Chapter 19
Casey
Our cars split up, the Spades going in one direction, while ours moved into downtown Ashland before circling the north end of the city where Vail could pull into a junkyard, up alongside a beater car.
We climbed out of the SUV, leaving Heather in Maverick’s care as he climbed into the front seat.
He rolled down his window, locking eyes with Vail.
“Fucking watch out, okay?” His eyes flickered to me before he added, “He was a little too interested in Casey for my liking.”
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, and I shrank further into Shaw’s arms. My hands were still shaking, my heart racing from what had happened. I couldn’t believe we made it out of there in one piece.
“You guys keep an eye out,” Maverick added as Lee opened the door to the run-down car, fished a key from under the seat, and started it, turning the heat on.
“Elias will send the Jackals after her.” He peered over his shoulder at the girl buckled in the back.
“I’ll make sure she gets the help she needs. ”
“Thanks, Maverick,” Vail sighed heavily, running his hands through his bronze hair over and over again like he was stressed to hell. I didn’t blame him. It came too fucking close tonight.
“You guys need the Spades, just message me, okay?” Maverick said.
“Not gonna leave you kids alone to deal with this shit.” He glances at me again before quickly looking away.
“Things have just gotten a little more complicated…” The window slid up, and Maverick pulled away, disappearing out of the junkyard, heading south.
Not saying a word to each other, we all climbed into the beater car, Shaw and I snuggled close in the back, and Vail got in the passenger side while Lee drove us home.
It was late, and from the black sky, flakes continued to fall, drifting down around us, coating the trees, buildings, and dead ground in a light blanket of white, beautifying everything.
A sharp contrast to what we just went through.
By the time we parked in the parking lot of our townhome, I felt like I was about to pass the fuck out.
My head was drooping on Shaw’s chest, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
The only reason I hadn’t fallen completely asleep was that the heater in this car wasn’t the best, and the cold air was biting at my skin.
Shaw took off his jacket a while ago and tried to cover me as best he could with it, seeing as all I had on was this skimpy dress and no shoes, but all I wanted was to curl up in Vail’s bed with my boys around me.
We parked in the empty spot beside Haldon’s little car, and Lee carried me inside so I didn't have to step on the snow-covered ground. Meredith greeted us immediately, panic written all over her face. “I got the texts! Holy shit… I can’t believe you all made it out okay!” She grabbed me, pulling me free from Lee’s arms and hugging me tight, whispering over and over again, “I’m so sorry.
So, so sorry! It should have been me there. ”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. “What if something had happened to you? What about Amelie?”
Meredith’s grip on me tightened before she finally nodded and let me go.
She wiped away tears running down her face as Haldon appeared at the top of the stairs, his lips pressed tightly together and arms crossed over his puffed-out chest. He looked like he was holding back the urge to punch a hole in the wall.
We wearily trudged up the steps and found the main living space empty, save for a movie that was paused on the TV screen that Mer and Haldon must have been watching.
“The Americans went to bed not too long ago,” Haldon said, “And no unusual activity. Heard back from all three posts and nothing from the Jackals. Whatever happened with you all tonight, I don’t think Elias has contacted them… yet.”
Vail nodded, looking even more exhausted than any of us.
I couldn’t say I blamed him. He was our leader.
He had to make all the decisions concerning everyone’s welfare.
And I also thought that seeing Heather like that rocked him a bit.
“Are you two sure you don’t wanna crash here tonight?
” He asked the couple as they started to pull on their coats. “It’s fucking late.”
“Thanks, but we gotta relieve poor Eli,” Meredith said, zipping up her coat.
“And I want to be with Amelie the moment I open my eyes in the morning.” She was off, like she was feeling extremely rattled by what went down tonight.
That could easily have been her, but I was fucking glad it wasn’t.
If something had happened to her, then Amelie would be motherless, and Haldon would lose the love of his life.
“Message me when you’re in, and the doors are locked,” Vail told them, “Fucking watch out for any signs of being followed, and for any Jackals or Beasts. We need to lie low. I don’t know what the hell Elias is gonna do now. We need to stay safe.”
