Build a Love (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (15 page)

Harry looked intrigued. I grabbed a tie from the rack in our walk-in closet.

“Come on, Harry. You can walk without this for a while.”

We led her into the kitchen, I grabbed keys then we led her out the backyard, then Marco tied the blindfold. I took one arm and he took the other.

Carefully we led her along the covered pathway we’d recently had made.

I was fucking nervous. I looked over Harry’s head to Marco and he looked as worried as I felt. We managed to get her next door without tripping her over. Leading her up the side path to the front door, I took the blindfold off.

“What?” She looked at us confused. “This is next door?”

“Open the door, Harry.” Marco said as I handed her the key. His voice was as tense as mine would have been if I’d been able to speak. I was too fucking scared to say anything.

Harry looked from Marco to me, shrugging her shoulders, puzzled, and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. I pushed the light switch. The house came alive with lights.

She gasped and looked around. She stood as still as a statue, then suddenly her knees buckled. Thank goodness Marco was close, he grabbed her before she hit the ground. Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at him, then me.

“Is…is this what I think it is?”

I still couldn’t speak, I just nodded. Marco spoke for us both.

“We…well we hoped you would live with us so we figured we should give you somewhere to work rather than having to drive back to your house. Harry?”

We both looked at her. She had a hand to her mouth. We were worried. Maybe we’d assumed too much. I had no idea what to say to her. She held her hand, palm out and nodded. We waited. She gasped and took a big breath.

“I…I don’t know what. How…Oh hell.”

“Harry?”

My voice shook as I spoke her name. She looked at me, Marco still holding her. Her face, she smiled at me and I swear the earth moved. She turned back to Marco and kissed his cheek, slipped from his arms, and kissed mine.

“This is so amazing.” She had tears pouring down her cheeks. “This is wonderful.”

I felt my heart start to re-beat. I was positive for a moment there it had stopped. Harry took my hand, then Marco’s, and began to walk through her new studio and gallery. As well as the build, we had sneaked into that set of drawers, taken some of the paintings, and had them framed. They were hanging on some of the walls.

She laughed.

We walked through the three rooms of the gallery. She came to a closed door and looked at us both. We nodded. She turned the knob and walked in. She sobbed.

We had given her the things she had always wanted in a studio. Lots of room, a moveable wall, enough storage to keep her in supplies for years. There was plenty of space for her desk, all her easels and more. Marco folded up the wall and pulled her into the second part of the studio. There was a large room where she could easily hold a few dozen more students. A dais that she could put the damn chaise longue on. There was a large kitchen and alongside a change room with a powder room.

We had tried to think of everything. Vince had been a great help and had another artist client give us a hand. The rooms had lots of windows as well as plenty of lightning. Sliding glass walls led outside to a deck where she could even hold outdoor classes if the weather was suitable.

She dropped our hands and walked around, touching the walls. Marco and I stood arm-in-arm, watching her. She was looking into the storage cupboards. She was shaking her head as if she couldn’t quite believe it. Finally, she turned and looked at us. Before we could react, she raced across the room to us and flung herself into our arms.

We had intended to do this at a more romantic time, but for some reason this just seemed the right time. When she stopped kissing us and stepped back to look around again, I looked at Marco. He kissed me and we both bent down on one knee.

“Harry.”

We both called her name at once. She turned and saw us. Her immediate reaction was to bite that bottom lip, then her eyes widened as we each held out a hand. She came forward and took each.

Marco cleared his throat.

“Harry, we love you. We love you more than life itself.”

My voice stuttered a little and sounded gravelly to my ears as I took up the question.

“Harry, will you do us the honour of marrying us? I know you can only legally marry one of us but as far as we’re concerned it’s us both.”

She looked at us both with so much love on her face. More tears were falling as she nodded then croaked.

“Yes. Yes, I love you both so much. Yes!”

We both jumped up and had this crazy three-way bear hug and kissed. Marco laughed and said, “We’d planned to do this whole romantic thing, but well I guess the time was right.”

“Romantic? What could be more romantic than giving me this wonderful gallery and your love? There’s nothing in this world I could ever want more than I want you both.”

“Bryan and I have talked about this. We both think you should marry him. He’s the oldest.”

“I don’t care who I marry as long as I am married to you both in our lives.”

Marco punched me in the shoulder.

“The ring. Bet you didn’t bring the ring.”

“Why the hell would I bring the ring? We hadn’t intended to do this tonight.”

“Oh yeah, forgot, sorry.”

“Now she knows.”

Harry quipped, “Ah, she’s listening.”

We all laughed.

“Come on!” Marco said. We took her hands and dragged her back outside, locking up the gallery, and then back to the house.

We took her back into the bedroom and made her sit on the bed with her eyes shut. Marco got the ring out of the safe and we both had our fingers crossed that it would fit. He slid it on and we told her to open her eyes.

“Oh man, we made her cry again.”

“It’s okay, Marco, they’re happy tears.” She held out her hand. The ring looked lovely against her skin. “Oh my god. It’s beautiful!”

Marco and I shared a grin of relief. We’d spent hours choosing it. In the end, we settled on a
ring with three large diamonds. They were princess cut on a plain fourteen-carat white gold band.

“We chose three stones to represent the three of us. You are in the centre and we will always be beside you.”

