Boundaries turned into forts.
. . .

Olivia Woods

Ashton let me clean up when we got back to the apartment after watching me squirm for a while. He was really mean sometimes.

I showered. No matter how much they had sex with me, it seemed like their stamina never died.

And there were three of them.

I walked out of my closet after wearing a pretty light green dress that Xerxes had bought me. I slipped my feet into my bunny slippers and stepped out of the room.

I heard voices from the living room. The Creeds were there, but there were three additional voices.

I peeked inside. Fabiano, Giovanni, and Dante were sitting on a couch, dressed in suits. Zavier, Ashton, and Xerxes were sitting across them. Dante and Zavier seemed to be in a heated discussion.

"Why the fuck?" Zavier said, running a tatted hand through his hair, tugging the dark strands away from his face. He was relaxed on a chair, a drink in his hand but he didn't seem to be drinking. "I'm going to be in it. I will burn the damn thing to the ground if I am not."

Dante's trigger finger twitched. "Send a fucking fighter. I think you've had enough fights, haven't you? Or do you want to get sliced open again? I can do it for you."

"How about you fucking try?"

Giovanni ran the tap of his knife on his finger. "You're both giving me a headache. Do you have ice cream?"

I stepped into the living room and folded my arms against my chest. Giovanni gave me an innocent smile.

"We don't have ice cream."

"How about I check?"

I narrowed my eyes but didn't answer, because I felt incredibly nervous. I was in a room with six of the most dangerous men in the world.

I loved half of them.

I walked to where Xerxes was, sitting on a loveseat, and plopped myself down beside him.

He smiled down at me, kissing my jaw.

"We're late," Giovanni said and stood up. "Race starts in an hour."

"Race?" The question left my mouth before I could stop myself and once again, every eye was on me. I shifted closer to Xerxes.

"Your boyfriend is racing tonight. After ages," Giovanni said, a smirk on his face. "Fabiano is, too. Wanna bet on your boyfriend, Livy?"

I looked at Xerxes. He hadn't told me anything. "Um - no," I muttered. I'd be betting their money, anyway. What was the point?

I stood. "I have a project due tomorrow." I didn't.

Xerxes nodded and kissed my wrist. "We will be back in the morning." His eyes searched mine, but I didn't give a reaction.

"Okay."

He didn't let go of my wrist. "I'd take you," he said slowly. "But it's dangerous."

"That's not helping."

I could again feel every eye on me. It made my stomach churn. I tried to tug my wrist out of his large hand, but he was a lot stronger. I, of course, loved how strong they were but sometimes it was frustrating, like right now.

He stood, too taller than me. He tilted his head down. "It's not a place for...women like you."

Fragile.

I could feel the world lingering.

I knew I was sometimes too fragile, too needy, and vulnerable. I knew I wasn't even half as strong as they were.

I just...hated the reminder.

"Like me?" I asked quietly.

He cupped my face. "Baby..." He sighed.

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about this with Valentinos in the audience. Fabiano already wasn't fond of me. I knew he thought I was really weak, too.

Ever since I had let my dad take me through that maze, I had felt powerless. If it had been any of them, they would have freed themselves.

"I have a project due tomorrow," I whispered. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not."

I walked to the guest room and locked myself in.

I slid down on the ground and touched the scars on my ribs, I felt every bump and dip of it. I dug my nails into it and then forced my hand away.

I was letting demons shove unnecessary things into my mind.

Xerxes had said he thought I was strong, once. He didn't say things he didn't mean, at least, not anymore.

Or maybe I was too easy to fool.

I shook my head, cupping it with my hands. They loved me, I knew that. I loved them, they knew that.

I wished love was enough to scare every insecurity and doubt away.

I knew I would never be able to truly be a part of their life. They'd always keep me sheltered from the more brutal parts. That was their way of showing love - protection.

But what was mine?

Nothing.

There was not one thing I offered. Not one thing they needed me for - the only thing I could give them. Even love, they could get from others. But, I doubted anyone could love them as much as I did.

. . .

I fell asleep on the ground and woke up in the middle of the night.

I picked myself up, groaning as my body pained, and walked out of the guestroom, to the living room where my phone was.

Ivan was sitting in the corner, rigid and brooding.

I picked my phone up, wiped the sleepiness from my eyes, and scanned what I had received.

Unknown

It took a moment to realize what I was seeing. I walked back to the guest room and locked the door.

It was a video. It played without sound, but there was no mistaking what was happening.

A man was tied to a table that looked dirty. He was dressed in clothes that were soaked in blood. His body was shaking, and his mouth opened in screams. His wide eyes were looking at something on his left, something that was out of frame. He looked terrified of whatever or whoever it was - like he was seeing death himself.

And then a tatted man stepped into the frame.

It took almost no time to recognize him.

Zavier.

The man continued screaming. The quality was too bad for me to see the expression on Zavier's face, but I could see that he was relaxed.

He sat down on a chair by the table. The man was struggling wildly now, the thin ropes which held him down were covered in blood.

Zavier didn't do anything. He sat there, waiting till the man calmed down, and then stood again.

He walked to a table at the corner of the room, I hadn't noticed it earlier. He picked up a pair of pliers from it, opening and closing them a few times.

He walked back to the man. I could tell he was saying something, but I couldn't understand what.

He settled himself back in the chair and took hold of the man's hand.

I watched as he pulled the nails out, one by one. Some broke, he pulled them and stacked them beside the man who shook so hard the table seemed to be seconds away from giving away.

When he was done, Zavier moved to the other hand. This time I could see Zavier's shoulders shaking as if he was...laughing as he looked down at the man.

After ripping all his nails out, Zavier settled himself in the chair, once again.

The video was about to end. Just at the end, Zavier glanced at the camera, covered with blood.

And I did not recognize him.

Then, the video disappeared.

. . .

Zavy is kinda crazy...

Many people were like 'What about Zavier?' when I said Xery is my fav. Well, I definitely adore Zavier. Ashton and Zavier are on the same level for me. I just adore Xerxes more because he is exactly my type.

But, I, in no way, will ever add favoritism to the book. For Olivia, all three of them are equal, and I find that beautiful. I do not understand it when there is a 'main' male lead in a reverse Harem book. It makes me sad for the other dudes.

P.S. I wrote and rewrote this chapter like 5 times.