Fatal Vengeance: A Dark Enemies to Lovers Romance

20. Creed

“I should check on Prudence,” I rumble, pushing off the couch, ignoring the way my hands are trembling.

“You’ve checked on her eight times today, man. Give it a rest. She’s fine, she just needs… time,” Asher argues, though there’s no heat in his voice. He’s just as worried about her as I am.

Actually, no, I’m more worried. Asher had some time with her in the shower the other night, something he won’t divulge any details about, but at least he got her talking for a while. But the next morning, it was evident that she was still shell-shocked and hurting, shut off in bed to deal with finding Annie’s head.

That was yesterday.

Now it’s fucking, you know, today, and she still won’t get out of bed or humor me with her adorable sassy mouth or even so much as smile at me. She lets me feed her, and she melts into me and Griffin whenever we go lay with her, but other than that, nothing.

I’m going fucking crazy.

Oh, wait, already there.

I grind my teeth, desperate for a goddamn toothpick to tear apart in my mouth, but I forgot to pack them in the mad dash from Blackwood. And it’s not the only thing that didn’t make it into my suitcase…

My meds. The ones that keep me steady, keep me sane. Yeah, those ones. I don’t know how, but I forgot them at the hotel when we left to come here, and now I can feel myself spiraling. The only thing that’s keeping my chaotic mind in one piece is taking care of Prudence, so Asher can politely fuck all the way off.

If he knew I didn’t have my meds, he’d probably chain me down to keep me away from her. Asher has seen me at my worst, been there through my most destructive episodes. He knows how… dangerous I can be. I wouldn’t blame him for trying to keep Prudence safe. But I’d probably knock his fucking teeth out, because she’s never in danger with me.

I told her once that I was a chaotic storm and that she was the only person my damage wouldn’t ruin in the wake. I meant that. She”s the center, the force that fuels me, that wields me like a weapon. Prudence is my reason, and she”d never see my fury turned on her. Ever.

I’m not saying I don’t need those pills, I do, but something about Prudence just settles me. She’s not a replacement, and I’m going to have to figure my shit out sooner rather than later, but for now, she’s all I need to keep myself steady.

I snarl at my dickhead cousin, flipping him off as I leave. Asher mumbles something about me leaving her to sleep under his breath, but I pretend I don’t hear him. I’m not keeping my girl from sleeping. She can sleep in my fucking arms. I just need to be near her right now, make sure she’s still there, still breathing… Still mine.

My hands tremble, my thoughts messy and loud, but I push through it and open the door to the guest bedroom. The moment I find my perfect, broken little Ember curled in bed, my chest eases and I can breathe properly for the first time in days. At first, I think she’s sleeping, but then her sad eyes snap up to mine as I walk to the bed, and she gives me a weak smile.

“Hey, baby,” I whisper as I reach the edge of the bed, sweeping her crimson hair from her face and caressing her cheek. “How you feeling today?”

Instead of answering, Prudence chews on her bottom lip, the poor skin red and swollen from how often she’s been doing that, and then she pulls back the covers. “Lay with me?” Her voice is so small and rough, but it commands me like it always does.

I could never deny her a single thing. I’m incapable.

I smile sadly at her, kicking off my shoes and then yanking my shirt off. I leave my black sweatpants on and then I climb right into the bed with my perfect girl. Prudence sighs contentedly when I pull her close, my arm around her and our foreheads resting together.

Those hazel eyes that I love search my face. “I keep thinking,” Prudence breathes, so soft it’s almost not audible. “If I could go back in time and avoid Blackwood, avoid all of this death and pain and craziness… I don’t know that I’d do it. Even knowing I’d suffer so much. Because then I would never have met you, and that breaks my heart. You’re such a beautiful monster, Creed. My monster. The one who’d fight all my demons for me. I can’t ever thank you enough for the way you’ve completed me. The way all of you have.”

