Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
LARK
The warmth of hot bodies wakes me, and I come to slowly, reveling in the heat as I'm surrounded by the guys. By my Tailor boys.
Did we really just confess our feelings only last night?
It feels like forever since I arrived in this warehouse, though it’s not been longer than a smattering of weeks, and so much has changed in that time. I’ve gone from being a tortured prisoner to…this. I nibble my lip as I consider what I am to them and what they are to me.
We’re an impossibility, Jude was not far off when he quoted Romeo and Juliet at me.
Our fathers have been at war for longer than any of us can remember.
If either discovers how deep our love runs, like it’s etched into our very bones…
I shudder at the thought and my hands find Knox’s head, resting on my stomach just like he promised.
Sinking my fingers into his thick, blond hair, I use the contact to try and calm my racing heart.
But I can’t stop the ache in the back of my throat at what will happen soon. What I will do to these guys who have become as essential to me as breathing.
There’s no other way, not if you want to be free and save Rook, just like you promised.
“What has that beautiful face of yours frowning, Dove?” Aeron’s deep voice is made even huskier by sleep, and I turn to face him, the weight on my chest unrelated to the man lying on top of me.
“How will this work, Aeron? Our fathers hate each other, our gangs are locked in a fucking war that started before we were even born. If my father ever found out—”
“Shhhh,” he soothes, reaching out a large palm and cupping my cheek.
Warmth from his touch has me nuzzling into it, my eyes briefly closing at the comfort it brings, something which, until meeting these men, I’d never experienced at a man’s touch.
“No one will ever hurt you again. Not now that you’re ours. We protect what belongs to us.”
A trembling exhale falls from my lips; I’ve never been claimed before, not in any way that made me feel safe and treasured.
“But who will protect you? I don’t want him to hurt you.” Even I can hear the panic in my tone, the idea of my father getting a hold of them making bile leave a sour taste at the back of my throat.
There’s no choice, Lark.
“I might get offended by how you seem to think we can’t take care of ourselves, Little Bird,” Knox says, his voice a deep rumble as he pushes up and covers my body with his in a single, smooth move.
“How soft you think we are.” He punctuates the word ‘soft’ with a thrust of his hips, demonstrating that there isn’t any softness to him this morning.
“Knox! Fuck’s sake, I’m being serious.”
“So am I, princess,” he growls, dipping his head to take my nipple into his hot mouth.
“And I need a piss, so unless you’re into golden showers…”
“We’ve already talked about that, Nightingale,” Jude pipes up from the other side of me, and I turn my head to see the mischief making his ocean eyes dance and sparkle in the morning light filtering around the curtains.
“You’re not helping, Devil Prince.” I point an accusing finger at him, which backfires when he sucks it into his mouth.
“He never does,” Tarl grumbles, grabbing a fistful of Jude’s thick hair and pulling his head back, my finger falling from his mouth with a pop as his neck is exposed. “But he enjoys being punished too much to stop, don’t you, Brat?”
Jesus fucking Christ, someone save me from the pussy-dripping vibes these two exude.
“As much as I would like to take this where it seems to be going,” Aeron drawls on my other side, and I swivel my head, Knox nibbling the side of my neck as he tries his best to distract me. “We need to visit Mount Pleasant today.”
I feel the rest of them go still, and it takes me a moment to connect the dots and remember where I’d heard that name before.
“To see your mom?” My stomach rolls, as if a kaleidoscope of butterflies has just taken flight.
“Will you come with us, Dove?” His dark brows are raised, his gaze full of a vulnerability that I don’t often see on the heir to the Tailors’ face.
“Of course,” I reply, and the boyish smile that he gives me has those damn butterflies doing a fucking jig.
“Get the fuck off her, Knox. We need to shower and get ready.” Knox grumbles but does as Aeron orders and with a parting kiss, heads to his room to get sorted.
Jude and Tarl both kiss me sweetly, then walk out as well, leaving me alone with Aeron.
“Let’s go, Dove,” Aeron says, holding out his hand for me as he gets off the bed.
I wait a beat, admiring his naked body, the hard lines and ink making my heart flutter for an entirely different reason than my nerves at the prospect of meeting his mom. “Now.”
“I’m coming,” I grumble, taking his hand and untangling myself from the warm blankets with a pout.
He pulls me to him, so close that our bodies are flush and I can feel each of those hard plains that make up Aeron Taylor. “You will be now that I have you to myself.” His husky whisper tightens my nipples and has my thighs trying to clench as he leads us into his en suite.
