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.

"So... you three were in the habit of sharing your women.” Myla blurted out before she could stop herself. “And what am I? Chopped liver?”

Those were the first words she said to them immediately after they stepped into her room this morning. The doctor had kept her for observation, worried about her slurred speech and the large bump on her head. Myla hadn't seen them since the nurses chased them away late last night after visiting hours.

Myla started laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath at the pure shock plastered across their faces. “Oh my God, you should see your faces,” she managed through gasps of laughter. “I’m so glad the painkillers have finally kicked in, or I’d be in agony right now. Whew! Your faces, man.”

Suddenly, Myla sat up in bed, and her voice hardened, the laughter vanishing. “I would no longer let you shut me out again. I’ve tried to respect your boundaries, tried to understand how you felt after the surgeries, but I’m your wife, and damn it, I expect you to treat me that way. Not like someone you’ve lost feelings for but are just tolerating.”

Jared and Beck exchanged wary looks and quickly backed toward the door. Beck paused, mouthed 'whoop his ass, girl', before closing the door behind him.

“Myla! That’s not true! My God, how can you think such a thing? I love you,” Hayden protested.

“How can I think such a thing? What about the last two years you’ve been out of the hospital, Hayden? I know we couldn’t have sex but you could've held my hand, kissed me once in a while, or just put your arm around me occasionally. Whenever I asked you how you were doing with your physical therapy, you shut me down and changed the subject. You even buried yourself in your study at mealtimes. Ninety-five percent of my meals were eaten alone or with your bestfriends! If not for them who gave me their warmth and showed their caring in a hundred different ways, I wo...." She paused when her voice cracked and took a deep breath. "You fucking abandoned me, Hay.”

“It was to protect you." Hayden replied softly. "I was only half a man. I didn’t know whether I’d ever walk again or if I’d be able to make love to you like a normal man. I didn’t want you to have to deal with the pain-ridden mess I’d become, or the rage and frustration that would overcome me at the knowledge of the things I couldn’t do anymore. Christ, for almost three months I couldn’t even go to the bathroom by myself.”

“Protect me, my ass,” she snarled at him, fueled by the drugs in her. “Half a man? Give me a break. Even wheelchair-bound, you’re more man than any five thousand men off the street.

“And please, tell me I did not actually hear you say you were afraid you’d be unable to make love to me like a ‘normal man.’ Since when did you have this sudden urge to make love like a normal man? I seem to remember the conference room, and the pantry, and three other rooms in this very house that certainly do not qualify as normal. Come on, Hayden, define your concept of ‘normal’ for me.” She shouted into Hayden’s stunned face.

“And, as your wife, it’s my right to deal with your rage and frustrations and to even wipe your ass, if required. Don’t hand me any more garbage, Hayden. I’m giving you fair warning, I would leave you if you continue like this.” Myla swiped at the tears running down her face until Hayden handed her a tissue and pulled her into his arms as best as he could.

"And I will make sure I wipe you clean in the divorce," She mumbled into his chest.

He held her tightly, his eyes misty. “I'm so sorry that I did that to you, to us. But it was such a fearful time for me. There were many times I wished that I had died in that car crash."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I was wrong to handle things the way I did. I was wallowing in fear and despair and didn’t want you, or anyone else, to try to pull me out of it. I was so caught up in my self hate and pity that I didn't think about how it was affecting you. Actually, deep down I was hoping you would leave me alone and not have to see what I'd become, I won’t try to push you aside this time, I promise.

“On another note, I would prefer to have a bidet installed rather than have you wipe my ass, if you don’t mind,” he said with a grin.

She shook her head with a watery chuckle. “You won’t get an argument out of me on that one.”

She finally managed to catch her breath and wiped her eyes with a tissue.Just as she was dropping the tissue, Jared and Beck came back into the room.

What she said before she unraveled slammed back, and her face reddened with embarrassment.

“Sorry about earlier, the ridiculous things Scott said yesterday have been echoing in my brain through the night, and whatever drug they gave me loosened my tongue." Myla looked from face to face with all of the fake innocence she could muster. "So, have you boys come to take me home?”

The suspicious look Hayden gave her made her think maybe her acting wasn't all that good.

“Uh, Dr. Sorensen said I could leave. You’ve come to take me, right?”

Damn, that didn’t come out quite right.

She cleared her throat. “Home. I mean, you’ve come to take me home, right?”

Myla could feel her face heating up as they stared silently at her like there was something strange on her face.

Oh, for God's sake, why did every word out of her mouth suddenly seem to have a double meaning?

“Okay, never mind. Just leave and I’ll get dressed and call a cab... I have put my foot in my mouth enough this morning. Go on, out!” she shouted, covering her head with the bed cover.

They left silently, but their faces had an odd, pinched tightness that puzzled her. She rang for a nurse to help her dress.

