Duke: Dark College Bully Romance (Bastards of Bainbridge Hall Book 3)
Duke: Chapter 27

Once the guys go by with Quincy and Arik, I must stand inside Mason’s room for several minutes with my forehead resting against the door. I pay attention to each breath in and out, doing everything I can to replace my center, and tell myself everything is going to be okay.

I know that whatever my guys do with Quincy and Arik will be justified. Am I surprised that it’s probably the two of them who have been messing with me this entire time? Fuck no. I roll my eyes. The one thing they’ve proven is that they’re good at following Tristan’s instructions. Carefully unclenching my hands, which have been fisted since they walked past me with those assholes, I finally turn and head for the bathroom. There’s no way of knowing how long they’ll be, so I may as well get a head start on cleaning up.

I turn on Mason’s shower and wait while it warms, then peel off the shirt I’d borrowed and step inside. Letting the water stream over me, I consider every last thing that Quincy and Arik heard or saw before they came out of hiding. The guys had each had me … and Duke and Mason, each other.

I exhale harshly, my face flaming. Slowly, I shake my head. There’s nothing wrong with anything we did. We’re consenting adults. And if anyone has anything to say about it, well, fuck them. Grabbing Mason’s bodywash off the little shelf, I squirt some into my palm and begin to rub it over my skin.

The lather smells like Mason, and a flash of him bending me over the balcony runs through my mind. I push the thoughts of today’s shit show out of my head, instead thinking about how good I’d felt just a short time ago. I won’t let Quincy or Arik—or anyone else—take that from me.

My hands roam over my body, cleansing my skin, until my fingers drift between my legs to where cum has steadily been leaking out of me. My cheeks pink as my fingertips encounter the slickness there, and a shuddering breath sneaks its way past my lips.

I never knew I could replace such happiness—that I’d need all three of them so damn much. I finish cleaning up and have just wrapped a towel around me when I hear the latch on the bedroom door click as it opens. Clutching the towel with both hands, I creep toward the door, my feet leaving wet footprints behind me.

“Lennon?” Bear’s deep voice fills me with a sense of relief.

“In here.”

He pokes his head into the bathroom, then, seeing I’m standing here, the corners of his mouth lift.

“Where are Mason and Duke?”

“Still with Quincy and Arik.” He cups my shoulders in his palms. “But I don’t want you to worry about any of that right now. I promised you a bath, and I still think a long soak would do you good.”

I won’t turn down a bath. I’d loved every second of it, but my body is already feeling the effects of having two dicks inside me at once, followed up by Bear’s monster cock. “Yeah, okay.” Looking up at him from under my lashes, I give a little shrug, trying not to let on that I’m definitely feeling some discomfort.

One of his brows arches high on his forehead before he bends at the waist, touching a few fingers to my chin. “Lennon, be honest. Are you hurting?”

I exhale, looking down at the floor. I wet my lips, then look up, replaceing his concerned gaze steady on me. “Maybe a little.”

His dark brow shifts even higher, and I squirm under his appraisal. Bear’s head bobs before he releases me and steps over to the big tub and sits down on the tile surrounding it. “Okay. So more than a little.” He knows me too damn well. I can’t hide from him. Not that I really feel the need to. He leans over the edge and pushes the stopper down, then turns on the water, adjusting the hot and cold knobs until he gets the temperature right.

Holding out a hand, he tugs me toward him, and seats me gently on his lap. “You relax as long as you want. I’m going to go take a quick shower. I have a feeling Duke and Mason will do the same.”

“But wait. Will you guys come in here when you’re done? I feel like there’s an insane number of things we need to talk about.” My forehead wrinkles, and I chew on my lip. Quincy and Arik peeping on us. The flyers of me all over campus—and the cops. Mason’s library research. And, last but not least, the results of Bear’s visit to the doctor.

“I can let them know, yeah. You’re right, we’ve had a lot thrown at us today.” He sighs. “And I don’t know where we start.”

“Me neither. I keep running through it in my head. But hopefully with all four of us talking, we can figure things out.” I wrinkle my nose. “Or at least be able to support each other better.”

“That’s what this thing we’re doing is all about, right? Caring for the ones we love?” And as I nod and look deep into his hazel eyes, I know Bear means every damn word he says.

Ten minutes later, I’m still feeling a little gooey from how Bear described our four-way relationship when the three of them poke their heads in, fresh from showering. Bear immediately joins me, sitting down on the edge, and pulls the drain. He lets some of the water out, then runs some more. I release a little moan as the warmth flows over me again as the tub refills.

Mason squats down next to me, resting his elbows on the tiles, while Duke leans against the wall. They’re both eyeing me warily, which tells me Bear told them why I’m in the tub. Mason reaches over and rubs a hand over my upper back. “How’re you feeling, Kin?”

“Guys, I’m fine. I don’t think I’m feeling anything abnormal, considering.” My eyes flick to each one of them. “We will definitely be doing that again, so put it out of your head that you’ve somehow damaged me with your dicks.” Laughter bursts from both Duke and Mason, and Bear just shakes his head, a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. I hold up my hands, shrugging, then lightly smack them on the surface of the water before I wrap my arms around my legs. “So, Mason”—I turn my head to look at him—“have you told them what you’ve been up to?”

He huffs out a laugh. “No, actually. Just haven’t had time.” He glances from Bear to Duke before he spills. “I’ve been trying to figure out the players that had a part in how my dad ended up in prison. Really looking at it, because obviously, there’s stuff going on that we’re not fucking seeing. I figured it was best to be armed with some knowledge, and if I happened to replace something useful—or damning—then great.”

