Four Hard SWATs (5 page)

“Maybe,” Gray conceded, “but I bet I’m just as correct as you are.”

Sebastian actually threw a punch at Grayson, which the man deftly dodged.

“All right, that’s enough.” Niko took charge. Just like he always did. Like they expected him to. “I’m not sugar coating any of this.
Tawni
needs all of us. She’s
not
going to choose, it’s
not
going to tear our team apart. She needs us
all
.”

There was silence before Wyatt shifted in his seat. “Does she know this?”

“She’s got a good idea,” Sebastian muttered, his face flaming even more.

All eyes zeroed in on Sebastian. He just hunched his shoulders a little, looking miserable. Nicholas understood fully how the other man felt. Until this was settled, Nicholas wasn’t going to be comfortable, either.

“Look. We all know she’s been through hell tonight.” Niko deliberately drew attention back to him. “We’re not going to make this worse for her. Listen carefully, because this is how it’s going to be.”

Tawni’s
head hurt, but not as bad as she’d expected it to considering the wallop she’d taken. Surprisingly, her back didn’t feel bad at all. Whatever Sebastian had spread over it had been a fucking miracle.

Then everything else came crashing back. Sebastian. Nicholas. Instantly, her skin heated, sweat breaking out over her, her pussy clenching in need. The physical reaction was only part of it, though. Everything inside her screamed for her to seek them out and finish what they’d started.

And what of Wyatt and Grayson? It almost felt like a betrayal to have enjoyed herself so thoroughly with Niko and Bastian without the other two being there.

Insane. She was going insane. It had to be Dylan’s betrayal. On some level,
Tawni
knew she was trying to surround herself with big, strong men to protect her from men like Dylan. Which was insane. She could take care of herself. But she always seemed to seek out that kind of relationship, giving herself over to an uncaring Dom’s brutality. Maybe this was her subconscious telling her enough was
enough.
Bind herself to four strong men who absolutely wouldn’t let this happen again, and that problem would be solved.

“Feeling better?”

Sebastian.
Tawni
groaned. Facing any of them now might not be the best option, but Sebastian had touched her and, along with Niko, had made her come. There was no way she could even look at him now.

Gingerly sitting up, she nodded, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah. Not so bad.”

“Do you hurt anywhere?” Sebastian was at her side now, sitting on the bed, gently probing the knot on her head.

“My head aches a little, but nothing like yesterday. My back doesn’t hurt at all.” She glanced up at him before looking away again quickly. “Thanks.”

“You feel up to a little team meeting?”

Tawni
sighed heavily. “I suppose it’s better to get it over with. The sooner we do, the quicker it will be done.”

Sebastian only chuckled lightly, helping her to her feet. Sometime during the night they’d dressed her in someone’s huge T-shirt. She didn’t have on panties, but the shirt was long enough to hide everything. Damned thing almost came to her knees.

“It won’t hurt. I promise.”

“I need to dress first.”

“You’re fine. Just come with me and I promise not to let Grayson take a bite out of you.”

“Sebastian,” she sighed, tugging him to a halt when he would have urged her out of the room. “I don’t have on any underwear.”

He gave her a wicked, cocky grin. “Yeah. I know.”

Leading her into the spacious living room, Sebastian guided her to a seat on the plush sectional.
Tawni
was careful not to show when she sat, curling her legs under her and pulling the shirt over them. Grayson and Wyatt sat at opposite ends while Niko was in a large recliner. Of the three, Niko was the only one who seemed relaxed. Grayson sat on the edge of his seat, forearms resting on his knees while Wyatt jogged his leg and drummed his fingers on the armrest. Sebastian leaned back, his arm firmly around
Tawni
, but he rubbed his hand up and down her arm, either to soothe her or to get rid of nervous energy, she had no idea which.

“Just so we’re clear,” Niko said, looking at each of them in turn, “this is the way it’s going to work.” He pointed to Sebastian. “You are the moral support. The healer. Any time she needs emotional support, you deal with it. If it’s not an easy fix, you come to me.”

Tawni
blinked and would have said something, but Sebastian squeezed her closer to him, a silent gesture to keep quiet for now. “Understood, Top.”

“Grayson, you’re the lookout. Anyone comes looking for
Tawni
, you ferret him out and warn him off. She belongs to us. No one else.”

Grayson grunted, grinning from ear to ear with almost malicious glee. Obviously, he relished the idea of kicking someone’s ass. Most likely Dylan’s.

“You run into someone you can’t intimidate,” Niko continued, “go to Wyatt first. If the two of you can’t convince the bastard to leave, help him have an accident.”

Grayson and Wyatt looked at each other, nodding their assent. What the hell was Niko doing? Again,
Tawni
would have spoken, but Sebastian leaned down to whisper in her ear. “
Shhh
, love. Just let him finish.” Sebastian nuzzled her hair, placing a kiss on her temple.

“Wyatt, you’re the muscle. Her strength. She needs anything, you’re there for her. Do you understand?”

“My pleasure, Top.” Wyatt’s normally deep voice was even gruffer than usual. His eyes fixed on her, and
Tawni
shivered. But not from cold or fear. Wyatt was all intensity, but he was also the gentlest man
Tawni
knew. There was no way anyone could ever hurt her again. Not with Wyatt and Grayson on guard duty. She should have felt smothered. Should have been protesting with all her might. Instead, she sat there, wide-eyed, heart pounding, waiting for the rest of it.

