Flashback:

She had been dressed for work in a pencil skirt, silk blouse, and heels.

Hayden let out a whistle of appreciation. "Goddamn, who is the lucky man that managed to bag this?" He had murmured as he grabbed and squeezed her ass.

She giggled, playfully hitting his groping hands away. "Behave; I have to get to work on time today."

He growled and pulled her into his arms. Voice thick and raspy with heat. "You know I love it when you dress up all powerful, sexy businesswoman." He leaned in and bit her earlobe, then sucked it gently. "All this elegance... and you're mine to unwrap."

Her knees wobbled, and her clit throbbed in response. Before she could say anything, he had spun her around, hiked her skirt up, and lifted her onto the foyer drawer table, making her gasp in surprise.

His hands pulled down her panties in one smooth motion, and then he was on his knees, devouring her. "Myla..." he groaned into her folds. "... always so wet for me."

She grabbed the edge of the table, trembling as she held her thighs open, and his tongue flicked and then sucked hard on her clit before teasing her entrance with slow strokes of his tongue. Then he plunged two fingers into her, curled them, and slammed into her spot as he simultaneously sucked her clit hard.

She let out a whimper as orgasm tore through her, fast and sharp, leaving her gasping and shaking.

He moaned and continued sucking on her clit like he was sucking the sweetest nectar, absorbing every spasm and slick. When she calmed down a little, she reached into the drawer, pulled out wipes, cleaned her up gently, stood her back on her feet, and then pulled her panties up.

He gave her a deep kiss, allowing her to taste herself on his tongue as he smoothed her clothes down like nothing had happened.

He released her lips and smiled down at her dazed face. "Have a nice day at work." He said softly.

Then he gave her one last soft smooch, smacked her ass playfully, and walked away whistling casually.

She was at work for four hours when her personal phone on her desk rang.

She stared at the unknown number on the screen. Then picked it up slowly. "Hello?"

"Is this Mrs. Oakley?" A serious male voice asked.

Her chest tightened with unease. "Yes... Who's this?"

"This is Officer Barnes with the Lexton Police. Do you know a Mr. Hayden Oakley?"

Myla straightened her spine, her voice dropping. "Yes... I'm his wife. Is everything alright?"

The officer said grimly, "Ma'am, I need you to come down to Mercycrest General Hospital immediately. Your husband was just brought in. He was involved in a severe motor accident."

Everything inside her froze.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"Ma'am?"

"I-" she blinked. "I'm on my way."

She ended the call, her heartbeat thundering as she grabbed her purse and ran, barefoot, forgetting her shoes, out of her office.

Her receptionist looked up, alarmed, as Myla sped past her, her face pale. "Ma'am... is everything alri..."

But Myla was already out in the hallway, running down the stairwell. Ignoring the calls behind her. She burst out of the building doors, unlocked her car, and slid behind the wheel with shaking hands.

She couldn't think or breathe.

Her chest heaved in panic as the car peeled out of the parking lot. "God, please..." she whispered over and over, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "God, please... I can't lose him," she pleaded desperately to whatever deity could hear her tears, blinding her.

The hospital came into view, and she screeched into the parking lot and jumped out, not bothering to close the car door.

Inside, the front desk nurse looked up as Myla ran in, her face frantic.

"I'm here..." she gasped. "...for Hayden Oakley... they... they said he was just brought in from an accident."

The nurse's eyes widened slightly in recognition, then sympathy flashed behind them. She nodded as she checked the computer in front of her.

"Yes, ma'am, but he's currently still in surgery. It might take a while."

"A while?" Myla choked. "Will he be okay?"

Before the nurse could answer, a voice said softly, "Mrs. Oakley?"

She turned sharply.

Two uniformed officers approached her, their eyes soft with serious faces.

She rushed to them. "Y... yes, I'm Myla Oakley. That's me. Is he... what happened?"

They guided her gently to a nearby chair.

She sat down slowly, trembling.

One officer crouched to her level. Your husband was in a hit-and-run. It was... bad, ma'am."

Myla's body went cold, and her trembling intensified.

"Eyewitnesses said he stopped to buy flowers from a roadside vendor when a car at high speed hit him. Unfortunately, the vendor didn't make it, but by some miracle, your husband survived. The emergency team was shocked when they discovered he was still alive."

She looked at them numbly, tears falling freely now.

