The sound of deep voices seemed to echo around me, and I pondered on whether or not I'd fallen asleep and this was now a dream.
My eyes felt so heavy, but my sluggish mind wouldn't let me fall asleep. If I’m even awake.
The voices were getting louder, and it was starting to annoy me.
"How the hell did all four of us get summoned at once?"
"I don't know."
"Why the fuck are we naked?"
"We are so not… FUCK! Where’d my Givenchy jumpsuit go?! It was limited edition!"
"No one gives a fuck about your Givenchy clothing. You have a damn walking closet of Givenchy. One lost outfit won't break your bank."
"Oh no, no, no. That bad boy is one of only three damn sets in the fucking world. I'm not stealing Jeffree Star's, and I don't even want to think about who has the other one."
"Are we really talking about this right now?"
"Can you guys be serious?"
"Stop talking so loud. You'll wake her up."
"She's awake."
"No, she's not."
"Soooo… are we just gonna stand here naked, or find something to wear before she opens her eyes?"
"She's not awake!"
"Says Mr. Givenchy."
"I'm Magnificent to you."
"And I'm Mr. Shut The Fuck Up."
"That's the new nickname for Vengeance."
"Fuck off."
"Or he'll vengefully slap you."
"I'll slap the shit out of all three of you if you don't get serious and be quiet."
The room was silent after that, and I decided I was intrigued enough to open my eyes. It took me a few moments to adjust my blurry vision before I noticed the shadow of someone standing near the end of the bed.
Any normal person would be freaking out at the possibility of someone being in their hotel room in the middle of the night, but I was least concerned by it as I gradually sat up with the lamp still in my hand; I held it like it was my only prized possession.
Blinking a few times, I realized there were four very handsome men standing around the end of my bed.
Four very naked delicious men that I am suddenly very aware of.
Before I could even react, the one on the far left raised his hands up defensively. "Before you freak out, can we at least put some clothes on?"
The middle one sighed, and the other two shook their heads.
"I knew I wasn't the idiot in the group."
"At least it's been confirmed yet again."
"Oh, c'mon. I'm not an idiot. It's respecting your clients who wish upon you. I swear it's in the contract."
I slowly took in his naked body, before glancing at the other three. "You can stay naked. Nice sight to see," I mumbled.
The four of them stared at me blankly before the guy on the far left chuckled. "I like her."
"We're doomed," groaned the male on the right.
My gaze locked onto the man on the left, deciding to start with taking in his appearance before he sadly put on some clothes; I would try to figure out where he'd get some later.
He stood at 6'6" with light blond hair that shifted to a strawberry red, putting the name strawberry blond to shame with its beautiful two tones. His complexion was slightly pale, but I could tell right away he was of Asian descent, loving his soft facial features that reminded me of those Japanese or Mandarin models.
His eyes were black and his smooth pink lips completed his "cute handsome" look, and I leaned to the side slightly to see his hair was indeed in a ponytail, the loose ends resting against his broad back. He was defined and had a cool dragon tattoo on his left arm that ran from his bicep down to his wrist. He had a rounder face compared to the others and wasn't as buff as them, but it didn't make him less impressive. It really balanced them out.
I moved onto guy number two who stood next to strawberry blond.
Guy two stood at 6'5" and had ginger hair that was currently loose, those orange-red locks resting to his shoulders. His freckles made his complexion lighter, which made me realize he either was Caucasian or a mixture of two races, but I wasn't confident with my observation.
Those alluring blue eyes displayed a level of kindness that must have been illegal or something, and he was giving me surfer vibes, but maybe I'd been watching too many beach movies before all of this madness.
All I knew from first glance, was that he had goodness within him and it practically overflowed out of him. He was fit just like the others, but his abs weren't as defined, and he had no tattoos. He immediately registered as the holy one in the group.
Moving on to the next guy, I had to pause to appreciate how hot and deadly he appeared. Yes, a man can look deadly.
He stood at 6'7" and was the tallest in the group. He had navy blue hair that was currently in the sexiest man bun I'd ever seen in my existence and, oh man, those EYES!
They were what pulled me in, and it was getting difficult to appreciate the rest of him. Silver orbs with hints of purple and blue, reminding me of the galaxy we saw in movies and through telescopes, stared back at me. I wasn't the type to fall head over heels based on looks alone, but this piece of artwork was making me forget my morals. That’s a first.
