Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
DARWIN
My head still hurts periodically throughout the days following the attack. I can’t remember what happened. Matty has repeated what his ghosts say, but I don’t actually remember it. I’m guessing it’s the kick to the head that erased the memory.
Our morning in bed after consisted of Liam fucking Zephyr, although I feel like ‘fucking’ is a gross mislabeling of what Matty and I witnessed.
While I hesitate to sound cliché and sappy, if there was ever such a bedroom activity that could be called ‘making love,’ that’s what we watched. Over and over again.
Then Zephyr watched Liam take Matty in the same way, though it was also different. Like Liam has a specific piece of him that’s only for Matty and one that’s only for Zephyr.
The last few days have been a lot of the same. Liam takes Zephyr when he asks for it, between Zephyr’s anger and determination that Chokecherry has crossed a line. I have a feeling that his anger reaching a specific threshold in him is when he turns to Liam for some attention.
I’ve also realized that Liam truly isn’t the man he was last week.
Something snapped into place when I got hurt.
He turned into a caregiver. He tends to my wound.
He tends to Matty’s fear. He tends to Zephyr’s emotional baggage and vulnerability with a calm, strong confidence that helps us all settle.
In a way, Liam’s healing, because we need him in a capacity that only he can fulfill right now, given the situation and circumstances.
We need him, and it allows him to put his self-loathing aside to respond to that need.
Because he’s healing, Matty is leaping forward in taking back control of his life.
I watched him tell the ghosts to back off this morning.
All on his own. I’m not sure he’s ever done that.
Zephyr is calmer. Well, when he’s not livid over Chokecherry.
He looks more relaxed. I don’t think it’s just his recent emotional upheaval that he’s been locking away.
I have a feeling that he’s been burying his emotions since his sister’s death.
It’s too hard, too big, and he doesn’t want to deal with it.
I wonder how much of his persona is so that he can hide all the trauma.
Me? I feel wanted. For the first time in my life, I truly feel seen and wanted and cared about. I’m not in the background tidying up where no one sees me. I’m not just along for the ride. These three men look at me every single day and want me.
They’re also being mean to me. No one is allowed to fuck me, and I can’t fuck anyone until my headaches are gone. Head injuries are no joke. They still make sure I have orgasms with them, but they won’t let me in on the good stuff. Not even when I complain.
That’s okay. This is the future I want every day. I’m not sure what’s going to happen after the first of the year when Paisley and Moll are here to relieve me, but I suppose that’s a conversation that needs to happen.
Not today, though. Today, Zephyr’s brothers are arriving as we prepare to respond to Chokecherry’s continuous invasion of our privacy.
The only thing Zephyr did the morning after, besides lounge in bed with us and have his emotions continuously spilled everywhere with his cum, was call his brothers; Erez to tell him we need backup, and Lanzo to get him to break into Chokecherry’s security for a layout of the island and what we can expect to face.
We got the call last night that his brothers would arrive this morning, and we’d go over what Lanzo found, make a plan, watch the weather, and then move forward. Not in a snowstorm. The forecast has been threatening storms for the past week.
Matty, Liam, and I watch Zephyr pace. He’s excited to see his brothers. I know that. But he’s also nervous. I can guess why. He doesn’t want Matty involved. He also doesn’t want Matty left alone. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say he probably doesn’t want me involved either.
If Zeph had his way and it were possible, he’d go in alone to keep everyone he cares most about safe. That’s not an option, though.
“Zephyr?”
Zeph stops and looks toward the door. Erez walks through a second later, and both men grin. Zephyr has Erez in a bear hug a second later, as if he didn’t just see his brother a couple weeks ago at Thanksgiving.
Behind him is the third and last Deth child.
The middle child. The psychopath. Lanzo.
He looks scary. Even though he’s watching his brothers, his presence alone and the cold look on his face—completely dissociated and detached—makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. Matty leans a harder into my side.
I’m a little surprised when Lanzo takes Zephyr in his arms, too. It’s not the same kind of hug that he shared with Erez. Yet, I have a feeling that whatever emotion is behind it is just as strong, even if very different.
My breath jumps when the Van Doren psychopaths step into the room, too. Zephyr looks at them, eyebrow raised. They look identical except for a lone scar on Orev’s jaw. That’s the only way to tell them apart.
Their eyes land on the three of us sitting on the couch, and both frown.