“What about you, Top?” Sebastian asked the question
Tawni
was burning to know.

Nicholas grinned, a satisfied smirk forming on his face. “I get to be her Dom.”

***

Nicholas saw the exact moment
Tawni
realized his intent. Her eyes widened and she leaned forward just a little, her lips parting ever so slightly. Oh, yes. Little
Tawni
liked this idea.

“Just so we’re clear,” he continued, never taking his eyes from
Tawni’s
, “we’re not deciding which one of us gets to keep you, and we’re not making you choose. You get to keep us all.”

“I—”
Tawni
swallowed. “What if I don’t want
any
of you?”

Niko sat there a moment just looking at her. She swallowed nervously, unconsciously snuggling closer to Sebastian for protection. That small movement was really all he needed to know.

“Look me in the eye,
Tawni
,” Niko said quietly. “Tell me you don’t want any of us and we’ll walk out of here and pretend nothing ever happened. If you’re not comfortable with that, I’ll put in for your transfer to another SWAT. But you have to look me in the eye and say it.” When she didn’t, when she only buried her face in Sebastian’s shoulder, Niko sat back. “That’s what I thought.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to sit back and let you run my life, Nicholas,” she said, her voice slightly muffled. Though she had her face buried in Sebastian’s shirt, she inhaled deeply several times, her eyes closed, her hands clutching at him. Sebastian flashed Niko a cocky grin, obviously loving the attention.

“No one wants to run your life,
Tawni
,” Niko assured her. “Just to be here for you so this doesn’t happen again.”

“And to help you de-stress,” Sebastian added, rubbing his chin along the top of her head. “Because I swear on my life, I will never see you again in a position like you were in last night.”

A fine shiver shook
Tawni
. Niko could see the goose flesh erupt over her arms. She was excited.

Sebastian pulled
Tawni
into his lap. She didn’t protest at all.

“Can you give yourself to us,
Tawni
?” Sebastian nuzzled the side of her neck as he spoke. “I promise, you’ll never find a man who could—or would—protect you like the four of us will.”

“I can protect myself,” she replied.

“Yes,” Niko said quickly, “but you need someone to take control from time to time, and for some reason you picked a piss-poor man to do the job. So I’m taking over. Among the four of us, there will be at least one who can be whatever you need at any given time. If that means I paddle your ass - then I’ll do it
right.
Not take the skin off your back in the process.”

Tawni
looked around the room, giving each man a hard look. Whatever she saw must have satisfied her because she sighed, going limp in Sebastian’s arms. “Then do it,” she sighed. “Because I lost myself a long time ago. I need you to help me find what I’m supposed to be.”

That was all the cue Nicholas needed. He nodded to the others, indicating they could approach
Tawni
. “Only what she wants,” he murmured.

Wyatt stroked her hair away from her face, urging her head back to rest her neck over Sebastian’s strong arm. Gently, with great care, Wyatt grazed his lips over hers in the slightest caress. Nicholas watched, a massive weight seeming to lift from his chest. Funny—he’d never realized how tense he’d been for the past few months until seeing them all like this with
Tawni
. It was like a homecoming of sorts. Like this was what they’d all been needing since the day they were assigned together.

Grayson was at
Tawni’s
feet, skimming a hand up her ankle to her calf. He seemed fascinated with the dark, smooth skin in his grasp, seeming to concentrate on every move of his hand up her leg. Taking her foot in his hand, Gray closed his eyes, kissing the delicate arch.
Tawni
gasped, jerking a little, but didn’t take her foot from his grasp.

That seemed to be Gray’s cue to continue. Niko watched in fascination as
Tawni’s
bright pink toenail disappeared into Gray’s mouth. First the big toe, then the others. All the while, one hand held her foot securely while the other caressed her calf.
Tawni’s
restless movements hiked her shirt over her hip, the smooth skin proudly displayed due to her lack of underwear.

Barely stifling a groan, Niko balled his hands into fists.
Tawni
rested in Sebastian’s arms and kissed Wyatt with such sweet passion while Grayson sucked on her little toes. They were so very close to everything they needed. But Niko knew they couldn’t fully claim her. Not tonight. All he had to do was look at the bruising marring the skin of her lovely face to realize that.
Tawni
needed another couple of days to rest and recover. He wanted no aches left in her body when they took her so that, once that first night was over and
Tawni
was left deliciously sore, there would be no doubt where each ache came from. He wanted the experiences of the last twenty-four hours separated completely from their loving.

But they would show her what she’d be getting. Oh, yes. She’d leave here satisfied even if they didn’t. The way Niko saw it, any discomfort they experienced was worth it to have her heart completely in the end.

“We’re not going to take you completely tonight,
Tawni
,” he said, earning several growls from the others, but no one stopped touching and pleasuring
Tawni
. “You need a couple of days to heal. But we’re going to give you a taste of what’s to come. We’re going to prove to you that you’ll never leave our arms unsatisfied. You’ll be complete in every single way.”

Sebastian’s hand stroked over
Tawni’s
neck, soothing her when tension seemed to spike through her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll get plenty of pleasure today. We’ll never leave you wanting. Ever.”