When I was finally able to look away for a few seconds, I tried to figure out what his heritage was.
I couldn't tell for sure what culture he was, perhaps Irish? But that could have been a wild guess. He was buff with his broad shoulders and perfectly muscled biceps. His pecs had intriguing tattoos on them, and his abs were on point. All eight of them.
Now, those V-lines were only the preparation for the glorious cock that followed, making me imagine rays of light shining outward and grabbing everyone's attention. Or at least mine.
I could only imagine what kind of butt he had, but then my eyes went back to staring into his eyes, and it took me a lot longer to try and tug them away.
"See? Every time Cole is in the damn picture, females stop breathing. What kind of life is this?"
I turned to study the final fourth guy on the far right.
He stood at 6'5" and was almost just as defined as the person he called Cole. His chocolate rich skin was perfectly smooth, and his oval face, small stubble beard, and long black hair made him look like the perfect chocolate bar that you'd fight for in the candy store.
His hair that flowed beyond his shoulders--and almost made me wonder if it was the same length as mine--intrigued me because it was smooth and silky. That was a characteristic that I'd never seen in my life when I'd observed or met other African Americans. What shocked me most was his bright golden eyes that resembled the shiny metallic color of the lamp itself.
His posture was a bit relaxed, but I could still sense a vibe from him that told me he loved good things. Expensive things. It would explain the whole Givenchy thing, but he didn't give me the impression of snobby or entitlement that some individuals carried with them the moment any expensive brand touched their skin.
My gaze drifted back to Cole's silver galaxy ones and I heard a chuckle to my left. "It's the eyes."
"See? I need to talk with the Jinn Gods! How could they make me Magnificent while Vengeance is getting all the girls in the yard."
"It was to taunt you so you don't get on a high horse and prance around like you own everybody."
"Well, obviously?! I'm not Luke over there."
I looked to my far right to see the golden-eyed man point to the ginger, who shrugged.
"I'm Humble for a reason. I don't see the need to worry about my appearance. I already have the whole package." The ginger named Luke gave his statement with a calm expression.
"That has to count for bragging," Golden-eyes huffed.
"Not really, Jeremiah. The WAY he said it was different," Luke emphasized, moving his hand in a wave gesture. "It was smooth with not a hint of cockiness."
"I'm not cocky," Jeremiah grumbled.
"Did anyone add your name to the sentence? Stop getting sensitive," Cole snapped.
Luke walked over to the bed, and my eyes locked onto his blue ones as he knelt down with a gorgeous, serene smile that lit his face up.
"While Owen makes sure those two don't cause World War 4 in here, looks like you summoned us, Pinky. What's the matter?"
I pouted my lips as I blinked a few times, wondering if this was real. Instead of answering his very clear question, I addressed a different part of his statement. "I don't know if I like Pinky as a nickname."
He blinked a few times and the other three stopped mid-bickering to turn toward me. Luke pondered for a moment before his grin widened. "Why don't we go with Pinky for now, until you figure out a better one. Though, it would be nice to know your name," he suggested.
"Destiny."
Luke looked a bit surprised by my reply and glanced at the others whose expressions were similar.
"Powerful name," Cole whispered.
"Destiny. May we ask you what your full name is?" Owen asked, his black eyes locked on me just like the others.
"Why? Not like I exist or anything." I lowered my gaze to my hands that still held the lamp.
Luke reached out, and the soft brush of his smooth hand against my wet cheek made me realize that I was A: crying… again, and B: that he was literally naked but making an attempt to comfort me. Raising my head, I stared into his troubled blue eyes.
"Why would you say such a thing, Destiny? Do you think we aren't real?"
"No. I do think you're real. Or you must be, unless I died and went to heaven by accident," I mumbled, blinking back more tears.
"In a matter of 24 hours, my perfect life fell into shambles. I woke up to my house being on fire. I escaped, but my cat of 16 years died in the blaze. Just earlier that day, my fiancé broke up with me, and my family said they weren't really my family and that I'm adopted."
I laughed then, which came out sounding horribly eerie.
"Get this. Right as I watched the house that I thought was my home burn up in flames, my boss calls me and fires me. He didn't even care when I lied about being in the blaze. 'Ciao, Destiny' he said. Guess he didn't mind lying on national television that he'd heard me scream to my death as the house collapsed on me."
