Victor's POV

I had to stop myself from punching the computer screen when I watched the footage Sean had requested. Marissa's entire body language changed the moment she realized Jackson was in the room with her - it screamed fight or flight. Corey swore from behind me, "Fucking hell! How did she ever let herself get mixed up with these two?"

Running my hand over my face, I groaned, "I don't know, man. She says they were totally different in the beginning and it was just scene play. We need to talk to Luke. He's the first one she confided in about them. Maybe there's something we're missing." I grabbed my phone and sent him a text: Hey Luke, can Corey and I swing by? We need to ask you about Marissa's poly relationship.

Luke: Sure thing, Just come on in the back, I'm decorating cookies.

Thirty minutes later we were sitting around a large table watching Luke pipe skeletons onto sugar cookies. "So what did you two need?" he asked, never looking up.

"What can you tell us about her relationship with Jackson and Chloe? We're trying to figure out if this was all planned, or did something happen along the way," Corey asked.

Luke paused for a moment, grabbing the black icing, then said, "Well when she told me about it, she said it started as a healing thing for her, but a side experiment for them. She didn't pinpoint exactly when things had started to change, but I'm guessing it wasn't long before we approached the company the first time." He frowned for a moment, then looked up, "She did say they were her only friends at the time. I remember that made me feel unbelievably sad." I remember Gabe mentioning how up and down Luke had been that day as well.

"Didn't you say she mentioned being late the day Owen and the other met them for the first time?" I asked. "I wonder how things were then?"

Corey let out a low whistle between his teeth, "That's a slippery slope Vic. How would you feel if Marissa watched old sex tapes of you and Sang, or you and any of the guys without your permission?" Luke and both went wide-eyed. I hadn't thought of it that way, I just wanted to help her. It never occurred to me that we might stumble on private moments as well.

I sighed, "I see your point, sorry. I guess we'll have to wait until big Marissa can answer our questions."

Luke pulled out another sheet of undecorated cookies in the shape of pumpkins and grinned, "You know, there is a way to solve all our problems."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" asked Corey.

"Your team pulls their heads out of their asses, and we all propose to her," he giggled at his own suggestion. "We get the woman of all our dreams, she has fourteen husbands who would move heaven and earth for her. No more creepy business partners and her Father can't touch her. See, a win-win."

I just sat in stunned silence, while Corey sputtered and mumbled about Luke being off his rocker, but he still grinned as he painted similar faces on the cookies. His eyes danced when they met mine. Would she?

****

It was later than we'd planned when we got home. Corey and I had stayed to help Luke finish the cookies and get everything packed for Marissa's office party. When we walked into the house it smelled amazing. I could tell North and Silas had stopped by North's favorite German restaurant on the way home. Marissa and Sean were hiding in a blanket fort eating as they watched the old Peter Pan movie. Kota sat watching them while almost everyone else was in the dining room. He inclined his head as he saw us come in, then smiled as the two giggled inside their fort.

We grabbed a plate and discussed our day. A few moments later, Marissa and Sean came in pinkies linked. "So how was your day little ones?" Corey asked.

Sean scowled, "Bear hurt bug." All eyes raised and turned to Raven who flushed.

Marissa tugged Sean's arm, "He made it better with kisses, Seany." Sean did not look convinced.

"Well, I for one, think I want to know more...Raven?" Corey said in a controlling voice. Oh, yeah, if I had any doubts about him being a hardcore dom before, those just disappeared. His tone rivaled Owen and Kota's at that moment.

Raven sighed, "Solnechnyy svet, it's not what you think. Malen'kaya shalun'ya broke a rule and received a punishment."

"Just what rule did she break and how did you punish her?" Corey pushed, his gaze unwavering.

"She drew on my hands with a marker and did not say sorry," he explained and showed the marker drawings still on his fingernails. Yeah, those aren't coming off anytime soon, I laughed to myself. "I had planned to take her sweets when Owen brought in cookies, but malen'kaya shalun'ya chose a spanking instead - one for each mark, so four."

"So why does Sean think you hurt her, and what did she mean about kisses making it better?" Nate interjected.

Owen cleared his throat, "Seems little Sean is fiercely protective of her. I had to leave the room with him while they worked out her punishment. He was quite upset when he saw her tears upon our return."

"Okay, well that explains the first part," North said, "now what about the kisses?"

"Bear seemed upset after he punished me, Daddy North. Then he kissed me," Marissa said and proudly added, "I like Bear's kisses. His face is scratchy and it feels nice."

Luke and Gabe let out peals of laughter. "Pay up bitches! Told you the Russian would fucking cave first," Gabe swore, holding out his hand as others reached in their pockets for cash.

"Wait, I kissed her yesterday," Marc said with a pout.

"Yeah, but it was a tiny peck," Luke said, "Based on Raven's blush and sugar's grin, they did more than a five-second peck on the lips." Sean huffed and pulled her into his lap, putting his head on her shoulder.

"None of you are upset?" Raven asked, his eyes wide as he looked around the table.

Kota snorted and shook his head as he walked back from the fridge. "Like I told Corey, we all saw it the minute you and he stepped on the porch."

"Why would we be? Are you planning on stealing her away from us?" North smirked.

"Or are you going to fucking tell the woman how you really feel for a damned change?" Gabe added.

All five members of the Toma team shared a silent conversation. When Axel's eyes filled with tears and he left the room, the conversation ended.

The silence was broken when an unfamiliar ringtone came from Marissa's bag. "May I answer your phone, kitten?" Kota asked her and she nodded, still intertwined in Sean's arms.

"Marissa Ryland's phone, Kota Lee speaking," he said in a professional tone. We could hear the screeching voice of Chloe Phelps on the other end demanding to speak to Marissa and asking why he was answering her phone. "Ma'am, yes, well if you would let me speak." He moved the phone away from his ear and paused, "Mrs. Phelps!" he shouted, bringing her voice to a halt. Bringing his tone back down, he continued, "As I was trying to say, she is meeting with Mr. Taylor right now about your office party food list. I'd be happy to take a message and have her call you back at her earliest convenience." This time the woman spoke where we couldn't hear and Kota ended the call quickly.

"Owen," Sean whined in a panicked voice. We turned to see Marissa, face pale and shaking. She was clinging to him for dear life. He kept petting her hair and pressing kisses to her face, "I'm here my little bug. I will never let them hurt you," he whispered as he rocked her, "Stay with me, Marissa, stay with me please." In seconds her body went slack, her eyes rolling back in her head. Owen grabbed her out of Sean's arms as Sean ran for his medical bag, fully back in his normal state now.

I grabbed a pillow off the couch and placed it under her head as Owen placed her on her side in case she seized again. Sean knelt down, checking her vitals as he'd done last night, then let out a whimper as he tugged at his own hair. "I don't know how to help her," he said under his breath. Luke bent down behind him and wrapped his arms around him. Sean sagged against him as we all sat there helplessly waiting for her to wake up.

Author's Notes: Welcome to the entire fourteen friends...  The Tomas are quite persuasive when they set their minds to it, and apparently, they wanted to join this little world too.

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