pistoning in and out.

“Please, please, please. Make me come.”

I wet two fingers in my mouth, and despite the fact that Bear’s cock is right there, I find her clit and rub it for her.

“Oh god. Oh yes. Mase, you too. I want all your hands on my pussy.”

Mason’s brow shoots up, but he lays a hand over mine, alternating his fingers with mine.

And after a few sweet circles of her clit, our girl detonates. “Oh, fucking fuck. Yes!”

Mason groans across from me, painting Lennon’s chest with his cum. I immediately follow, my hot release spurting from me. The visual is dizzying, especially when Bear grunts, then pulls out and comes all over her pussy and stomach.

We remain still, breaths heaving from our chests.

“That was fuckin’ hot,” Bear finally manages as Mason and I shift back to seated positions, dealing with our legs that are still entangled in our pants. Bear helps Lennon sit up. “Time for a shower, pretty girl.”

She gives him a smirk. “Yes, Daddy.” Then as she strides toward the bathroom, she throws a devilishly sweet look over her shoulder. “I want all of you in here. You made the mess, you clean me up.”

I chuckle. “You heard her, boys.” I smack Mason’s ass as we follow her, and he turns around, gripping my chin. “Watch it, or you’ll need cleaning up, too.”

“Gonna make you moan, D.” Mason winks at me.

Bear chuckles. “I don’t know how the fuck this is my life right now, but I’m fuckin’ glad it is.”