The four of them were quiet as I sobbed, and Luke reached out to rub my back. "Don't cry."
I nodded, trying to compose myself, but it was hard. The longest seven days of my entire existence and a group of naked men that came out of nowhere cared more about the tears that escaped my eyes than the people I would have done anything for. In the entire world, only these men knew I was still alive and breathing. As sad as it sounded, I was somewhat grateful for their presence. It made me realize I was still real and breathing.
Luke tugged at a portion of the blanket, covering his front side before he maneuvered himself to sit on the bed and pulled me into a hug.
I cried harder then, not even remembering how long it had been since I'd hugged someone. For a while now, I'd noticed the change in Phillip.
Less interactions, fewer phone calls and text messages, and soon it felt like we were almost strangers. Aside from the sex, which eventually dissipated, we'd stopped communicating.
Unless it was an excuse.
Whether he was busy with his meetings or had to travel from one area to another, he didn't want to spend his time with me, and though I expected we'd eventually call off the engagement, I didn't know it was because of another woman who was the 'perfect' image in terms of societies standards.
A perfect blonde haired, blue eyed, skinny beauty who even talked sexy. She didn't catch weird or intriguing looks like I did with my pink highlights and curves that were probably due to the fashion nova jeans. Her model appearance demanded attention, and she got it at every angle. How did I know? She'd walked in and made her debut right in my face, and the pathetic me couldn't even say a word.
No, the kind me didn't want to make a scene and ruin my reputation. I really regret not doing it. Not like it mattered now.
"Destiny. Can you let us know what your real name is? Please? It will make it a bit easier for us to help you." Luke's voice was so nice to listen to when it felt like my world was crumbling yet again.
I slowly pulled away and nodded, not lifting my head to look into his eyes.
"It’s..."
Luke reached out and lifted my head up to meet his focused gaze. "Lift your head up, Pinky. No matter if life feels like it's falling apart, you still have a chance in life."
I swallowed and gave a slight nod before he let go of my chin, and I glanced at the others who were focused on me.
"Destiny Alexa Jinn," I declared, finding some power in my voice to say my real name. It was the first time I really took a second to enjoy the flow of it, and within my heart, it felt good to say it for another set of ears to hear it.
They were completely silent as their eyes grew wide with shock. Luke nodded and turned to face the others. No words were exchanged, but I felt as if something passed through them and they all somehow understood what was going on.
I decided to change the subject, realizing they were all naked and here I was in bed next to one of them in just lingerie. "Um… I know I'm a tad late in asking this, but why are you four naked?"
Jeremiah groaned. "GOOD question! Who's going to find my Givenchy jumpsuit?"
"No one cares about the damn suit!" Owen huffed.
Cole rolled his eyes and looked at me. "We don't know. We usually come with clothes when we're summoned. However, this is an intriguing circumstance."
"Come with clothes when summoned? Who summoned you?"
"You." The four of them spoke in unison.
I was quiet for a moment. "I know I'm a bit sleep deprived, but I think I would have remembered wanting to summon four naked men to my hotel room."
Luke and Owen smirked, while Jeremiah actually chuckled. I noticed a hint of a smile form on Cole's lips, but it was gone in a flash.
"Pinky, you summoned us here. I'm a bit impressed that you were strong enough to call all four of us to one place," Jeremiah praised.
"That's a true fact," Luke noted.
"Impressive." Owen nodded is head in agreement. Cole remained silent, appearing a little annoyed.
"I'm still not following," I admitted, lifting my hand to rub at my heavy eyelids.
They observed me carefully before Cole spoke. "When was the last time you slept?"
"Define sleep," I replied.
"Wasn't she sleeping when we got here?" Jeremiah asked.
"More like light sleep. Does nothing to you if you haven't been getting decent sleep to begin with." Owen rubbed his hand along his jaw as he studied me.
"Do you have insomnia?" Luke asked.
"No," I replied and ruffled my already tangled hair. "I have issues."
"Define issues," Cole said with a monotone voice.
"Not with that attitude," Jeremiah whispered, which made me smile.
"Before we get into that, do I need to summon clothes for you or something? I do love the view, but it's rather distracting and I’d rather embrace my three-month celibacy."
The four of them just stared at me as if they had completely forgotten they were naked.
"What?"
"Uh." Jeremiah looked at the others as if to help him out.
Owen sighed. "We don't have many female Jinn around."
