Losers: Part II (Losers, #2)

by Harley Laroux

shoulder with a dramatic groan. “I think I’ll die if I’m not caffeinated soon.” We all needed our hit of caffeine. Lucas would get grumpy without it and the last thing any of us wanted was to be trapped in a vehicle with him in a bad mood. Once we had our espresso, we got straight onto the highway. We turned the stereo up and kept the windows down, and it wasn’t long before I couldn’t stand to have Jess sitting right beside me without touching her, kissing her, enjoying her. Locking my arm around her waist, I shot Lucas a grin as I dragged her onto my lap so she was straddling me, facing toward me. Lucas groaned, “Come on, man, is this why you wanted me to drive? You’re the one who likes to watch! Are you switching with me after this? Hey! Manson!” But Jess was kissing me, and I couldn’t answer him with her tongue in my mouth. I didn’t even intend to fuck her yet. I wanted to feel her, enjoy her taste, savor her body. I smacked her ass as she

“Are you okay, Jess?” Not lifting my head from where it was pressed against his boot, I nodded. “I’m okay. I’m better than okay.” A rush of emotion choked up my throat. Someone gently massaged my back, and I knew from the long fingers and absence of rings, it had to be Vincent. “This makes me feel so good. It makes me feel like I’m safe. Like I can just…” God, it was so hard to put this into words. It was embarrassing, yes, but also the concept was still so new. Why did being controlled and overcome make me feel like everything was okay? Vincent said gently, “There’s our good girl, that’s it. You can talk to us.”

Manson’s hand stroked over my hair affectionately.

He was positioned mirroring me, leaning on the side of the tub with one hand trailing in the water, the two of us watching over our girl as she drifted back down to earth. Our girl. Ours. It sounded so right, it felt so right. Whether or not it was true didn’t matter, at least not for now. Despite what came after all this, Jessica was ours for the weekend, and I intended to savor that.

“He convinced you to go boating and you nearly drowned,” Lucas said, jabbing his spatula in Manson’s direction with bitterness in his tone. Considering I was a safe distance away from him, I said, “Sounds like Lucas still has nightmares about it.” He turned his narrow-eyed glare at me, brandishing the spatula in a far more threatening way than he had at Manson. “You,” he hissed. “Better watch it.” I just gave him a wink and a grin that promised more trouble. We ate our dinner on the back deck, around a large table with a firepit in the middle. We’d brought enough food for the weekend to keep in the fridge, as well as liquor and beer. Vincent and Manson enjoyed the whiskey, while Lucas, Jess, and I drank the beer. As the sun sunk toward the horizon, dusk set in quickly beneath the trees. The shadows lengthened, and several eager crickets chirped. “Manson and I are waking up early tomorrow to take the Bronco on some trails,” Lucas said. With his meal finished, he’d slouched in his seat, his beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. “You should come with us, Jess.” “We insist you come with us,” Manson clarified. “Ever been off-roading before?” Jess leaned forward on my lap so she

These conversations were never meant to be comfortable, and since she’d brought it up, I could only assume she wanted to talk about it. “I sneered at you,” she said. “I was so mean, and I barely knew you.” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, looking down again. “I’m so sorry. For the things I said and did. For the way I made you feel. You’ve been a lot nicer than I deserve, Jason. You’ve done so much to protect me, and you really didn’t have to.” Her words left me staring in disbelief. During all my hours with her at the gym, I felt as if she and I had developed a particular comradery, a bond that was just ours. The past was best left alone; the painful things that happened, the awful things that were said — I tried not to let them matter anymore. But I’d also learned not to expect apologies. “I’m not going to lie to you, Jess.” I wanted to be gentle with her, I did. But if she was bothering to apologize, to confront how uncomfortable this was, then I had to do the same. “A lot of the shit that happened in high school fucked me up. It made me insecure. It made me hate parts of myself. It wasn’t solely you that led to that. I had worse bullies than you. But…” “But I was still a part of it,” she said. “I hurt you.” She was choking down a lot of emotions, clearly. Tears were wavering in her eyes as if they could fall at any moment. But she held them back, keeping her voice calm. She wasn’t trying to make this about her. She was doing everything she could to avoid making ...

