Chapter Thirteen
Blaze
W e’re taking Raven to meet our family. Steel and I are beyond excited, but I can tell she’s nervous.
“I’m not going to know any of them,” she says as we walk to my truck. “What if I think I’m talking to one of you about something private, but it’s one of your brothers or friends instead?”
We’ve explained how some of the men are our blood brothers, how Ma and Pops are our real parents, and how the rest are brothers in the club. But I don’t think she’s fully grasped it yet that all of them are family.
“We’ve come up with a way for you to always know it’s us,” Steel tells her, his voice calm and reassuring.
“What is it?” she asks, curiosity replacing some of her worries.
When we reach the truck, Steel and I both pull off our shirts. It’s not something we usually do. Our bodies are our temple, and while we’ve always taken care of them, we rarely let others see. Even during sex in the past, we’d kept most of ourselves hidden. Now, though? Now, our bodies are hers, and we want her to look at us as much as she wants.
“Okay, wow,” she says, her eyes wide as she takes us in. “Not that I’m complaining, but why did you just do that? Was it to distract me from something? Because it’s working.”
“Good to know you like what you see,” Steel teases with a grin. “But no, that’s not why. Look at these.”
He points to his left pec, drawing her attention to the tattoo there. Her gaze shifts to my right side, where a matching tattoo sits. A simple set of angel wings. I tap my chest over the tattoo twice, and Steel repeats the action.
Her brows furrow in thought. “I’ve seen you two do that a few times,” she says. “What does it mean?”
Steel lifts her easily, setting her on the hood of the truck before stepping back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me. Together, we explain something no one else knows.
“Even though you can’t tell, you know we’re identical twins,” I start.
“Yes,” she says, her head tilting as she watches us.
“When our mother was pregnant, there was a third child,” Steel continues. “Around twelve weeks, our sibling died. The doctors called it vanishing twin syndrome. Because it was so early, the cells reabsorbed into the placenta.”
“Our sibling wasn’t an identical triplet,” I explain. “They had their own placental sac, while Steel and I shared one. That’s why the doctors said it was safe.”
Steel’s voice softens as he says, “We’ve never felt fully complete as a duo. We were never meant to be just two.”
“We always knew we’d share one life, one house, one career, and one person,” I add.
“Male or female,” Steel says, making Raven’s eyes widen slightly.
“I guess we’ve landed on female,” I say with a soft laugh.
Steel smiles as he taps his chest. “When we do this, it’s a reminder to each other that we’re in this together. That we’re not alone. It’s our way of honoring the sibling we lost and the bond we share.”
Raven’s gaze softens, her eyes glistening. “That’s… beautiful.”
“We’ve never told anyone about this before,” I admit. “And no one’s ever asked. But now, it’s yours too.”
Steel steps closer, his voice gentle. “If you’re ever unsure it’s us, place your hand over your heart, and we’ll respond with the taps. Mine’s on the left, and Blaze’s is on the right. You’ll always know.”
She presses a hand to her chest, and we answer in turn. Her lips curl into a small smile. “Thank you. For trusting me with this.”
Steel brushes a kiss across her forehead, and I do the same.
“We’re a team now, Raven,” I murmur. “Always.”
Raven
Insane. This whole evening is insane.
I’m surrounded by about thirty people who are all strangers. As I sit at the table with Knox, Del, and a few other women, it feels like I’m in a pool of faceless beings. The noise, the laughter, the constant hum of chatter, it’s overwhelming.
But, somehow, I’m having a good time.
“Then they went out and bought me all new stuffies,” Knox says with a grin. “Way more than I had before. And they even saved the ones I thought I’d thrown away.”
Little Knox is fun to talk to, but I think I like Big Knox just as much. Earlier, he’d told me about a sticky situation he got into and how, as a result, he’d tried to suppress who he truly was. That led to him getting rid of his stuffies. A symbolic act of letting go of himself.
“They did that for you?” I ask, my heart aching as it swells with affection for the two men who seem to have completely taken over my life.