It was a few minutes before one appeared, and she was laughing as she came into Myla’s room. “What on earth did you say to those three men?” the nurse asked with a grin.

“Why? What do you mean?”

The nurse helped Myla to the window and opened it as far as it would go. Myla could hear the sounds of masculine laughter. She looked out onto the park-like setting in the front of the hospital.

There, the three men were holding their sides and roaring with laughter. Hayden let out a belly laughter that nearly tipped his wheelchair over. Jared caught the chair before it could fall, and they erupted into fresh bouts of laughter.

Myla shrugged, she had no idea what she had said that was so funny, but she was very happy to see them so lighthearted. Ever since Hayden’s accident, they had all seemed so sober, so filled with responsibilities and problems. It was a sight to behold, one she wanted to see again and again.

With the nurse’s help, Myla dressed in the clothes Hayden had brought. The nurse insisted that Myla get into the wheelchair to be wheeled to the hospital doors because she’d taken a strong painkiller earlier and would probably be very dizzy and light-headed soon.

Myla reluctantly agreed, but she did get a kick out of it when Hayden maneuvered his big motorized wheelchair beside her smaller, dainty one as the nurse pushed her down the hallway.

Outside the hospital doors, Beck carefully scooped Myla out of her wheelchair, and before he could turn around, Myla looked at Hayden’s wheelchair and the wheelchair she’d just left.

“She’s going to miss you.” She mumbled. “I’m okay, musketeers. Is it one for all, or is it all for one? I can’t remember...”

“What on earth are you talking about, Myla?” Hayden’s brow wrinkled in concern.

“My delicate little push mobile really liked your big, beautiful electric monster there.”

Jared chuckled.

Hayden smiled faintly. "The medication they gave you must be the premium one."

“Will you hold my hand?” she asked him uncertainly.

“Baby, of course, I’ll hold your hand. You're everything to me, Mine. Always remember that.”

Myla took in a breath as she felt her eyes sting with tears. It has been a long since he called her 'Mine'. Maybe this would get better from now on.

Myla whimpered softly in her sleep. In her dream, she was on her back with her eyes blindfolded, then she felt two sets of large, rough hands and lips gliding over her body, caressing, teasing, and kissing.

Someone tugged on her nipples, fingers rolling them expertly while a hot tongue toyed with the second one. Another hand slid between her thighs, fingers plunging into her slick heat, while another gripped her hip, holding her still. Her mouth fell open in a breathless moan.

She arched when she felt it, a thick, hard cock pressing against her entrance, then sliding in slow and deeply.

Her entire body shuddered. "Oh God, yes...deeper," she moaned, her legs spreading wider in the dream.

Beck froze; her soft moans made his cock twitch.

He and Jared had just been trying to slip one of Hayden's oversized nightshirts onto her so she'd be more comfortable. But the second her thighs parted and she moaned, they both froze.

Her eyes were still shut, cheeks flushed, nipples hard, and lips parted. Her bare body glistened faintly under the dim lights of the master bedroom. She was dreaming, and from the looks of it... It was a damn good one.

"Jesus," Beck whispered, his voice hoarse. He reached down and pressed his palm to his cock, trying to ease the ache. "Look at her..."

Jared's jaw tightened as his cock hardened and pressed behind his zipper like it was looking for a way out. His gaze dark and hungry. "She's perfect."

"Gods, this is what you've been keeping hidden," Beck murmured as he ran his hand down the soft skin of her arm.

He turned to Hayden, eyes sharp and angry. "And you've been neglecting her. Did you hear the way she said she thought you didn't love her anymore?" He growled under his breath, trying to keep his voice down. "You've been punishing her, keeping her locked in cold silence like she did something wrong."

Hayden sat across the room in his chair, his fists clenched. "I'm not punishing her," he said quietly. "You know what I've been dealing with-"

Beck rolled his eyes. "Oh, please spare me the pity party. It has been two freaking years, get over-"

Jared threw him a stern look as he cut in, his voice low and calm. "Your sweet, tactile Myla-the one who adores the fuck out of you, and she's suffering, Hayden." His voice softened, "I know you feel with your dysfunction, you're not a real man deserving of her, but I remember when we were still together, you used to live for giving pleasure. Have you allowed the accident to kill that part of you, too?"

Hayden looked at Myla. His eyes softened,  "God, he missed her so much."

Jared went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as they both looked at her with adoring eyes. "You were always selfish about her...wouldn't even let us near her when you knew we als-"

A soft rustle cut them off.

Myla stirred, and her eyes opened, blinking groggily. Froze, her gaze shifting between their tense faces. "Is everything alright?"

Then she noticed she was naked and quickly pulled the sheet over her naked breasts while Jared and Beck rushed to her, piled pillows against the headboard, and eased her up into a sitting position.

"Baby, you had us so worried. Are you in pain?" Hayden said as he maneuvered his wheelchair next to the bed, anxiously looking into her eyes, while Jared and Beck hovered nearby.