"We don't know the full extent yet," the second officer added. "But he's in critical condition."

They proceeded to ask her the standard questions.

She answered all of them in a daze.

As they started to leave, one officer paused and turned back to her. "If you have someone you can call to wait with you," he said gently, "you should."

Her hands trembled as she picked up her phone. Only two people came to mind. Her husband's best friends.

She called Beck.

He answered after two rings. "Myla?"

Sobs racked her body as she blubbered out. "Hayden... accident... hospital. I don't know what to do... they said he's in bad shape..."

"Where are you?" His voice snapped into action.

"Mercycrest General," she sobbed.

"Hold on, we're coming."

An hour passed that felt like months. She sat in that chair, her body numb and mind blank. It was like everything around her was muted.

Then she saw two men walk up to the front desk, one tall and muscular, the other tall but with a slimmer build.

The nurse pointed her out to them, and they came straight to her.

They sat on either side of her, and Beck stroked her hair gently. "How are you holding up?" he asked in a low, soft voice.

Jared gently wiped the tears from her face with his handkerchief. She broke down, sobbing as the dam in her broke.

They pulled her into their arms, surrounding her with their warmth, their scent, and their strength, anchoring her.

She didn't know when she cried herself to sleep, but she woke up to her head on Beck's lap, his hand stroking her hair, while her legs were on Jared's.

They waited for ten long hours before the doctor came to them, looking tired and worn out.

"The surgery lasted for eight hours. I'm glad to say it was successful," he said. "But..."

They looked at him apprehensively.

"He had extensive spinal damage, a shattered vertebra, and internal bleeding. We almost lost him on the table when he flatlined, but we were able to get him back."

Myla covered her mouth as another sob escaped her.

"There is swelling in his brain. He's in a coma. We don't know when or if he'll wake up. We'll keep him in the ICU until further notice."

Jared's jaw clenched. "What's the prognosis?"

The doctor hesitated. Then, honestly, not too good. What I am most concerned about is the spine injury and what side effects it would have, but we will know better when the swelling in the brain goes down."

Beck let out a sharp breath and rubbed Myla's back.

The doctor added, "But... he's a strong and healthy young man. Don't lose hope."

Then he left.

Jared touched her shaking shoulders, his voice steady like a calm in the storm. "Hayden's a stubborn man; he'll come back to us." His voice broke a little; he paused, clearing it before he continued. "And you know him; he's too damn headstrong to let an ordinary car accident take him away from you."

Beck nodded in agreement, but beneath the faux calm on their faces, Myla could see the cold fear in their eyes.

-------

A soft voice pulled her out of her memory. "Myla?"

She blinked, looking around.

The SUV had stopped, and Hayden was looking at her with concerned blue eyes.

"You okay?" he asked gently. "You looked like you were about to cry."

She sniffed, opened her purse, and pulled out a tissue. "I'm fine. Just... grateful you're still here with me." She said as she carefully dabbed her eyes.

Hayden's eye softened, and he reached for her... then stopped himself.

Then he cleared his throat, the cold mask sliding back into place. "Gather yourself. We've arrived."

The rear doors opened, the ramp lowered, and he rolled out.

Myla sat there for a second, her heart aching. "For a moment there, he almost touched her."

She took a deep breath, stepped out of the car, and looked up at the sleek glass skyscraper belonging to her husband in front of her.

Oakley Corporation International.

Today, she would see Beck and Jared face-to-face for the first time since that night.

She wasn't sure if she was more afraid of seeing them again... or more desperate to.

Myla walked into the conference room and took the empty seat between Carter, president of the local bank, and Scott, her husband's financial manager. Her husband moved ahead and positioned his chair at the front of the room. Jared and Beck walked over to him, and they started discussing something together in low tones.

One thing about Beck and Jared was that they always exuded an aura of dangerous, lethal ability. Maybe it was their military history or the fact that, apart from being major shareholders in the Oakley Group, they were co-owners of a highly rated private security firm. They were both above six feet tall, with Beck being like an inch shorter than Jared, and except for that and eye color, they could almost be twins. Both had brown hair, but Beck's eyes were green while Jared had brown eyes. Each provided a foil for her husband's curly blond hair and blue eyes.