Fuck, my heart is breaking. I close my eyes, battling off the emotion sitting too close to the surface. My mind is already a mess today, I can’t handle this headfuck right now on top of everything else. It’s not that I don’t appreciate her kind, tender confession. It’s simply that I know I’m a fucked up, twisted bastard and I don’t believe I deserve so much care from this woman. How I got her is a goddamn mystery to me, but I won”t ever question it.

“My sweet Ember,” I rasp, smoothing my hand up her spine to cup the back of her head. “What would I do without you?” Go insane, like for real, and end up back in that fucking place. I don’t say that out loud, though. As much as I rely on her to keep me sane, I don’t ever want her to feel like that’s her burden to carry.

Prudence brushes a gentle kiss to my lips and then says, “Probably terrorize everyone around you. Likely kill Asher at some point. I think Griffin would be safe enough, though.”

I breathe out a laugh at her teasing tone, glad to have her coming back into herself, even if she’s still hiding away in bed. I open my eyes, steal another swift kiss, and then roll onto my back and pull her over to lay on my chest. “Mute Griffin would have definitely been safe from me. But now that he’s speaking again, I’m remembering what a bossy asshole he can be.”

Prudence hums in amusement. “Lucky you love him then, right? Asher too. I honestly don’t know how you put up with him for so long, but props to you.”

“He wasn’t so bad with me. You’re just special, you got all of his wrath. Now you’re on the other side of his emotions, but he’ll be just as loud about those as he was about hating you. I hope you’re prepared for all of that, baby,” I joke.

Prudence sighs, as if having Asher’s affections is such a burden, but then she says, “I guess I would get used to it. Being the center of three wild men.”

“Would?” I question absently. I don’t know why, but it feels like an odd word choice.

She stiffens against me, for only a moment, and then cuddles closer like she’s trying to bury herself in my chest. “Will,” she corrects quietly, drawing senseless patterns on my bare chest. “I will get used to it.”

I smile, even though she can’t see it, just so fucking glad to have her in my arms right now. I drop my nose to her hair, breathing her in. The slight trembling in my hands ceases as my lungs fill with nothing but Prudence. Calm, sure, strong. She’s all the things I’m missing. Even with all the meds in the world, knowing her and losing her, I’d never be the same.

We need to get those motherfuckers taken care of before they can get their hands on her again.

I don’t voice that, even while it practically screams in my head, over and over again. I don’t want to spoil this precious moment, but when I slip out of here later, I’ll talk to Asher. We have to do far more than a journalist report to stop them.

But for now, I’m just going to enjoy the way my mind quiets around my girl.

Prudence and I fall into a peaceful silence, just enjoying each other’s silent company for a while because we don’t need words between us. Our feelings are clear in the small touches, the happy sighs, the tender kisses.

But when my brain gets crowded again half an hour later, my hands starting to shake a bit, I swallow through my panic and whisper, “You know I would never hurt you, right, baby? You will always be safe with me. Always. Even if… if I’m not myself.”

Prudence leans back to look at me, a frown pulling her plump lips down. “Of course I know that, Creed. Why? Are you… not feeling okay?”

I’m tempted to lie, reassure her, but there’s also a part of me that wants to confide in Prudence. Tell her I’m off my meds and things aren’t going to be pretty in a few days unless I can get more. But I don’t want to worry her any more after the way she’s been struggling with her mom and Annie’s losses and the constant threat of The Celestials.

I’m trying to make a decision in my head, weighing the pros and cons of spilling my ugly truth. Just when I decide that Prudence should know, if for no other reason than to warn her before I completely lose it, the door swings open and Asher and Griffin stride in.

I could kill them.

Well, okay, not really. But maim? Yeah, I could do that.

“We brought some food,” Griffin says, rough and quiet. He’s been talking more and more lately, but even so, his voice has a distinctly unused quality to it. It suits him, though. Honestly, I can”t even really remember what he sounded like before. He comes to the other side of the bed, sitting down with a tray in his hands, and Prudence immediately rolls over and sits up, pressing her sweet lips to his shoulder in a silent thank you.