“Yes,” Knox says simply, his expression warm.
“They do so much for everyone around them,” Del chimes in, her voice filled with admiration. “They sacrifice so much to keep us happy. Just imagine what they would do, what they would sacrifice for you.”
“Oh, I don’t want them to sacrifice anything,” I say quickly, shaking my head. The thought of Jasper and Jaxon giving up something for me sends a pang of guilt through my chest. “I never want to be a burden to anyone.”
Del leans closer, her eyes sharp and filled with an intensity that makes me sit up straighter. “Raven, listen to me. Loving someone isn’t a burden. And with those two? Love means they’ll give you everything they have without hesitation. You just have to be brave enough to let them.”
The words hang in the air, and I swallow hard, my gaze dropping to my hands. Am I brave enough to let them love me like that? Am I brave enough to love them back in the same way?
Do I already?
Knox reaches over, placing a comforting hand on mine. “You don’t have to decide everything tonight,” he says gently, his usual playful tone softening. “Just know that they’ve already chosen you. The rest will come when it’s time.”
I nod, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
Del and Knox go back to chatting, their voices blending into the buzz of the room. But their words linger, carving deep grooves into my mind.
They’ve already chosen me.
I glance across the room to where I saw them last, my eyes finding them instantly. At least, I think it’s them. They’re standing by the bar, deep in conversation with one of their brothers, their presence commanding even in a room filled with strong personalities.
Steel glances over his shoulder, his gaze locking with mine. He taps his chest twice, and I feel my heart stutter.
I lift a hand to my own chest, pressing lightly over my heart in response.
Blaze catches the exchange, and his face softens, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips.
They’ve chosen me.
Maybe it’s time I start choosing them back.
Then again, maybe I already have.
“So, darling girl, what do you think about steak?”
I glance at the male who is currently beaming down at me.
“That’s Pops,” Knox says, knowing about my face blindness.
“Oh, uhm, I love them,” I admit. “With a nice baked potato. Gotta keep these curves curving somehow.”
Pops laughs. “A woman after my own heart.”
“Your heart is too old for a new woman,” a female behind him says. “Go grill us steak, you old man.”
“Ma,” Know whispers.
“These boys get it, honestly,” the woman says. “They would flirt with a rock just as long as it smiled back at them.”
Pops shakes his head with a smirk. “And yet, somehow, you fell for me, old woman.”
“Don’t remind me,” she says dryly, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, you must be Raven.”
I nod quickly, feeling the weight of her attention. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Cut the ‘ma’am’ stuff. I’m Ma to you, whether you like it or not.”
“Oh, okay,” I laugh. “That’s something my mom would say, too.”
“Well, you’ll have to bring her around soon. I’d like the company of an older woman.”
“I’m sure she’d love that,” I smile.
“Good. Now, come with me. I want to give you something.”
I glance back to where the guys were, but there are too many people and I’ve lost their faces.
“They’re still standing there,” she says. Does she know about my condition as well? “Come on. It’s not far.”
“So, the twins told me about your prosopagnosia,” she admits, answering my question. “How severe is it?”
“One of the most severe cases ever recorded,” I admit. “If you handed me three pictures, one being myself, I wouldn’t be able to tell which one was me.”
“Sounds difficult,” she says.
“It can be,” I admit. “But I’ve learned to read body language. It helps.”
“What about voices?” she asks. “If someone you know well says something, are you able to tell it’s them?”
“Sometimes, but it can take a while to connect the voice to the name,” I say, following her into the house. “If my mom stood before us right now and said something, I wouldn’t recognize her from her voice alone. It would take my brain several moments to gather the clues that I associate with her to make that connection. I know she has black hair and gray eyes like me, and I know she leans on her left leg when standing still. Her hair is almost always braded and she wiggles all of her fingers when she catches me looking so that I know it’s her. Once that connection is made, then her hair, eyes, build and voice all click into place. It’s weird, I know. But it is what it is.”