Duke shakes his head. “The problem is we’ve shown them nothing but obedience. I think it’s far past time we start making our own moves instead of being their goddamn pawns. It’s our turn to clap back. They’ve got some shit they’re cooking up where your dad is concerned, and I don’t wanna be blindsided.”

I exhale from between pursed lips. I really hope the librarian comes through for me because it’s bad enough that I asked her for help behind Mase’s back while he was in the bathroom. I only have the best of intentions, so hopefully it won’t backfire on me. I don’t know if this lady can do what she says she can, but I’m not saying a damn word unless she comes up with something. There’s gotta be a link. Something we’re not seeing.

Bear’s mood has shifted as Duke’s been talking. “Duke, I fuckin’ agree, but I don’t know if we can control what they’re able to get done or how. Sure would be nice to understand their motives. Everything is all tangled up in my head. Saying that that Elliot girl from Hawthorne Hall had something to do with getting Murdock out of prison was just bizarre and totally out of left field. And then, they’ve obviously been using Quincy and Arik to fuck with Lennon. But why? They must have a reason.”

Duke raises a hand to get our attention, then rubs it over his jaw. “About the visit from the detective. I’d say that woman is on my father’s payroll from the way she treated Mason. I’m more concerned, though, that one of the brothers might’ve said something untrue or derogatory about Lennon that would create more problems than we already have.”

Shaking his head, Bear shrugs. “We can’t do a whole lot about that. I’d fucking wager that sending the cops here was a damn scare tactic.” He scrubs his big hand over his scalp, and it’s apparent he’s mulling things over. “But at least now we know where the leak in the house is … though what the fuck Quincy and Arik were doing in your room, Mason, I have no idea.” He catches my eye. “They’ve admitted to being behind almost all the shit that’s happened to you, Lennon. The only thing they denied was what happened at the auction. And we do know they were tasked with getting Elliot on stage, so that sort of tracks. Not to mention, I can’t imagine those two bungling idiots drugging you.”

Mason shakes his head. “Yeah, I don’t see that either. They also claim they did not steal the photos, but they were the ones who put them all over campus. And beyond that … the pantry, the dress in the closet, the bathroom on campus, and even the fucking locker incident. They did all of it.”

I suck in a breath, tightening my arms around my legs and resting my chin on my knees. “But they didn’t come up with all that on their own. That was all your OG Bastard fathers. I doubt Quincy or Arik even know why they were tasked with fucking with me, but I’m sure it was no hardship for them. They haven’t liked me from day one. Probably got their rocks off while messing with me.”

Duke groans. “They claim they were told it was part of their initiation. I don’t know what to do with them to be honest. They fucking hurt you, physically, but also—”

“It’s been nothing less than psychological warfare.” Bear’s expression is grim as he shakes his head, reaching out and tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I give him a sad smile, because I don’t disagree. They’ve been fucking with my head for weeks now. “No matter whether they were under orders from the OG Bastards or not, I don’t feel very fucking sorry for anything that’s coming their way.” I just don’t. “Where are they?”

Mason lets out a snort with a roll of his eyes, rubbing his hand over my back again. “Don’t worry about them. We tied them up in the attic. And I think the plan is to leave them there for a bit. Make them sweat while we figure out what we want to do. Confiscated their phones, too. They can scream all fucking night for all I care. No one will hear them.”

Pushing away from the wall, Duke kneels next to the tub. “Look at me, Lennon.” I blink at the seriousness of his tone, but obey, lifting my chin from my knees. He guides my face to his with a few careful fingers at my jaw, and my eyes lock with his. “They thought explaining that they were working for our fathers would earn them some sort of goodwill. That we’d somehow be on their side. Their mistake was thinking that our fathers are more important to us or that our allegiance to them is greater than it is to you, Lennon.”

“And they’d be fuckin’ wrong,” Bear rasps, reaching out to touch my leg.

Their words, their touch, their love. These men are all I need. My eyes fill with emotion that I refuse to let loose no matter how overwhelmed I am. Because I have to be strong to combat the creeping sense of dread that tickles at the base of my spine. Shoving the nervous energy down, I focus on Bear, my voice nothing more than a whisper. “Please tell me the doctor gave you good news today.”

Bear takes a deep breath and nods. “He did. I’m going to be okay he thinks, but he says to let the shoulder rest, then he wants to see me again. He prescribed me a medication that is helping some with pain management.” His eyes flick to each of us in turn. “But don’t worry, it’s not something I’m going to get hooked on.” He lets out a sigh that makes me want to climb out of the tub and into his arms to comfort him. This isn’t an easy thing he’s doing. He grips the back of his neck with one hand, tugging on it as he continues. “Coach Cambridge and Doc Middendorf already made the decision that I need time to recover from the hellacious stomach bug I told them I had. They want me back at practice this coming week, but I will probably have to suck it up and tell them I’ve got an injury when I return.”

Mason gestures to Bear’s arm. “There’s no sense in pushing it and no way to rest it if they send you into the weight room or back onto the field.”

“Yeah, I know. So as much as I fuckin’ hate it, I have to force myself to take some more time off. My old man’s going to shit himself when I miss more than one game, but if I want to be playing at top performance, I need to give the shoulder time to rest.”

The dejected look on his face is such a shame, but I’m glad he’s prioritizing his health and well-being for once … except for one notable exception. “I’m proud of you for admitting you need to do that. But”—I grit my teeth, hardly wanting to bring it up—“what about fight night?”

Bear runs his hands down his face. “Great fucking question.”

A worried look crosses Mason’s face, Duke doesn’t seem as bothered. He works his jaw to the side. “Leave it to me. I might have the perfect solution.”