The way he gazes down at her is so open and loving that I feel a bit like I’m intruding on their private moment. It’s a miracle that she got through his guarded exterior. After Griffin’s attack and rough recovery, I didn’t think I’d ever see him relax the way he does around our girl. She’s exactly what he needed. What we all needed.

While they murmur to each other, I push myself up to sit and Asher finds a place at the foot of the bed, facing me. Despite giving his car away — his most beloved possession — he hasn’t been in a foul mood, which is a huge fucking surprise. I expected bedlam, to be quite frank. But apparently that flashy vehicle wasn’t number one in Asher’s heart anymore.

As I look from my cousin to Griffin and Prudence, biting my lip to keep my knowing smile in place, I realize Asher’s got two people sitting in that place now. Fuck the car.

“What’s up?” I question my cousin, narrowing my eyes at the shifty way he keeps eyeing Prudence.

Asher stares at me for a moment, and I worry he can tell I’m right on the edge of sanity, but thankfully, he doesn’t say a word, so I think I’m safe. Instead, he tips his head back to look at the ceiling, his hand fisted in his lap, and mutters, “I’m tired of sleeping on the couch.”

I blink at him, a laugh bursting from me that draws Prudence and Griffin’s attention. Asher had snuck into bed two nights ago after drawing Prudence out of the shower, but last night he was back on the couch as if he didn”t feel welcome. Stupid, if you ask me, but who knows what goes through my cousin”s head?

While Prudence nibbles on the sliced fruit that Griffin brought in, I tell her, “Ember, baby, Asher’s feeling left out.”

She frowns around the apple she’s biting into, looking from me to Asher while she slowly chews and swallows. Asher gives me a very stern look that totally says, not fucking cool, dick. I shrug easily, glad for the distraction right now, even if it’s only temporary.

“What I’m trying to say,” Asher begins with a sigh, barely able to look at Prudence as he stumbles over himself. “What I’d like to ask is if I could— Uh, if there’s room for me in the bed? If you’re all okay with me joining you at night?”

Good god, he’s an embarrassment. What happened to the confident, cocky cousin I had to deal with on a regular basis when he was fucking Heather? Apparently, every ounce of his game has dried up right along with his balls.

Griffin breathes out a rough laugh, not saying anything but resting his hand on Asher’s knee.

I assume that’s his silent way of agreeing, so I nod with a dramatic sigh, gesturing toward Prudence. “I’m fine with it, but only if I always get Prudence cuddles. I don’t give a shit what you two do on the other side of the bed. Fuck each other all night, for all I care. Just keep your dicks away from me.”

Asher’s eyes are molten with irritation, but the second Prudence starts to giggle at me, his entire body relaxes and his eyes soften on her. It’s been too long since we’ve all heard that beautiful sound, and I have to say, I’m feeling pretty damn smug that I was the one to bring it out of her.

Finished with her snack for now and still smiling at my joke, Prudence crawls away from Griffin after kissing his cheek and then sidles up to Asher, who’s watching her with awe. She sits beside him, close enough that their bodies are molded together, and then drops her head to his shoulder. There’s familiarity in the act, and I kind of like that Asher’s finally weaseling his way into her heart too. It’s about fucking time he got his shit together.

“You were the one who took up the couch,” she murmurs to him, closing her eyes when he kisses her forehead. “Of course you’re welcome in the bed with the rest of us. I might actually sleep better knowing we’re all together and safe.”

The last of the awkward tension drains from my cousin. He wraps an arm around her, keeping her close while Griffin watches the pair like he’s about to start reciting love poems at them. I snort, earning a cheeky smile from Prudence.

Look at us, finding our way in this weird group dynamic. It’s almost enough to have me forgetting about the way my hands are trembling beneath the comforter.

Almost, but not quite. I’ll need to sort out some medication real fucking soon.