out a cohesive thought if I tried. “I want you,” I said. “So if you still think this is all going to wrap up neat and tidy once your car is fixed, I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’re not getting rid of me that easily. Any of us.” She’d drawn in her lips, as if she was trying to suppress a smile. “I’m moving out of town, you know.” I nodded. “And my mother is awful. She doesn’t like any of you.” I nodded again, and the next few sentences spilled rapidly out of her. “I’ve really fucked up before, and I’ll probably fuck up again. And I don’t always know the right things to say, and sometimes I blurt shit out. I’m insecure and petty. I can be selfish, rude, and sometimes I act angry because I get nervous —” I put my finger over her lips. Her shoulders sagged, tension deflating from her. “I know all those things, princess,” I said. “I expect nothing less. I want nothing less.” I moved my finger and kissed her, cupping the back of head. Her kisses were

so sweet, and the way she clung to my shirt to pull me closer drove me wild. When we parted, she sat there looking at me for a moment, tracing her fingers over my face as if she was memorizing it. “I’m glad it’s different this time,” she said softly. “I want it to be different.” She didn’t need to say anything more; that was enough confirmation for me. She felt the same. She wanted this to work, even if she didn’t know yet. But to make sure she was thoroughly convinced, I kept kissing her until she was shaking, wide-eyed and breathless. Only then did I carry her back inside to join Vincent on the couch, snuggling her between us. Right where she belonged.

hadn’t held on to the seat this hard since the first time Jason took me drifting. Manson couldn’t stop laughing as we careened wildly around a sharp turn. Apparently, staring death in the face was funny to him. Hell, I liked risky business too, but if I was going to die, it needed to be on my terms. Trusting that Jess wasn’t going to send us flying off the side of the mountain felt

a lot like gambling with my life, but damn, the adrenaline rush was wild. Jess cackled like a mad woman as we drove through the creek, splattering mud all over the doors and windows. A bump was coming up on the trail, but she didn’t slow. She put the pedal to the metal and sped up, sending us flying over the crest with all four wheels off the ground. “Jesus Christ, woman, you’re going to murder us,” I said, sliding across the seat when she wrenched the wheel hard to the left. “How am I supposed to jump if I don’t go fast?” she said, yelling over the music we had blasting from the stereo. She finally brought us to a stop. She was laughing breathlessly, her hair disheveled from the wind whipping through the cabin. Her denim shorts were unbuttoned, her bikini top deliciously close to baring a nipple. She turned in her seat to look back at me, as did Manson. They both had similar expressions of wicked amusement on their faces.

“Too bad there isn’t a boat,” she said as Manson and I joined her. “I could go for a lazy float down the river.” “It gets less lazy about a mile downstream,” Manson said. “That’s why there isn’t a boat anymore.” “Damn foolish,” I said, shaking my head as I remembered the story he’d told me about that death-trap boat. “That’s what happens when you go places without me. You suddenly lose your sense.” “You would’ve been right there in the boat with us. Don’t lie,” Manson said,

“Am I doing good, sir?” I said. “Fuck, baby, so good,” he said,

“Please your Master first, Jess,” I said. “Then you can come, baby.” She lifted her head, continuing to stroke him with her hand. “I understand, sir. All I want is Master’s cum.” She looked up at him, her expression so sweet and pleading. With a face like that, she could have anything she wanted.

buddy already,

drunk on wine, full from cake, and happy. I’d never been so happy.

“Thank you for calling me out on it.” “I understand,” she said, her voice soft and muffled against my chest before I loosened my hold. “I don’t blame you for being pissed off, Lucas. I am too. The next time I see Danielle or Candace...” She cracked her knuckles against her palm, such a vicious look on her face that I couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t that I didn’t find her intimidating; it was the opposite. Pissed-off Jessica was merciless and I fucking loved it. “Don’t be getting into fights,” I said. “At least not without me there, got it?” “Got it. I’ll wait until you’re with me so you can enjoy the show.” The thought made me smile, and her fingers brushed over my cheek before she said quietly, “I like it when you smile.”