It was Rosa’s birthday on Saturday. We had been seeing them regularly. We often had dinner with them, as well as the monthly family get-together, and I was now calling her Mama and Salvatore, Papà. They had welcomed me into the family completely. I loved it. I had missed the love that only parents can give. Vince and Andy had come with us to dinner a few times and both were surprised how accepting Marco’s parents were of their alternative lifestyle.

We hadn’t told Marco’s parents about being engaged, I think the boys wanted it to be part of her birthday surprise. I was still pinching myself. I couldn’t believe it was true, then I’d look at my beautiful ring and grin.

The boys had got the painting framed. I have to admit it looked great and would be perfect in her kitchen. A couple more days and she would have it. Bryan and Marco had gone away to the conference and still wouldn’t be back for another three days.

I was feeling lost. I missed them so much.

To make my loneliness worse, Andy and Vince were on a trip to Europe for their anniversary but they, too, would be returning at the end of the week. This was the longest I had been without my gorgeous builders in the ten months since we had started dating.

There was no more falling love with them. I was well and truly in deep. They were my every waking thought. I couldn’t have imagined eleven months ago that I would now be so deeply in love with two wonderful men. That I would be getting married to them.

I thought I would continue my packing. Bryan had organised someone to move things from the studio to the new place. I just needed to pack the last few things away. I have to admit I was itching to get to the gallery. Another thing I was having trouble believing. That studio was so much more than I had ever in my wildest dreams imagined.

When the boys had proposed and asked me to move in with them, we decided not to wait too long. It really made sense, especially with the new studio being next door. Anyway, I spent most nights at the house. Once I had agreed, it was just a matter of sorting things out over the next month, deciding what furniture I wanted to keep and what could go.

Once I had finished packing the studio stuff, I decided I would go through the house to try and sort out what could be sold. I still had to pinch myself. I was so lucky to have to wonderful men love me. And for them to build me a wonderful gallery and studio was, well it was breathtaking. In a few more weeks, I would be living with them permanently.

I wandered out to the mailbox before I started sorting. It held the usual junk mail and a large envelope. I walked inside and threw the junk on the counter, tearing open the envelope.

I swear I looked at the contents about five minutes before it sank in what I was seeing. I dropped it to the floor and started hyperventilating.

It was a photograph of me. Taken very recently. The eyes had been torn out and across it was written, “
You disrespected me, bitch. I’m going to kill you this time you fucking cunt
.”

I was hysterical. What could I do?

I raced to the front door and slammed it shut, then raced through the house checking all the windows. I tried to reach the boys but it went to voice mail. Grabbing the phone, I hit the quick dial for Detective Inspector Grant.

It took about ten minutes before I could get anything sensible out. The patient detective promised he would send a car around.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. It was the police. There were two officers, and I showed them in and gave them the letter.

“Ms. Kempton, I’m sorry this has happened. I honestly thought you would be safe.”

“I thought so, too. It’s been months.” Even to my ears, my voice sounded strained and filled with panic.

“Yes, he’s been out for about eight months now. If this was from him it means he has broken his parole conditions. We can arrest him immediately.”

“Now? You’re going to get him now?”

“Yes, we’ll go there now. We’ll interview him. The letter will be checked against his fingerprints. Don’t worry, Ms. Kempton. We’ll have him back behind bars.”

They asked me lots of questions and had me sign something. They took the photo and the envelope away, assuring me he would be arrested and back in gaol.

“If there is any problem, rest assured Ms. Kempton we will keep you informed. We’re off to see him immediately.”

I thanked them and saw them out. I tried to relax but it was impossible. The day dragged on. Around three, I got a phone call. It was Marco and Bryan.

“Babe, what’s wrong?”

I started crying, patiently they waited until I could get my sobs under control.

“He’s here.”

“Who?”

“Him, the monster that did this to me.”

“How do you know? What’s happened?”

Through my sobs, I told them about the letter and calling the police.

“Right, we’re coming home.” I could hear Marco in the background talking to someone.

“But your conference? Your lecture?”

“I did my talk yesterday, Marco did his today.” I could hear Marco’s voice in the background. Bryan continued, “Marco’s on the phone now, arranging to change our flight. We’ll be there sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

I couldn’t stop crying.

“Sweetheart, it’ll be okay. We’ll be home tomorrow. The police will have already arrested him. I’d say they would have gone there straight after they left you.”

“Yes, they said they were.”

“Okay, darling. Locked the doors and windows. We’ll ring you once we know what flight we’ve got. Then we’ll ring in the morning and as soon as we land.”

Marco said something to Bryan. I couldn’t make it out.

“Marco’s just told me we’ve got our tickets changed. We’ll be flying out tomorrow at ten. That’s the first flight. Then it’s about an hour from the airport. We’ll be with you by six tomorrow night.”

Marco came on the phone.

“Babe, It’s okay. The police will have him by now. Come on, darling. Don’t cry.”

“Will you really be home tomorrow?”

“Yes, babe, we’ll have you safe in our arms tomorrow night.”

I was so relieved. I felt better knowing they were coming home.

“Thank you.”

“Darling, that’s what partners do. Of course we want to be with you. Just fucking wish we weren’t so far away!”

We spoke for another ten minutes until they knew I was okay. They had a final lecture to attend and Bryan had an appointment about the quoting software.

“Sweetheart.” It was Bryan again. “We’re going to be caught up tonight but listen to me very carefully. You get frightened, you ring, okay? I don’t care what time. If we don’t answer, yell. I promise we will ring you back if we don’t answer.”