There was no way around the fact that they were three very attractive men that had sex appeal. She blushed as she remembered the night in the pool room, the expressions of love and lust on their faces, their beautiful bodies, and the hot, dirty talk. To say she had been shocked was a gross understatement; she had met several of the beautiful women Jared and Beck had dated over the past few years and had never seen any signs that they were gay or fucking each other. In fact, if she wanted to be honest with herself, she had sometimes felt a surprising sense of jealousy toward those women.

Before she and Hayden married, she used to call them three musketeers in her head, because when you found one, you found all three, but after their marriage, they toned it down... a lot, even to the extent she was scared that she ruined their friendship, but when she had told Hayden her concern, he had said she was overthinking things.

Myla had lost most of her friends when she had become too busy with legal problems associated with the sale of her business and had little time for socializing. She lost the rest when she and Hayden married and moved to their estate in the mountains. After the accident, Myla had become more and more isolated, first while Hayden was in the hospital and then even more when he finally returned home. If it hadn't been for Jared and Beck, she would have probably gone crazy.

The meeting was called today because Hayden was soon going to have major surgery on his spine in about six weeks, and she knew he wanted to get some urgent business matters settled before then.

"Do you know what's up?" Scott whispered as he shifted his chair closer.

"No idea," she replied, moving her chair away from his. The smell of alcohol seemed to ooze from his pores. His face had mottled red blotches and sagging jowls and was framed by thinning, dirty blond hair. He used to be an attractive man before alcoholism ruined him. What's worse is that he still believed he was still attractive.

"Gold-digging bitch!" he mumbled beneath his breath as he caught her expression of disgust.

Myla only turned away from him; she was so not in the mood for his bullshit today. It was no secret that he never liked her since she broke a bottle over his head when he tried groping her when she and Hayden started dating. Even though she understood that Hayden kept him in employment because he was very good at what he did and he had been with him from the start of the company, she felt that he was due for a replacement. She looked up to see Beck and Jared angrily glaring at Scott. She smiled and shook her head when they glanced at her. They always have an uncanny awareness of when she is upset.

Hayden turned to the group as Jared and Beck took their seats on each side. God, when they were in the same frame, they looked good enough to eat, and she had heard many women and men say the same thing over the years.

"I've called this meeting because I'll be away for at least 2 months, or possibly longer, and want to make sure you understand that you will be unable to contact me at all during that time, so I will be assigning one person to stand in my place." He nodded at Anna, his attorney. 'That includes all decisions concerning anything involving Oakley Corp., both legal issues and financial."

Hayden paused and looked around to note their reactions to the news. He continued, "I discussed this matter with Myla..."

"Oh, please," Scott interrupted, "no disrespect intended, but don't you think that role is more fit for someone with business intellect? Your wife probably can handle household problems well, but she's definitely not qualified to handle the responsibilities you've outlined."

Scott looked at the others in the room like he was challenging them as he continued. "With my degree in finance and my experience in running my own business, surely I am the most qualified person in this room."

"Well, Scott," Hayden said in a cool voice. "Myla actually declined my offer for her to run my operations in my absence. She is in the process of finalizing the sale of another business of hers. You have heard of My-Design, Inc., haven't you?"

Myla watched with satisfaction as Scott's jaw dropped in shock.

"That's the business Myla started and built into the international business it is today with just an idea and her hard work. Myla is more than qualified for anything she chooses to do." He finished coldly.

He turned back to the rest of the group. "Deciding who would be acting on my behalf was a 'no-brainer' for me. But, because my first option said no, effective the twenty-fifth of next month, all financial and corporate problems should be referred to, and decisions will be made by Beck Garner. Jared Lotto will be handling all finances related to the estate and other properties."

Before anyone could say anything, Scott jumped up, his face red. "I don't believe I am the only one who thinks this is the most ridiculous decision ever. You can't seriously be giving all of that power to some glorified bodyguards?" he sneered, looking around the room, hoping to see that the others will agree with him. But they all looked at his outburst with disgust.

"No, seriously, what experience does either one have in dealing with major financial decisions or running a business, or anything else for that matter? They're just hired muscle for Christ's sake."

Hayden's body stiffened, and his eyes narrowed in anger as he watched Scott.

would

"Walker," snarled Scott to the manager of the company. "You can't tell me that you want a bodyguard coming into your office, telling you how to run the company."