raising his middle finger to Dante. Dante flipped him off right back. “Yeah, you’re a real catch, Bent!” he yelled. Lucas and Jess joined us upstairs, and of course Dante had to dial up the charm as he shook Jess’s hand. “Pleasure to finally meet you,” he said. “Likewise.” Jess smiled easily as she shook his hand, then sauntered over to Manson so she could greet him with a kiss, before coming to me. I picked her up off her feet to kiss her, grinning, because I could smell sweat and sex on her and had to wonder what she and Lucas had gotten up to. Before she could settle in on the couch, Dante leaned forward in his seat, looking between us conspiratorially. “Listen up for a second. I’ve been meaning to bring up something to you guys. There’s…uh…” His eyes flickered to Jess for a moment, uncertain. She didn’t notice, so I said, “Baby, would you go up to the house and see what’s taking Jason so long? He’s been holed up in his room all damn day.”

The crowd was eager, gathering as close as they could. Lucas locked his hands across Jess’s lap, holding her tight and close against him. Now that the windows were closed, the cheering of the crowd was muted. Jess turned up the music, moving her hips in a little dance that made Lucas growl, “If you keep grinding on me like that, I will fuck you in the middle of this crowd.” “Promise?” Jess said sweetly. Lucas didn’t have a chance to respond.

My mom wouldn’t stop blowing up my phone, but I had no desire to text her. I sent a text to my dad instead. Please tell Mom that I’m staying with friends for the weekend. I’ll be back on Monday. As usual, Dad didn’t have a problem with it. Have fun, sunshine. Nice and easy. It didn’t make my mom stop texting, but

But he was clearly very distracted already. I was having fantasies of him bending

me over the car as I poured the new oil. Lucas stood behind me, his hands on my arms as he guided me. He stood so close; close enough that he was touching my back and when he had to adjust himself, I noticed. Glancing back over my shoulder, I gave him an innocent, wide-eyed look as I secured the oil cap back into place. “Am I doing a good job?” I said. My ass was wedged up against him, and I smiled sweetly. “I just want to be sure I’m pleasing you.” Across the garage, Manson snickered at my words. “She’s trying to wrap you around her little finger, Lucas.” But Lucas was looking at me as if I’d already succeeded. “I can think of a few more ways you can please me, too,” he said, cupping his hand around my throat to pull me back. We pressed up against the front of the BMW, my hands braced against it. Lucas was practically grinding on me. He bit down on my shoulder, softly at first — then hard enough to make me

moving herself closer. I wrapped my arms around her, trailing my fingers up her spine as she lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. “I love you, Manson Reed.” She kissed me, swallowing the words I couldn’t string into coherent sentences. She surged against me, so passionate and so right. Our lips would part for a moment, for a breath, and she’d say it again. She whispered it, snarled it, kissed it into my skin. She pressed her chest against mine, and her heart thumped, it beat so damn hard. Or was that my own? I wasn’t sure if I could tell them apart when we were tangled so close. “I love you.” It was all I could say and it still wasn’t enough. But if I could keep saying it — if I could say those words from now until the end of forever — God, maybe then, those words could take on the fierceness I meant them with.

“Girl, wait, I don’t know what’s up, but uh…” She paused, a loud crunching sound coming over the call as she chewed a snack. “You sound different. You sound, like, giddy? Is that a word?” She laughed loudly, and I missed her more than ever. God, I just couldn’t wait to be in New York with — With… It all spilled out. I told her everything, every disastrous, messy detail. I thought she would have an aneurysm when I told her about breaking into the garage and hiding from the boys on their own property. “Holy shit, girl, how are you not in jail? You’re telling me they forgave you for that? I think I’d throw you in the fucking ocean, honestly.” I didn’t mention the punishment that came before their forgiveness; that was too personal. And I had to do some twisting with the story to avoid mentioning our “agreement.” But Ashley got the whole story — at least as much of it as she needed. “Girl, I knew it,” she said, with a satisfied crunch as she took another bite. “I could have seen this coming a million miles away.” I laughed. “Is that so?” “Uh, yeah? I knew it was going to happen after you hung out with Manson all night at that Halloween party! Like it was so obvious you were into him. The other guys are a surprise, but you know…” I could almost imagine her shrugging casually on the other end. “It’s up to you, babe. It’s about what works for you. If you want four dudes in one big house where everybody is loving on everybody, then