“Not weird at all,” she says, opening a door that leads into a bedroom. “I find it very interesting. Have a seat on the bed while I grab something.”
I sit down on the edge of the bed, the soft sheets beneath me a reminder of how out of place I feel in this house full of strangers, even if they’re all welcoming. The room is quiet except for the faint sounds of chatter coming from the kitchen and the sizzling of steak on the grill. Ma’s footsteps are light but purposeful as she moves around the room, pulling something from a drawer.
“So, what are you giving me?” I ask, trying to ease the tension in my chest. It’s hard to be vulnerable, but I want to make this connection with her, to share in this moment.
Ma doesn’t answer right away. She pulls out a small, worn leather journal and walks over to me. There’s something about it that instantly feels personal as if it carries more than just words.
“This,” she says softly, “is my brother’s journal. With some added notes in the back from myself.” She places it in my hands gently. “He was the one who helped me understand what I was dealing with. The one who didn’t judge me for not recognizing him. The one who always found a way to make me feel seen, even when I couldn’t see him.”
I run my fingers over the worn cover of the journal, the edges soft with age. The leather feels like it holds a thousand stories, stories that Ma is willing to share now.
“He would write in this all the time, telling me about his day, how he handled the world, how he navigated it,” Ma continues, her voice trembling slightly as if this is a memory she hasn’t allowed herself to visit in a long time. “I couldn’t see faces the same way others did, but he always knew it because he couldn’t either. He was the one who helped me understand that even when I couldn’t recognize people by their faces, I could still know them. The way they moved, the way they carried themselves. There was always a way for me to find them.”
I look up at her, my heart pounding. “You can’t recognize faces either?”
Ma nods, her lips pulling into a wistful smile. “Not for a long time. I remember when we were kids, I’d walk into the room and know something was wrong, but I couldn’t tell you who I was talking to. I had to remember the little things. How they stood, how they sounded, how they smiled. It wasn’t until later in life I learned to trust those little details more than the face. But it wasn’t easy. It’s still not easy.”
I feel a strange kind of comfort in her words. For the first time, someone understands not just the struggles, but the way I have to fight to find recognition in the small things.
“I know what you mean,” I whisper, my throat tight. I open the journal and run my fingers along the pages, half-expecting to see something that connects with me. Inside, the handwriting is small, and the ink is slightly faded. But even in its age, it’s clearly legible. I can almost hear her brother’s voice through the words.
Ma’s eyes soften as she watches me read. “I’m giving this to you because I want you to know you’re not alone in this. Your world doesn’t have to be the same as everyone else’s to be meaningful, to be full of love and connection.”
I look up at her, the words sinking deep into my chest. “Thank you.”
She smiles, the kind of smile that’s seen a lifetime of joy and pain but still carries warmth. “Take it. Keep it. And when you feel lost, when you feel like you’re missing something... look for the details. They’ll guide you when faces don’t. I don’t need it anymore. I’ve learned and have mastered it. But then again, mine isn’t nearly as severe as yours. I know my own face and the faces of my husband and children. However, it’s taking some time to remember all of the new faces.” She laughs, but it has a hint of sadness. “Keep this journal safe in case you need to one day pass it forward.”
I close the journal, my fingers lingering over its surface. “I will,” I promise. “I’ll hold onto it.”
Ma stands up, her hands resting on her hips. “Good. Now, let’s go get you some steak before Pops eats it all.” She winks at me, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Wait, do Jasper and Jaxon know about this?” I ask.
“No,” she smiles. “None of my kids do. Just you, me, and Pops. It’s our little secret, okay?”
I nod my promise. I’ll never tell.
As I follow her back toward the kitchen, the weight of the journal in my hands feels like a bridge. A bridge between me and someone who truly gets it. Someone who’s lived through the same kind of disconnection and learned how to find their way back.
By the time we get back outside, I’m lost. So many people.
“Who is that man standing by himself?” I ask. “He’s been hanging there since I got here.”