“Why is he out of his room?” Orev asks, clearly talking about Matty.
Matty inhales sharply. I can feel his fear spike.
“He’s not a prisoner,” Zephyr says.
“Isn’t he?” Arek asks.
“No,” Zephyr, Liam, and I say at the same time.
“You not wanting him to be doesn’t mean he isn’t,” Orev points out.
“Why are you here?” Zephyr asks. “I asked my brothers to help us. Not you.”
Arek and Orev look at Matty, and I think we all bristle.
“If it weren’t for Matty, we wouldn’t have known that these idiots kept breaking onto the island,” Zephyr snaps. “Like it or not, he’s far more helpful than you are. We don’t need your help. You can leave.”
“We need their help,” Lanzo says.
“I don’t—”
“At any given moment, there are almost two dozen people on Chokecherry,” Lanzo interrupts. He looks at Matty for a second. “Even with Matty, we’re very outnumbered.”
“We’ll handle it,” Zephyr insists.
Lanzo grips his brother’s chin roughly, forcing Zephyr to meet his eyes. “We will, but we need more hands. I brought the minimum I thought we could manage, and our particular set of traits is better in this situation than yours are. You won’t die, Zephyr. Do you understand me?”
I’m not the only one staring with side eyes, completely and utterly frozen. Zephyr’s chest heaves as he struggles through his frustration.
“Matty isn’t a prisoner. He won’t be treated like one,” he answers.
“That doesn’t answer my question. Do. You. Under—”
Zephyr shoves Lanzo off him. “Fuck off, Lan. He isn’t a prisoner, and your little Muppets can go to hell before I let them treat him like a prisoner. Do you understand?”
“Muppets?” Orev repeats, obviously irritated with the word.
Lanzo holds up his hand to tell Orev not to continue. Orev looks equally irritated with that.
“You know what? You can all leave. We’ll figure this out on our own. Next time I need help, I won’t ask you,” Zephyr says, turning his back on Lanzo.
I’m not in the least bit surprised when Lanzo grabs Zephyr by the neck and hauls him backward. I am surprised when Zephyr elbows him in the gut hard enough that Lanzo releases him. Anger blazes in Lanzo’s eyes.
“We’re not kids anymore. You don’t get to bully me into doing what you want.” He looks at the Van Dorens. “I will call the rest of No Face in on this if I need to, so once again, go fuck off. Don’t touch Matty. I don’t give a shit who your family is. I’ll kill you with a smile on my face.”
Arek smiles. “I forget how fun you can be.”
I extricate myself from Matty and get to my feet. All three psychopaths’ eyes are on me, and it’s not a comfortable place to be. I stand beside Zephyr. Nothing like trying to reason with rabid animals.
“Matty is the only reason they haven’t broken into the castle or tower.
Whatever they’re after, they’re not giving up, and the only place on this entire island covered with cameras is the docks, which is very arrogant of us.
Something they’ve realized and are trying to exploit.
He isn’t a prisoner of his room. He is a prisoner of the island.
Which he hasn’t left. He’s also now killed a man defending me and the island, so he’s officially passed his induction.
Therefore, you can back off now and leave him alone. ”
Arek and Orev look at Matty, and I can practically feel him sinking into the couch, trying to burrow into Liam and get out of sight.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Orev asks.
“Hard not having a conscience, yes,” Matty answers.
“Matty isn’t up for discussion,” Liam says. “You’re here to deal with Chokecherry. Matty isn’t your concern.”
The twins look at each other, and for a solid minute, they don’t look away. Can they communicate without words? It’s freaky as fuck.
“Alright,” Arek says after a minute. He looks at Matty and Liam. “Right now, it’s not our concern.”
“It’s never your concern,” Zephyr says.
Arek waves his hand. “I was under the impression that you were done arguing about this and wanted to move on. Yes or no?”
“I want you to leave.”
“No,” Lanzo says. “You aren’t going to die on my watch.”
“I will never ask you for help again. You do understand that, don’t you?”
“You will.”
“You’re wrong. I know you know what it means to hold a grudge and not forgive someone. That’s now you, fucker.”
Lanzo’s eyes narrow.
Erez finally steps forward and moves between them. He looks at Lanzo. “I told you this isn’t what Zeph asked for. Now you can deal with that after we deal with Chokecherry. This is the bed you made for yourself.”
“He’s—”