"Not right now, but I do have to use the bathroom, and suddenly I'm starving. But the bathroom is the top priority. So, if you guys will give me some privacy, I'd appreciate it."

Myla got as far as swinging her legs to the side of the bed before Beck swooped in, tossed the sheet aside, picked her up stark-naked, walked into the bathroom with her, and placed her on the toilet seat.

Her sputters of outrage fell on deaf ears.

"Here's how it's going to be for the next twenty-four hours. You will not get up by yourself, especially if you are feeling light-headed."

"Get out of here," Myla growled as she picked up a bottle and flung it at him. "Now."

Beck laughed and quickly shut the door. The bottle thumped against the door and rolled away.

He turned to Hayden, his face going serious. "You have to be very watchful because she has had a bad concussion before. We don't know when her dizziness will spike."

"She has been concussed before?" Hayden asked, sounding very agitated.

"Yeah, about a year ago, when you started locking yourself away in the west wing. She went for a walk after it snowed. I guess her mind was distracted, and she slipped on a patch of ice, fell, and hit her head on a rock." Beck replied to him coldly. "She managed to call me before she blacked out. I was already on my way to the estate, so I was able to get here before she lost too much blood or froze."

Hayden glared at him and whisper-yelled. "Why the hell am I just hearing about this?"

Beck raised a brow at him. "I called you, but you didn't pick up or call back. And when we got back from the hospital, she begged me not to tell you because she didn't want to bother you." He replied in a dry tone. "You live with her, how did you not notice your wife had a bandage around her head for more than a week?" He volleyed back.

Hayden's face went stony. He turned, ignoring Beck's query. "You better go check up on Jared."

Beck stared pensively at Hayden for a moment, then shook his head and went to find Jared.

After a while, Myla came out looking fresher and more awake.

"Come on, Myla. You know you don't have to be embarrassed about Jared and Beck seeing you naked." Hayden said as he saw the glare on her face.

She sat down near the foot of the bed, her back to the doorway. "Oh, I know that, Hayden. They aren't interested in me that way."

"Uh, are you sure about that? That was a pretty good-sized erection they were both sporting before they left," said Hayden with an impish smile.

"Hayden, I can assure you that those erections were definitely not for me. Honestly, Hayden! Please believe me, neither man has ever made the slightest improper move toward me."

"I know, but you know both of them love you, right?"

Myla cut him off, still defending his friends. "Well, I'm sure they love me as a friend, but it's definitely not sexual in nature."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Please don't let me say something I'm not sure they are ready to tell you yet."

Hayden looked at her, confused, "Tell me what?"

"I believe she is referring to the fact that we like men, Hayden," Beck said as he and Jared came into the bedroom. "Myla saw Jared and me in the pool several weeks ago. Didn't you, Myla?"

Her face went bright red. "I didn't know you saw me."

"We're sorry if we shocked or disgusted you. It's just that by the time we realized you were there, we couldn't seem to stop." Beck said.

"Disgust me? My God, I couldn't tear my eyes from the two of you. It was one of the hottest things I've ever seen."

She turned back to Hayden. "They're gay, did you know?"

Hayden smiled and placed a kiss on the palm of her hand. "Yes, love, but more like Bi."

Something in his eyes made her pause, then realization slammed into her. She asked in a small voice. "So Scott wasn't lying..."

The three men exchanged tense, worried glances.

"I'm sorry, love. I should've told you before," Hayden said quietly. He rolled closer to the bed, stopping at the edge. "It wasn't just sharing," he continued. "Beck, Jared, and I... we were lovers. Long before you ever met me."

Myla's breath caught. Betrayal and arousal warring in her. Betrayal that for the five years of their relationship, he hadn't told her, and arousal because the image of the three of them together was the hottest thing she could ever imagine.

"No, Myla. Please, love, don't look at me that way. The three of us have not been lovers since I met and fell in love with you."

Silence stretched between them. Myla's heart was pounding in her chest. "And you didn't trust me enough to tell me all this while."

Hayden reached out and held her hands. "I left that part of myself behind because I was scared you would judge me for it and leave me. I couldn't risk it."

"He said it like it was some dirty little secret, but it wasn't. We loved each other in our own way. We still do." Beck said softly, his gaze drifting between Hayden and Jared before landing on her. "That kind of bond... never really dies."

Jared gave Beck a slight frown. Then he turned to Myla. "But we chose to respect his wishes because we saw how much he loved you. I won't lie, we wanted you badly, but Hayden's happiness was more important."

Myla's lips parted, but no words came.

Hayden's voice dropped, raw and quiet. "And now, after everything... after the accident, the way I've treated you... If you want them, Myla-if you need what I can't give you, I won't stop you."

She stared at him, eyes wide.

"You're my wife," he said. "But you're also a woman. And I'd rather see you touched by hands that I know love you, than watch you slowly wither waiting for something I may never give again."