“That’s Mitchell,” she says. “He’s very quiet. He tries to stay out of the way most of the time. The others haven’t noticed, but I have.”
My heart aches. I don’t know his story, but I do know one thing. I’m going to be his friend.
“Knox says that Mitchell doesn’t like chocolate,” I say.
“Yeah, he’s a monster,” she laughs.
I make a note to learn more about the quiet Obsidian male and turn to look for my men.
“By the firepit,” Ma says quietly.
“How can you tell?” I ask just as quietly. “No one is even looking in this direction.”
“The little details,” she explains with a smile. “I’ve never had it as difficult as you. Do you have a way of figuring out which two they are from here?”
Not wanting to explain it, I simply look in the direction of the firepit, place my hand over my heart, and wait for one of them to look in our direction. Seconds later, two arms rise and tap their chests.
“Found them,” I smile. “But I can’t look away, or I’ll lose them again.”
“Go to them then,” she laughs. “I’ll go get the cheesecake.”
“Getting to know our Ma, baby?” Jasper asks as I approach.
“Something like that,” I answer, tucking the journal into my bag. “She’s going to get cheesecake. I hope there’s strawberry toppings.”
“There’s always strawberry toppings,” someone says.
“Sweetheart, this is Ghost,” Jaxon introduces. “He’s one of our blood brothers and the club's President.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. President,” I tease with a curtsey. Ghost laughs and bows in return.
“You know,” Ghost says when he straightens. “I may make it a new rule that everyone has to bow or curtsey before me. I rather liked that.”
“As if I’d ever bow to you,” someone says.
“And that’s Venom,” Ghost says. “He has Dissociate Identity Disorder. So, if he says something out of character, then it’s most likely one of the three inside his head.”
“Oh dear, I don’t need more than one personality per person,” I laugh uncomfortably. “I’ll never remember all of you as it is.”
“I explained about your face blindness while you were in with Ma,” Jaxon says. “I hope that was okay. I didn’t want them asking you questions that made you feel uncomfortable.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I answer truthfully. “At least now they’ll know why I won’t ever remember them until my brain connects the physical clues. But nobody move from the spot you're in while we’re talking, or I’ll lose track of who you are.”
Ghost chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he gives me a knowing look. “Don’t worry, Raven. We’ll make it easy for you. You’ll figure it out in time. We’re not exactly a quiet bunch, after all.” His voice carries an amused undertone, and I can feel the weight of his words settle around me like a comforting blanket.
“I’m sure I will,” I say, offering a smile that feels a little strained, but I push through it. The weight of everything is still a lot to carry, but these moments, these people, they’re making it just a little easier.
Jaxon steps closer, his hand brushing mine, a reassuring touch. “You’re doing fine, baby. Don’t stress it.”
“I’ll try not to,” I reply, swallowing the tightness in my throat.
Venom, standing behind Ghost, looks at me with a glint of mischief in his eyes and points to his head. “Don’t worry about remembering all of us in here, darlin’. Just remember, if you’re ever confused, just ask me. I’ve got the whole ‘multiple personality’ thing down to a science. Practically a personality professional.” He grins, his tone teasing, but I sense a deep layer of sincerity underneath it.
“Maybe you should make a name tag for each of them,” I joke, trying to ease the tension that still lingers in my chest. “Or a handbook. That way, I don’t need to feel like I’m failing every time someone new speaks up.”
Jaxon lets out a low chuckle, his hand lingering on my hip before he pulls away. “Venom’s personality handbook? You’d be the first one to get a copy, Raven. And it’ll be the most confusing thing you’ll ever read.”
“That’s a promise,” Venom adds with a wink.
I laugh softly, the sound surprisingly light. “I’ll take my chances. As long as you don’t change personalities mid-sentence. I think I’d pass out from the confusion.”
“That’s the fun of it,” Ghost says, his grin widening. “Keeps life interesting.”
I nod, trying to relax into the atmosphere. Everyone here seems to understand the quirks and challenges I face, and in their own ways, they’re making me feel more at home. More accepted. Even with everything I can’t see, it feels like I’m finally starting to find my place.