"Well, Scott," Walker drawled coldly, "those mere bodyguards are also the owners of the thriving J&B Security firm, plus they handled things well when Hayden was hospitalized and know exactly what Hayden would do in any given situation concerning the corporation."

Scott's face got redder at his words.

"And," Walker continued, "we've all seen Beck and Jared make several suggestions over the last few years that saved Oak Corps more than tens of thousands of dollars. I admit I would hire him in a minute as my vice president if I wasn't sure he'd have my job within a month, or less."

Everyone laughed as Beck made a slight bow to Walker.

Hayden grinned and said, "Walker, I can assure you your job is safe from Beck." He turned to Scott, his smile disappearing. "You, I wanted to do this in private, but since you decided to be so open today, let me follow your lead..." He turned and nodded at Anna.

Anna smiled. "Mrs. Oakley noticed some inconsistencies in the accounts and called our attention to them. We investigated and discovered that you have been siphoning funds from the company. Care to explain?"

Scott looked wildly around the room. "This is a fucking setup! Everyone knows that these two bitches never liked me. Y'all can't possibly believe them over me-'

"Enough!" Myla shouted as she shot up from her seat, glaring at Scott. "First, we have enough evidence against you, so I suggest you prepare your lawyers. Secondly, you have no right to question any decisions we make. If we wanted your opinion, we would have asked for it. Now, either sit down and shut up, or get out."

Hayden's chest expanded with pride as he watched his wife. Jared and Beck exchanged a smile before they turned their attention back to Scott.

Scott's face was contorted in rage, spit spraying from his mouth as he screamed, "Ooh, I get it now. Hubby can't get it up, so you're fucking the bodyguards. Everyone has heard the rumors that the three of them used to share their women all the time, and it looks like they're still sharing!"

Myla stared at him, dumbfounded, for a few seconds. Then she sneered, "Where did you hear such a ridiculous rumor? First, you're a crook, now a gossipmonger?" She laughed in his face, then continued. "You're pathetic, and you will be hearing from our lawyers soon. You are done. Just get out of here."

 "Get out of my way, bitch." He roughly tried to force Myla to back up as he pushed by her, deliberately hitting her in the stomach with his elbow.

Myla gasped, then punched him back hard. Scott staggered back and tripped over his fallen chair. He lunged forward, trying to keep his balance, and fell full force on her, knocking her to the floor. Her head hit the marble floor hard, and the sound echoed through the room.

 Hayden's bellow of rage filled the room.

 Jared vaulted the conference table and roughly grabbed Scott off her. Beck was already at Myla's side, checking her over as Hayden rolled up beside him.

 Setting Scott on his feet, Jared plowed his fist into Scott's midsection. The blow knocked Scott into the wall, and he slid down to the floor, vomiting all over himself and groaning as he held his stomach.

Myla moaned softly and tried to get up, but Beck gently held her down. "Take it easy, Myla. You hit your head pretty hard there.

Myla's vision swam as she laughed weakly but didn't try to get up again.

"Jared!" Beck yelled when he saw him preparing to hit Scott again. "Don't waste your energy on that waste of space. It may take time before the ambulance gets here; we need to get her to the hospital. You know how tricky head wounds can be, and I'm not liking the dazed look in her eyes right now."

Hayden looked coldly at Scott, then raised his eyes to the stunned gazes of those left standing at the conference table. "Meeting over! Someone get that asshole out of my sight. As far as I'm concerned, he can stink up his own car until a tow truck can move it out of here. Anna, I'll call you tomorrow. I want legal steps taken to shut that filthy mouth of his."

"Okay, boss. Am I correct in assuming you are also going to pull your financial portfolio from his firm?" Anna asked smugly.

"Immediately, thanks for reminding me."

 "Hayden," said Carter spoke up cautiously as Jared gently picked Myla up. "I don't think Scott meant to deliberately hurt Myla."

"I don't know, Carter; to me it looked like he deliberately tried to knock Myla aside as roughly as he could, and he has a nasty reputation for physically abusing the women he's been associated with in the past. I don't think he's changed."

Carter nodded in understanding.

Hayden turned to Scott, moaning, shaking from. "All these years, I have ignored the derogatory words you use with women and your alcoholism, but you crossed the line when you dared to harm my wife. I will fucking ruin you." He growled out. Then followed Jared as he carried Myla out, with Beck closely behind.