"Huh? Jinn? Like my last name? Actually, shouldn't I also ask you how you guys got in my room? Or go back to the naked part." My thoughts were all scrambled, making it a tad hard to sort them out. I was also exhausted and fighting off the sleep that NOW decided to rear its annoying head to take me away to the land of sleep that I'd desperately wanted all week.
"This is going to take a while to explain and I think it would be more beneficial when you were well rested, bathed, and have something warm to eat," Cole suggested, looking me up and down.
I pouted my lips and grumbled my response. "Don't give me that judgmental look. I also don't need to bathe or rest or anything. Not with you guys here."
"Fine. We can leave," Cole said like he didn't give a care about me or the situation. I was quiet and glanced at the lamp in my hand. I was being snarky because I didn't like his attitude, but I definitely didn't want to be alone. I heard someone groan and Cole made a humph sound. "What the fuck?"
"Stop being an ass. You can tell she doesn't want to be by herself. Go find my jumpsuit or something," Jeremiah huffed.
"Maybe get us some clothes while you're on the search. I’d rather not wear our traditional outfits," Owen added.
"Fine. But I'm not looking for that stupid suit."
"At least get me something Givenchy!" Jeremiah called out. I raised my head to look at the door, but it was still closed. I diverted my eyes to where Cole was standing before, but he was gone.
After turning my head to my right to check if he'd gone through a window or something, I slowly returned my wide-eyed gaze to Luke, who had a sheepish smile on his face.
"Don't freak out. We'll explain."
"Sure… freak out. Ya..." I replied.
"And she's pale." After Owen moved up to the bed and knelt down, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Destiny, we have lots to tell you, but I think you should have a nice bath and then get some shut eye. It'll take a while to explain."
"Do I smell that bad?" I mumbled. I didn’t really want to admit it, but they had mentioned it a few times.
"Not really, but your hair looks like it's going to need a cut if you don't detangle it," Luke mused.
"I don't think I have enough energy to wash my hair...let alone detangle it," I confessed. "I...haven't slept for 7 days."
The room was silent for a moment before the three of them replied. "7 DAYS?!"
"What kind of insomnia is that?" Jeremiah asked.
"Not the natural kind?" I lifted my head to give him a weak smile. "It's been a rough week."
"I can imagine," Luke said softly.
"Have you always had issues sleeping, Pinky?" Owen asked.
It seemed like the nickname Pinky was staying. "I can't sleep alone. It's terrifying. I used to have Snix, my cat… but… you already know..." I trailed off, not wanting to remind myself of the depressing thought.
"We understand," Owen replied. "So, you haven't been able to sleep because you've been alone."
I nodded. "I have no one. No family, no coworkers, no friends. They all think I'm dead. I don't exist anymore. It was cool to watch my funeral on the television." I tried to make it sound cheery, but it was rather horrifying.
"Should have seen my ex-family's faces. The tears and frantic sobs as they laid my empty casket to rest in my grave. People who never talked to me came to cry and wish me farewell. It was rather pretty to watch if I didn't think of it as my own funeral. Are you guys ghosts, by the way? I wonder how a ghost would feel watching their body be buried."
Luke rubbed my back once more and Owen patted my shoulder.
"Hey now. No more down talk till you've had some rest," Owen whispered.
"And we're not ghosts. Jeremiah, can you start a warm bath and find some detangler somewhere?"
"I like cherry detangler," I admitted.
"Cherry?" Jeremiah repeated. "Hmm. Got it."
I looked up and he was gone, which, at this point, didn't feel as much of a slap to my face as Cole's disappearance had. Luke and Owen both got up and snapped their fingers.
My eyes grew wide as clothes materialized onto their bodies. Beautiful golden sashes hung across their chests while loose baggy pants adorned their legs; Luke wore teal bottoms, while Owen sported red ones. Multiple gold bracelets encased their wrists and necklaces polished off their outfits.
"Ya...you guys aren't ghosts." My hushed voice was frail, which got me two worried looks.
"The bath should be done. Shouldn't take long to detangle her hair with a bit of magic." Owen announced as he walked to the washroom.
Luke gave me a small smile. "Definitely not ghosts, but close," he teased.
I gave him my own little smile and tried to get out of bed but failed completely as I leaned forward.
Hands stopped me from falling off the bed and I looked up into concerned blue eyes. "Whoever put such an annoying curse on you will pay." He spoke quietly, his voice thick with conviction.