All I used to think about was parties, clubs, events — making sure I was in the middle of whatever was happening, constantly chasing after the next big thing. Now? I couldn’t even be bothered to care. All I wanted to do, every day, was sit in that garage while the boys worked. Lay on the couch next to Jason, play in the yard with the dogs. That was what gave me happiness. That was what brought me joy. And leaving that behind for a job… God. That was a problem. “So are you guys doing long-distance?” Ashley said, as if she’d read my mind. But

“Do you remember when we met?” I said. “First grade.” She giggled. “You were so loud! I remember you running all over the place and the teacher kept telling you to sit down. You threw dirt at me.” “And you cried because it got in

uh…distract him?” I gave him a sly smile. “Oh, I can certainly do that.” If I hadn’t had to work in the morning, I would have gone with him back to their house to sleep. Sleeping in my own bed, alone, was getting significantly more difficult. I missed the warmth of them around me. I missed waking up early to have coffee with Lucas. I missed wearing Jason’s clothes around the house. Coming home didn’t feel warm and welcoming like going to their house did.

on, you know me. I’ve heard it all already, princess.” She lowered her eyes, and when she lifted them again, she looked as if she was bracing herself for something that would hurt. “I love you, Jason.” I stared at her, the words slowly sinking in. Her eyes were so sincere, and she reached over, grasping my hand. She traced her finger over my rings, nervously, and swallowed hard before she said, “I love you so much.” To my alarm, it actually made my eyes sting. Holy shit. She loved me. I laughed softly, a chuckle that became something more. It wasn’t enough to hold her; I wished I could pull her inside me and keep her there. I wished I could somehow impart, physically rather than with words, how fucking much this meant to me. But physicality wasn’t enough either.

“Well?” he said. “I see two little sinners who need to be punished. So turn her over and spank her until we say she’s had enough. Then, it’ll be your turn.” Shit, his voice. Dangerously sweet and dark as night. It tingled up my spine as he stood next to the bed. Jess squirmed, her legs still splayed around me. It was a hell of a position to be caught in. My dick was so fucking close to sinking into her. Forcing me to stop now was cruel.

I’ll be good, I’ll shut up —” “It’s a little too late for promises,” Vincent said. “You know exactly what you’ve earned.” As Lucas tortured me, Vincent walked away. But he was back within a few moments, and he set something down near my head. It was a suspension bar made of sturdy metal, with four thick locking cuffs dangling from it. As Lucas held me in place, Vince secured my wrists to the bar. I was dragged to my feet, and although I could still lift my arms, it was significantly more difficult with the bar attached to them. Vincent gripped my face, smiling down at me. That smile of his made my stomach somersault, twisting with anticipation. Lucas held me from behind, his erection nudging against my ass as he murmured, “I’m going to fucking ruin you.” “Your turn,” Vincent said. The way he leaned over me made me feel so small; an insignificant mote compared to the size and strength of the men around me. “Since you can’t control your tongue, you’ll be putting it to good use.” Lucas turned me toward the bed, and I gasped softly. Manson had unchained Jess and now had her upper body resting against his chest. She lay on her back, and he was holding her legs spread. Shoving me toward the bed, Lucas said, “Get into position. Face in her pussy, ass up.” “Yes, sir.” It was the first time I’d managed a proper response since they’d come up here,

As I got into position, burying my face between her legs, she nudged herself against me. Her eyes were wide, watching me as Manson held her. Closing my mouth over her, I started slowly. Gentle licks, soft sucking; she was already so sensitive and every little touch made her twitch. The bar lay beneath my chest, and I couldn’t touch her with my hands despite how desperately I wanted to. The paddle tapped my backside. It wasn’t a smack, it didn’t hurt. Vincent was steadying himself, making sure the strike would land where he intended and not somewhere that might injure me. Every inch of my body was tense. I was clenching my muscles so hard that they ached. No matter how many spankings I’d gotten — no matter how often we played with pain — in the moments right before it happened, I was always left frozen with anticipation of how much it would hurt. Jess was a welcome distraction. The taste of her on my tongue — Smack! The impact was heavy, the pain sharp and burning. Holy shit, it burned. My head jerked up, my mouth opened and closed several times before I clipped my teeth together. “What did we tell you, boy?” Vincent said, jovial as ever. “Get your head back down.” Giving me no other option, Lucas forced my head down again, smacking the back of my skull. Jess shivered as I groaned, bucking her hips upward for more. Smack!

