“Oh honey, we’re going to find a way out. I promise.”

“I have to go,” I croak.

She pulls back, swiping some tears away. “I promise.”

I nod, and turn and leave the warehouse. When I’m on the street, I feel my knees begin to buckle. The pain in my ribs is worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. Each step is agony; each breath feels like I’m inhaling fire. Step by step, I walk until I can wave down the nearest cab. This takes me an hour and a half, and by the time I get into the cab, I am panting, sweating and gagging in pain. I rasp out Jackson’s address, knowing no one will be home. They can’t see me like this. It’s well into the evening now, but Jackson is never usually there until late.

When I arrive at his house, I thrust a twenty at the cab driver who barely gives me a second glance. I hobble out, feeling vomit rising in my throat from the pain. I fumble with the keys Addison gave me, and unlock the front door. As soon as I step in, I hear screaming. I lift my head and blink through my tears to see Jackson buck naked, standing with a shocked look on his face. Muff is doing the same thing, and there’s a woman on the couch, bent over it, naked, and panting. Oh...OH. They were...oh...they were having sex. All of them. All three of them. Holy shit. I hear the frantic shuffle of clothing as they scurry to get dressed.

If I wasn’t about to lose the contents of my stomach, I’d probably scream and blush, running out of the house muttering apologies, but I can’t even make myself turn. My head is spinning, and sweat is trickling down my face. My vision begins to blur, and I suddenly feel hot all over. My stomach churns, and I begin gagging. Thump. Thump. Thump. It’s all I can feel, all I can hear. I reach out to try and grip something, anything to stop me falling, but there’s nothing around.

“Serenity?” Jackson says.

I feel my eyes roll, and as if in slow motion, my body begins to fall forward. Jackson is there, I don’t know how. His arms go around me and my face crashes into his sweaty, hard chest. As his grip tightens around my mid-section, I let out a piercing scream. The pain that shoots through my body is beyond anything I’ve ever felt before.

“Stop, stop!” I bellow, squirming in his arms.

“Hey, it’s ok. I got you.”

“Jack’s, I think she’s hurt.”

That was Muff.

I feel my back hit the soft couch a moment later, I’m not really sure how I get to it, and I hear Jackson bark at the girl, “Get out.”

I hear a protest, and then the shuffling of clothes before the front door slams. I open my eyes, and Jackson is leaning over me. I realize I’m still clinging to him, and I quickly let go. He presses a hand to my ribs, and I scream, squirming. Before I can protest, he has my shirt up. An angry, loud curse leaves his mouth; before he stands and kicks something, I am pretty sure it’s the coffee table.

“He found you again?” Jackson barks. “Where the fuck is he?”

I open my mouth to answer, but what can I say? I have to lie. I can’t tell Jackson he is in town.

“He...he didn’t find me. It’s...it’s just the old injury. I fell this afternoon, I was walking home and a car swerved, I had to leap out of the way and I landed on them. It’s hurting so badly. I don’t know why...”

Jackson looks down at me, narrowing his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me it was so bad?”

“Because it’s not your problem,” I cry. “You’ve done enough.”

“You could have punctured something if they aren’t healed right,” he barks. “So it is my fuckin’ problem if you die in my fuckin’ house.”

I close my eyes, and the tears finally fall.

“Jack’s, it ain’t the time to abuse her,” Muff barks. “She needs a hospital.”

“Get my truck, I’ll carry her out.”

I open my eyes wide, and shake my head furiously. “I can’t go to the hospital.”

Jackson leans down, scooping me up into his arms. “I ain’t givin’ you a fuckin’ choice.”

“Jackson, please,” I beg. “I can’t answer their questions.”

“You let me deal with them, but you’re goin’.”

“Jackson, please...”

He looks down at me, his eyes hard. “Enough.”

I open my mouth, but he gives me a look that has me quickly closing it again. He carries me out front as Muff pulls the truck into the drive. He gets out, leaving it running, and helps Jackson put me in the front seat. Jackson walks around and gets into the driver’s side, and Muff leans in, looking down at me.

“Sorry you had to see us like that,” he says, smiling down at me sympathetically.

I return the smile, though mine is a little wobbly. “Different strokes for different folks,” I croak. “It doesn’t bother me.”

His brows raise, and a small smile creeps across his lips. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” I rasp.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He winks at me, and then leans back, slapping his hand on the roof. “Take care of her boss.”

I turn to Jackson, expecting him to be staring out the windscreen, but instead he’s giving me a strange expression. It takes me a minute to realize he’s shocked that I didn’t react to the position I found them in.

“It doesn’t worry you?” he asks, throwing the truck into reverse.

“That you like threesomes?” I groan, resting my head against the headrest.