A voice calls from behind us, and I turn to see who I think is Ma, coming back with a large tray of cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries, just as I’d hoped. She walks toward us with a grin, her presence a steadying force.
“Looks like you’ve made some new friends,” she says, handing me a slice of cheesecake.
“They’re... something,” I say with a soft smile, the cake settling in my hands like the comfort I didn’t know I needed.
“That they are.” Ma gives me a playful wink. “Now, eat up, or I’ll have to eat your share too.”
“Not a chance,” I reply, already scooping a forkful into my mouth. The rich sweetness of the cheesecake spreads through me, and for a moment, everything feels a little simpler.
I glance around the group, taking in the faces, the bodies, the voices. It’s all a little overwhelming, but I’m trying to focus on the details, the small things that will help me connect in ways that don’t rely on seeing their faces. It’ll take me a long while to learn everyone but that’s okay.
“So, are you planning to stick around?” Ghost asks, his eyes searching mine. There’s something in his gaze, a kind of understanding that makes me feel as though he’s looking past my eyes, past the confusion I often carry.
“I hope so,” I say, my voice steady now. I feel the warmth of the moment, of the people around me, like a cocoon that’s wrapping me in a sense of belonging.
“She isn’t going anywhere,” Jasper says next to my ear.
“She’s our little prisoner,” Jaxon smiles, kissing my temple.
As I sit there, listening to their voices and feeling the weight of the journal Ma gave me pressing softly against my side, I realize something. Maybe I don’t need to know everything right now. Maybe I just need to take things one moment at a time. And with people like this, that doesn’t seem so hard.
“May I have another slice?” I ask Ma.
Smiling, she hands me the biggest one on the tray.
“I’ll be back,” I tell the group and make my way to the lone man, watching everyone from the sideline.
“Hello,” I say as I approach him. “I’m Raven. I brought you a slice of cheesecake.”
He smiles down at me, he being so incredibly tall, and accepts the tray.
“Thank you, precious,” he says. “I’m Mitchell.”
He doesn’t say anything else as he eats his slice. Not wanting to be nosy about why he’s sitting alone, I simply sit beside him.
Smirking, I reach over and steal a piece of strawberry off of his cheesecake, much to his amusement. He finishes up his slice and hands me the tray that still contains fruit.
“Do you not like strawberries?” I ask as I accept it.
“They’re my favorite fruit,” he smiles down at me. “For you.”
My heart nearly bursts. This is by far my favorite gift that I’ve ever received. It’s not the strawberries themselves but the thought behind it. This man, who sits alone while his family is laughing and joking around, has a heart of gold. I hope the rest of his family can see that.
I look over to the fire pit and notice that two men, most likely my two men, are looking at me with warm smiles on their faces.
“Would you care to join me?” I ask, nodding to the gathering around the fire pit.
“Thank you, precious,” he smiles. “But, I think I’ll stay here and observe. You go and have fun. Give your men a hard time for me, yea?”
Standing, I don’t give him a choice but to accept my hug.
“We’re going to be the best of friends, Mitchell,” I whisper in his ear. “When I see you next time, I won’t remember your face, but I will remember you. Just remind me of your name, and that’s all I’ll need.”
With that, I turn and head back to the group.
“Have fun, baby?” Jasper asks.
“Mitchell is a good man,” I answer. “Why is no one talking to him?”
“He likes to be alone,” someone says from behind me.
“That’s what he tells everyone,” I respond. “I think there’s more to it than anyone realizes. Sometimes, people say one thing but mean another because they don’t want to feel like a burden. Trust me, I know that from personal experience.”
I don’t say anything more about the topic while the others talk amongst themselves. But I do catch them sneaking a glance in Mitchell’s direction every once in a while.
No one truly wants to be alone. With a family this large and filled with so much heart, how has no one been able to see him the way that I have after meeting him for only a few minutes.
Mitchell has a story and I don’t think it’s a very happy one.