Although we had to take Jess home that night, we all slept in the same bed anyway. Usually, Manson’s bed was the one we all congregated in; tonight, I wandered up to the attic after I’d returned from dropping her off. Vincent and Manson were both showering. Jason was sprawled on the bed, his hair damp, wearing sweatpants and nothing else as he played a game on his phone. Lying down beside him, I reached up and patted my hand on his head. He slowly put down his phone, giving me a questioning look. “What are you doing?” I smirked. “Aftercare.” Laughing softly, he repositioned himself to snuggle closer. “You dumbass. Aftercare, right.”

“Don’t start fussing,” I said, kissing the back of her hand before I held it in my lap. “Trust me, they’re not going to care if you have makeup on, or what your hair looks like, or what you’re wearing…although I like what you’re wearing.” I was such a sucker for her in a skirt. It made me want to push it up her thighs and bury my face in her. It was yellow plaid and her shirt was white, hugging her chest like a corset. “You look sexy as hell.” I leaned over and kissed her, and she cried out that I was going to get us into an accident, but I wasn’t worried. I hated this town, but I knew its roads like the back of my hand; even the old rutted ones that led through the unsavory parts of Wickeston. “You used to live there, didn’t you?” she said, pointing to Montgomery Park as we passed it.

and growled as she dug into the food, taking the largest bites she could fit in her tiny jaws. “She’s a little fighter,” I said. She growled even more as I stroked my finger down her spine, her entire face messy with food. When I looked up, Jess was watching me. “I think that’s the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on your face,” she said. “I had no idea you liked cats. Why don’t you have one at the house?” There wasn’t an easy answer. It wasn’t the dogs I was worried about; Jojo was a softy who wouldn’t hurt a fly, and Bo might act tough but one whack from a cat and he’d learn to respect them. “I guess it’s…I haven’t had a cat in a long time. I never really had one as a pet at all, not for very long at least.” I wasn’t going to dig into the subject, but Jess was getting too damn good about seeing past my evasiveness. She laid her hand against my cheek, stroking her thumb over the stubble on my face. “Do you want to talk about it?” Yes. No. Both. Talking about it, disgustingly, felt an awful lot like vomiting. I didn’t want to — but it would probably feel better once it was over. “There’s not much to talk about,” I said. “Pops didn’t like cats, but I found one when I was nine years old. A stray had a litter under our front porch, and once they started wandering around, my dad chased them off. One got left behind, the smallest. He had a weird face, a birth defect; it made him look like he was always frowning. I tried to hide him in my room, but you can’t

breaths hot as they mingled. “This is what you needed, isn’t it, pup? Just someone to take care of you, fuck all the bad thoughts away. Remind you how fucking sexy and strong and incredible you are —”

“We want more adventures,” Vincent said. “More challenges,” Lucas added with a smirk. “We want you,” Manson said. “To be part of us. Will you?” It wasn’t necessary to consider my answer, but I paused for a moment anyway: to take a breath, to let it sink in that this was my reality. That everything, truly, had changed. “Yes, I will,” I said. “Absolutely.”

Now, walking up to Tris with Jason on one arm and Jess on the other, my ego had inflated to the size of Jupiter. It had me smirking like a damn fool to be escorting two such attractive people at the same time.