"Curse? I guess not being able to sleep without a living thing with you could be a curse." I giggled weakly. "You don't know me, but it's nice to have a hint of your concern."
"You're far too kind for someone who's going through a whole lot of shit this week."
"Ah. It's called hopelessness, not-so-naked stranger." I shot him a broad grin.
"Luke."
"Destiny," I replied.
He smiled. "Let's get you washed up."
"You're going to uh… help me?" I was already shocked that these men even cared to begin with. I didn't think they would help me any further than they had just by being here.
The smile that formed on his face once again, took my breath away.
"Yes, Destiny. We want to help. You summoned us because you needed help, didn't you?"
"I… guess I did," I admitted, trying to figure out when I'd exactly requested four sexy men to come to aid me in my distressful situation.
Not like I’m complaining, but it’s a miracle that feels like a fairytale.
"I don't know if I can stand though. I've been feeling sluggish today."
"When was the last time you ate?"
I was quiet, and Luke sighed. "What was the last thing you ate?"
"Some crackers. Like two or three. I drank water though," I said with sincerity, hoping he wouldn't scold me for my malnutritious ways.
He gave me a sympathetic smile and nodded. "Bath, a bit of food and water, then bed."
"But… I can't sleep alone."
"Who said we were leaving?"
I looked at him with hopeful eyes. "You guys will stay? I… I can pay you."
Owen walked out of the washroom. "No payment necessary, Destiny. Compared to humans we don't help our kind for benefit or compensation."
Our kind?
"But..." I wanted to argue, but I was really tired.
Luke picked up on my exhaustion and scooped me into his arms before lifting me up. "We can argue later when you're feeling better. At this rate, you'll get sick if we don't get some food inside ya," Luke suggested.
"All right." I gave up trying and couldn't help resting my head against his chest. It was nice to listen to his heart rate, and it even helped decrease the pounding in my head that I'd been ignoring. "Thank you."
Owen nodded, and Luke replied. "You’re very welcome, Destiny."
Being washed by a man was a weird thought to linger on. It was something Phillip would have never done, that's for sure, which lead to me assuming it was a thing no man would do voluntarily.
Luke immediately changed that viewpoint, helping me wash up without a second thought, before he assisted with my disastrous hair. It was so bad that I urged him just to cut it, but he wouldn't have any of that.
Jeremiah had returned with cherry detangler, and he was wearing a new set of Givenchy clothes, which meant either Cole had returned or Jeremiah had gone and gotten them himself.
After a good 45 minutes of slowly working his way through my hair, Luke was finished. He made sure it was tangle free, combed out, and thoroughly washed with cherry shampoo and conditioner that Jeremiah had also picked up.
During my time relaxing in the bath, Owen had brought a small plate of finger food. It wasn't anything crazy--a bit of crackers, cheese, fruits like strawberries and grapes, and small bits of bread--but I devoured it all and drank a bottle of water.
They had to encourage me to slow down, but it warmed my bitter heart that they even cared whether I ate or choked. By the time I was clean and full, I couldn't fight off the urge to sleep as I nodded in and out of consciousness.
When I opened my eyes briefly, I was in a silky pink pajama set and being carried to my bed by Luke. He lowered me onto the bed, and I thought he'd go away and leave now that the task was done, but he simply removed the gold sash off his chest and crawled in next to me.
He cradling me into a side hug with my head rested against his chest, and I immediately relaxed. I didn't know what words to say, or how to even express my gratitude to these men who had just met me.
They had come when I needed them the most and I couldn't thank them enough. The word just didn't emphasize HOW grateful I was for their kindness that no common person at my workplace or even town would’ve dared to show me.
"Thank you." I choked trying to get the words out, hoping I wouldn't burst into tears once more. I was tired of crying and the stinging in my eyes. Not to forget my headaches as well.
"Don't you worry about it, Pinky. Just sleep. We aren't going anywhere. We'll be here when you wake up," Luke assured me.
"No matter how long?"
"No matter how long," he vowed.
I opened my eyes just slightly, enough to see his warm smile. I glanced around the room and saw the others’ softened expressions, which gave me enough relief to let my eyes finally close.
The last thing I heard was Cole's icy words.
"Whoever took her away from our world is going to pay when I get my hands on them. That will be a wish I'll make come true."