Haldon simply nodded and held out a hand to Meredith, pulling her in close under his arm before Shaw escorted them out, arming the place once they left.
The four of us headed upstairs, all squashing into the washroom to clean up. Lee jumped into the shower with me, carefully soaping me down and helping me wash my hair. I was still fucking shaking.
Goddammit! Get it together, Casey! I snapped at myself, wishing I could be stronger in this moment.
Lee, despite the situation we had found ourselves in, was completely calm and cool.
His movements were methodical, and his focus was entirely on helping me.
As I washed the makeup off my face, I could hear Shaw and Vail moving around, washing up by the sink, murmuring to each other, their voices too quiet to be heard over the shower.
Finally, Lee shut off the water and gently toweled me off, stopping every few seconds to kiss my shoulder, my damp head, or my lips.
“You’re okay, baby,” he murmured to me, carefully toweling me off.
“I got you.” He slid the curtain back, but the washroom was empty.
However, it looked like one of the others had gotten our sleepwear for us, because my pajamas were sitting on the counter next to a pair of grey sweats for Lee.
By the time I changed into my sleep pants and tank top, my damp hair braided down my back, and Lee had dried off and changed, we quietly slipped into Vail’s room.
Vail had pulled his mattress off the box frame and it seemed like they also made a second section out of extra blankets and comforters beside it, so we could all lie together.
I was so grateful for this, because what I needed most right now was feeling all my guys were here with me at that moment.
One bullet, one misstep, and we could have lost one of us forever.
We all fell into bed together, pulling up the blankets to cover us as we snuggled in.
I had Vail on one side, Lee on the other, and Shaw was curled up between my legs, his head using my stomach as a pillow.
Outside, the wind started to blow, and I could just picture the snowflakes as they whirled about in mini cyclones.
Knowing that it was storming out there while I was snuggled up with the three most important people in my life in bed, safe and loved, had me smiling a little to myself, my eyes closed, and the feeling of sleep not far away…
“Fuck, that’s it, Cherry Pie… rake your nails under my balls!”
What in the actual fuck?! My eyes snapped open as the sounds from the next room penetrated the thin walls. I could hear moaning, a small creak from Lee’s bed, and then after about half a minute of this, the sound of Shelby gasping and gagging.
“Take me down your throat, baby. Fuck I love the sound of you choking on my dick…”
Beside me, Lee let out a small, agonized groan and I had to smother my mouth with both my hands. I knew that Logan had been rubbing him the wrong way since he got here, and hearing this going on in his bedroom must be pure torture.
The sounds changed, the creaking of the bed picking up as Logan and Shelby started fucking each other.
The deep grunting from him, and her high-pitched cries were too loud and obnoxious to ignore.
I held back a fit of giggles when Lee bemoaned, “That’s my fucking bed!
I could have gone my whole life hoping beyond hope that they hadn’t screwed in it, but hearing it happen?
No, fuck no!” He took one of the pillows and crushed it around his face, like he was hoping suffocation would solve all his problems.
That was when I heard Micha from down the hall.
“Shut the FUCK up!” Well, at least Shaw’s bed seemed to be safe from being fucked on tonight.
But Micha’s indignant shouting only seemed to encourage Logan, because the creaking of the bed escalated to the headboard now banging against the wall that was shared with Shaw’s room.
“How much should I bet that if I left my knives in there, they’d all be on the floor now?” Shaw muttered into my stomach, and I choked on my laughter, realizing that the head of Lee’s bed lined up perfectly with his closet.
“That’s right, take me. Take all of me, my pretty little slut,” Logan panted heavily, his pace picking up.
Shelby’s squeals heightened, and I couldn’t help but think that Vail and Logan might be matched for stamina.
I peeked over at Vail, who looked like he had passed the hell out beside me, not giving a shit about anything that was going on right now.
The only sign that he was awake was that one of his hands was resting over my head, his fingers lightly stroking the slightly damp strands of my hair.
Lee, meanwhile, was losing his mind, cursing under his breath, and rolling around beside me, trying to find a position using the pillow and the mattress that would best suppress the noise through the wall.