“So wet for us already?” he murmured, fingers moving inside me. “Does being in public turn you on?” It did. Every time I caught the eye of someone moving past us, it made me hotter. People at this club wouldn’t be shocked or offended by sexual activity — I was sure I spotted a couple in the corner of the dancefloor who were actually fucking. Glancing back toward our booth, I clenched on Vincent’s fingers when I saw Lucas with his head resting on Manson’s lap, the two of them watching us together. Manson was slowly stroking his fingers over Lucas’s head, gentle and soothing. Everything in his posture exuded his control, and Lucas’s eyes were half-lidded, his body finally relaxed as he watched me dance. Showing off had always come naturally; I loved that they were watching, I adored getting to put on a show to wind them up. Vincent drew his hand out from under my skirt, his fingers slick with my arousal, and brought them to Jason’s lips. Heat flooded me as Jason took Vincent’s fingers in his mouth, sucking them slowly. He stroked his tongue between them, opening his mouth as if to show off what he could do. Vincent’s chest swelled as he sucked in a sharp breath, and he hooked his fingers around Jason’s jaw to pull him closer. They kissed over my shoulder as Vincent’s hand nudged under my skirt again. “Oh…fuck…” I leaned my head back as Vince fingered me. I was engulfed in the heat between them, my breath coming deep

heavy, nearly overwhelmed by my growing pleasure. There were so many sensations: the flashing lights, the pounding music that throbbed in my chest, the goosebumps they ignited on my skin as they touched me. Jason brought his drink to my mouth and tipped it back, condensation from the cold glass dripping onto my chest. “I think she’s going to come for us,” Vincent said, as I clenched on his fingers again. Jason tweaked my nipple piercings through my shirt until I moaned, my rhythm shuddering as their touches brought me higher. “It’ll be the first orgasm of many,” Jason said, bringing his mouth close to my ear. “I want to see you shake, princess.” Fuck, I was going to lose control. A woman walked by and caught my eye as she did; her gaze darted downward and came back up with a smile. She knew what was happening. “You like when people watch, don’t you?” Vincent chuckled. “Dirty little slut. We need to get an audience for you, don’t we, baby? How would you like a few dozen people telling you how damn sexy you look when you come?” His filthy words brought my ecstasy to its peak. My lips parted breathlessly, struggling not to make too much noise as I shuddered through the bliss, losing myself in the moment. It was significantly harder to walk in my heels after I’d orgasmed. Jason and Vincent had to support my trembling legs as they led me back to the booth. Lucas was still seated on the floor, sipping a fresh glass of beer with his arm resting

thong, he turned me around again so I was facing the others, and brought the bottle to my lips.

Only a few minutes after getting on the trail, Julia slowed her pace and kept lingering a few steps behind me. “Am I walking too fast?” I said, turning to walk backward as I looked at her. She grinned and said, “Nah, I’m just trying to get a look at your ass in those leggings. Damn girl, that cake.” Looping my arm through hers, I dragged her along to walk beside me. “God, you’re as bad as the boys.” “I’m worse,” she said, and we both laughed. She was thrilled about my promotion, although after a few minutes of excitement, her mood suddenly sobered. “This means you’re leaving,” she said. “I mean, I knew it was coming, but damn. We only just started hanging out.” “New York isn’t too far away,” I said, although the words weren’t very comforting. It would be a relief to leave Wickeston, but I did regret the distance it would put between Julia and I. She was a good friend, despite only knowing me for a couple months, and that was hard to come by. “I’ll be coming to visit as

This was punishment. This needed to happen to ensure that Jess was never, ever put in danger again. The thought of what could have happened if she’d been alone, if she hadn’t had pepper spray, if she hadn’t gotten away…

There was just enough time for us to get ready for dinner after touring the house. The boys had made the reservation and refused to tell me where since they wanted it to be a surprise. All they told me was that I should dress up nice, so I hadn’t been able to resist picking up a new dress for the occasion. By the time I emerged from the bathroom, they were ready to go. All wore fitted slacks and button-up shirts — even Lucas, who hated buttons with a particular passion. The sight of them all dressed up made my stomach do somersaults. “Damn, you all look hot,” I said, my heels giving me enough height to kiss Vincent without him having to bend down. “You still put us all to shame. Look at you.” Lucas circled me, nodding in appreciation. My dress was ruched yellow satin that barely touched my mid-thigh, and it made my ass look incredible. Manson kissed my neck, trailing his finger over my dangling diamond earring. “You do look absolutely stunning,” he said. Jason took my hand, giving me a twirl as Vincent whistled. “Now, how do you expect us to leave the house with you looking like that?” Jason said. “I think I’d rather stay here and take all this