Not too much longer later, we come down the stairs to the smell of waffles and I groan as the kitchen island comes into view and a plate stacked high with yummy goodness awaits.
“Tell me I’m not your favorite, Nightingale?” Jude asks with a smirk, not even flinching when Aeron hits him upside the head.
I shake my head at them, but seeing the brothers together sends a pang through me at the thought of Rook, and the fact that I haven’t seen him in so long. I worry our sperm donor will be sinking his claws into him now that I’m not there to provide a buffer. Hold on, Rook, I’m on my way.
“Hey, where did you go just then, Eshgham?” Tarl asks in his lilting, melodic voice from beside me, and I turn to give him a sad smile.
“I was thinking about Rook, and how I’ve not been there to, I dunno, stop Rufus from being Rufus.” His face softens, and he gathers me into his arms, surrounding me with his spicy, cardamom scent.
“We’ll get him out, Aziz-e delam. A Tailor never breaks his word, and you have Aeron’s, and also ours.”
I breathe out a sigh, Knox catching my eye as I snuggle into Tarl. Knox’s brows are furrowed before he sees me looking, then his face transforms into its usual bright smile.
“Best eat up, Nightingale,” Jude tells me, and I reluctantly step out of Tarl’s embrace. I walk over to the stool in front of the plate of waffles, which are smothered in what smells like Nutella and bright red strawberries.
“Thank you, my prince,” I say around a giggle, Jude’s eyes going wide with delight as I sit down and begin demolishing the food.
“Fuck me, if she keeps making those noises I can’t be held responsible for making us late,” Knox groans, and a blush heats my cheeks when I look around to see all four of them staring at me like I’m a plate of chocolate and hazelnut spread waffles.
Oops.
I eat the rest with less vocal appreciation, and we’re soon heading to a door down a corridor that I’ve not really noticed before.
“Where are we going?” I ask, stepping through and then pausing at the sight before me.
Gleaming supercars fill the garage space, as well as a few trucks and motorbikes, and I know my mouth is hanging open, but fucking hell. I knew the Tailors were rich, far more wealthy than the Soldiers, that’s for sure, but I had no idea the extent of their wealth. It’s fucking obscene.
“You’re with me, Little Bird,” Knox whispers in my ear, grasping my hand in his and leading us over to the motorbikes before grabbing a leather jacket off the hook on the wall.
He hands it to me, and I can’t help the smile that tugs my lips upwards when I put it on and realize that it fits perfectly.
I like that they pick my clothes, that they choose things they want to see me wearing.
I’ve always had secondhand clothes, buying whatever was cheapest at the thrift store and helped hide my body from the predators that make up my father’s gang.
Not that it ever did much good, they still took what they wanted.
Huffing out a breath to rid my mind of those morbid thoughts, I smooth down the soft, buttery leather with my hands.
Luckily, I went for jeans and a long-sleeved top today, thinking that now we’re heading into cooler weather with the approach of fall, I'll need the extra warmth.
Knox then hands me a sparkly, burgundy-colored helmet, and I marvel at the beautiful painting of a lark in flight on the side.
“No fucking reckless driving, Knox. I mean it, take care of her,” Aeron barks as he strides over and helps me zip up the jacket.
Knox rolls his eyes. “I wouldn't put her in any danger, you know that.”
Aeron takes a deep inhale before replying to him. “I know.” He turns to me then, pulling me in for a deep kiss that sets my toes curling. “See you there, Dove.”
“I’ll be fine, Devil Man,” I tell him, and his lips quirk up into that half smile which he reserves just for me, and I’m breathless all of a sudden, heat radiating through my chest as I gaze at him.
He gives me a nod, then releases me to walk over to a sleek, black sports car, Tarl getting into the passenger side. I try to ignore the way I feel bereft at the loss of his body heat.
“How’s Jude getting there?” I ask, and squeak when arms wrap around me from behind, my body melting into the embrace instinctively even as my heart pounds.
“You didn’t think I’d let Daddy have all the fun, did you?” Jude purrs in my ear. Knox clears his throat as his nostrils flare. “Maybe we could stop on the way and show him how much we like that leather jacket?”
My pulse picks up, and Knox grips his own helmet tight as he looks at us.
“Fuck’s sake, Jude. Now I have a raging boner and that’s just fucking uncomfortable when riding.”