* * * * * * * *

Jared placed Myla in Beck's arms, got into the SUV, and then Beck gently placed her back in his arms. She curled instinctively into his lap as he cradled her like she was made of glass.

Hayden wheeled himself in and locked into position, his eyes never leaving her face. Beck slid into the front passenger seat beside the driver, giving a clipped order to move.

 The car sped off.

 The air inside was tight with worry.

Jared glanced down at her, gently brushing hair from her damp forehead. Her eyes were unfocused, her breathing was shallow, and she kept mumbling random things under her breath.

She blinked slowly, her lips parting like she was about to speak. But her words were slurred. "Don't... take..."

"Myla, don't what?" He asked as he leaned down to hear better.

"Don't... to Crest hospi..." she mumbled, barely above a whisper.

"It's the closest, honey," Jared said softly, finally understanding her.

 Her brow creased. She whined, a soft, childlike sound. "No... no, not there... too many bad memories... don't want to go..."

Jared looked up, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror where Beck's worried eyes met his. It was the same place Hayden had been rushed to after the accident.

Then she started thrashing slightly, still mumbling, No... no, under her breath.

"It's okay," Hayden said quietly, his voice low and warm. "We won't go there, baby. We'll go somewhere else."

"Okay," she breathed out. Then she started humming a broken melody under her breath.

Hayden let out a worried sigh. "She is getting more loopy." He looked at the driver. "Steve to St Veronica, I have already texted the MD that we're coming. Speed up." He said sharply as he reached over and caressed her hair.

She leaned into the touch, then suddenly turned her head toward him, startling him, and Jared quickly adjusted to support her head better.

"You're touching me," she whispered like she was amazed. Then she gave him a sleepy smile. "It's been so long since you touched and looked at me like that..."

She blinked slowly, her eyes glassy. "I thought you didn't love me anymore."

Hayden's breath caught. The words hit like a knife in his gut. He swallowed hard, opened his mouth to speak-

But her eyes rolled back, and she slumped deeper into Jared's chest.

"Myla!" Jared panicked, tapping her cheek repeatedly. "Hey... hey... come on, sweetheart, open your eyes-"

"I felt a bump on her head; make sure she doesn't fall asleep," Hayden said, panicked.

A beat later, her eyes fluttered open.

She blinked slowly, dazed. Jared let out a heavy breath of relief.

"Just try to stay awake, baby," he murmured, nuzzling her hair. "We're almost there."

She made a soft sound and curled tighter into him.

When they pulled up to the clinic, two nurses were already waiting with a gurney. Jared placed her on it, and they all watched grimly as she was wheeled away.

Hayden sat still, his chair by the tall windows, staring at the sterile white floor. Beck leaned against the wall while Jared paced.

Her words echoed again and again in Hayden's head: "I thought you didn't love me anymore."

He closed his eyes as his chest clenched painfully.

After the accident, everything had changed. The months of pain, different experts and specialists, long surgeries, and long, sleepless nights in a hospital bed, unable to move. He had thought he knew devastation when the doctor had told him he would never walk again. But the worst came when he found out he was impotent.

Something inside him had cracked open and bled dry that day. The crash didn't just physically break him; it also stripped him of what made him a man.

He had always loved Myla with his whole being; their one year of dating and two years of marriage had been heaven. Their sex life had been raw, wild, and consuming. He used to take her up against walls, bend her over the kitchen counter, and wake her up with his mouth between her thighs.

And suddenly... He couldn't stand or walk... couldn't even get hard.

So what did he have left to offer her.

He became bitter... angry. Hated himself for needing help to do basic things; her comfort and care felt like pity. He felt like he was watching her try to love a ghost.

He started pulling away, locked in his head. Even Jared and Beck had confronted him more than once, telling him to stop pushing her away.

But he didn't know how to face her without feeling like a useless failure of a man.

He thought he was sparing her from the burden that he had become.

Now he saw the truth. All that time, she had been hurting, too. And his mercy had made her believe he didn't love her anymore.

He rubbed a hand over his mouth, his throat aching as he looked out the window.

But there was one thing none of them knew, one thing he had never told a soul.

He remembered one thing too clearly from the hit and run. Seconds before the masked-up driver hit him, he had winked and saluted Hayden.

The crash was no accident. It had been an assassination attempt.

And with the latest evidence he got recently, it seems like they were not done yet.