Chapter 36
Chapter
Thirty-Six
MATTY
Darwin’s parents and Zephyr’s family joined us on Dark Island for Christmas.
While I’ve had a lot of really great Christmases in my life, there was something really special about this one.
Besides some gifts that their families brought, we didn’t exchange much.
There weren’t any stockings. No traditions that we followed. There weren’t even decorations.
Yet it was one of the best holidays of my entire life, including when I was a kid, and Santa was real. I’ve always been happy with Liam. Never once in my life with him have I thought something was missing. Never have I been dissatisfied or unhappy.
On Christmas evening, as we watched Darwin and Zephyr say goodnight to their parents and Zeph’s brothers, Liam and I waited with our arms around each other’s waists. Watching. Liam put into words the things that were swirling around in my head.
“I can’t imagine how we lived so long without them,” he murmured. “It feels completely wild to think that there was life before it became the four of us.”
“But we were happy,” I’d said.
He kissed my temple. “We were. I will always love the memories we created together, and I don’t even think they’re missing from the—” He paused. “Wow. I’m making zero sense.”
I’d laughed but knew exactly what he meant. People make such a big deal about falling in love with one person, and there’s no one else. Those same people fall in love over and over again. Their one love doesn’t last, and the next person is suddenly the end-all.
Second-chance romance is a huge trend, after all.
In a way, this relationship between the four of us is exactly that.
It is a second chance for all of us, even though Darwin and Zephyr didn’t have a relationship before.
It’s a true second chance for Liam and me.
It’s a second chance at what had become strained and fragile, only now, we have two more pillars of love and strength.
Their families left shortly after Christmas, and we spent a few days alone together. Besides all the sex, it felt like a honeymoon. Alone, romantic, sexy, sweet. The days stretched as we spent time in each other’s company. Making plans, watching movies, cuddling, cooking together, laughing.
So simple, yet it was probably some of the best days of my life.
Then the boat club people began showing up for New Year’s.
I’m watching from the window now as the brothers Paul and Gavin Seagrave leave.
Paisley is driving them down to the docks and their waiting boat.
My heart races as I remember the conversation when Zephyr announced that they’re taking me home. I’m leaving Dark Island.
Silence met his words as only the attending members of the Society of the No Face were gathered in one of the parlors. Everyone in the room stared at Zephyr and me. I tried very hard not to wriggle under their scrutinizing gazes.
It wasn’t one of my three boyfriends who spoke next, but Arek. “He’s not only killed two people in defense of this island and our friends, but it’s his sole warnings alone that alerted us to their uninvited presence in the dead of the night.”
Orev followed with, “He hasn’t had a panic attack in months, either.”
I might have stared with my jaw dropped because they were dead set that I was a prisoner when they visited. Now they’re on my side. They defend me.
I’m not the only one who felt the shift in the room, though. If Arek and Orev were on my side, that meant Paisley and Axl were too. With the addition of Zephyr’s bestie Jude, that was practically the entire room staring off with Paul, Sam, and Denver. I didn’t even know who Sam and Denver were.
Now I’m waiting for our turn to leave. My suitcase is packed full of whatever belongings I want to take with me. My clothing is split between Liam, Darwin, and Zephyr’s luggage, though some is staying here. Once again, my heart beats wildly in an unnatural rhythm.
I can’t believe I’m leaving Dark Island. I was sure that I’d die here. Then again, I suppose that eventually still exists. I may still die here, but it won’t be on this trip.
Hands on my hips make me jump, and I glance over my shoulder as Zephyr brings me into his arms. I smile, letting myself fall into his hold.
“You good, doll?” he asks.
Sighing, I nod. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and still be in my room in the tunnels.”
“Not a chance,” he says, nipping at my jaw. “In an hour, we’re getting on a boat with Paisley and Moll, and they’re going to drop us off in Alexandria Bay, where Liam’s car is waiting to drive us to the airport.”
I shiver in anticipation. “I can’t believe that’s happening for real. I get to leave,” I whisper.
“You never should have been forced to stay.”
To be fair, I’m not honestly upset about the decision. If Liam had somehow convinced them to let me off the island, this wouldn’t have happened. While I know insane asylums aren’t really a thing anymore, I’m pretty sure I’d be committed somewhere for the things I was ranting about, too.
We continue to watch out the window for quite a while. We’re still there when Paisley drives back up the hill to the castle in the side-by-side. Almost as soon as she’s around the corner and out of sight, Liam steps into the room with Darwin.
“You ready?”
Zephyr’s arms tighten around me, and he kisses my neck before letting me go.
“Yeah.” Liam and Darwin join us by the window, and, as we have many times over the last week, we wrap up together.
Somehow, I’m somewhat in the middle. Zephyr’s words, telling me I’m the heart of our relationship, are never far from my mind.
They never fail to make my breath catch.
“I love this,” I murmur. “Can we do this every day?”
“Every day. Every hour,” Liam agrees. I hear him kiss someone, and I smile.
“You idiots-in-love ready?” Paisley asks from somewhere outside our circle.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Darwin says. “Warriors in love. We defended this island until there was no one left standing!”
“Modern-day Band of Thebes,” Liam says.
He’s not wrong. The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite army in ancient Greece.
The idea was to unite 150 pairs of male lovers with the idea that they’d fight harder and with more determination to protect the person they love.
I suppose that’s what I did. That’s the reason I got involved.
When Darwin was in trouble, listening to the dead was no longer an option.
“Speaking of defending the island,” Paisley says. “The police are done with the questioning? Anything we should know?”
“Officially, you don’t know anything. We told you about the fire on Chokecherry when you arrived,” Darwin says as he disentangles himself from our cuddle huddle.
“Unofficially, there are a ton of bodies in the pits all over the island. Mack is the only one left alive. There needs to be a fourth wall added to Matty’s old room.
For obvious reasons, he can’t leave, but I think we all believe his story. ”
“If you talk to him, don’t hurt him,” I say. “Please. He was caught up in something he didn’t want to be a part of, and he knows nothing.”
Much like me.
Paisley nods. “Noted.”
Moll steps beside Paisley, still standing in the doorway, and Paisley wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe we’ll make friends with Mack,” she adds.
I frown. “That’s not code for ‘torture him,’ is it?” I ask.
Moll sighs. “You think so little of me, Matty.”
“As he should,” Zephyr says. He kisses my temple and steps back as well. “You assholes voted for him to be locked away for the rest of his life.”
“You didn’t?” Paisley asks.
“No. I couldn’t be bothered to be involved in it.
” I shrug. “In fact, I’m not sure I was even here for the incident.
It was early spring, almost three years ago, right?
” Liam and I nod. “I was probably following Jude around for playoffs. I’m not saying I’d have had an opinion one way or another, but at least my conscience is clear knowing I didn’t vote for him to be locked away forever. ”
“We made a mistake,” Moll says. “At least he’s not walking around with a brand on his neck and a target over his head.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure this idea was better,” Darwin says as he gently touches my neck.
I’m not entirely sure what the brand is about.
Rome Van Doren has one. It’s been tattooed over with his personal No Face mask, but we can all still see the texture change under it.
Whatever that means, it’s not a good thing, and I’m happy I don’t know the details.
“If one of the four we got out of their basement wants to get in touch, you can give them any of our numbers,” Zephyr says. “I’d imagine that, at some point, they’re going to want to talk.”
“That last set of shackles was for one of us,” Darwin says darkly. “Yet, they were almost always trying to get into the tower. I’d still really like to know what they were after.”
“I think Dark Island Boat Club should purchase Chokecherry,” Zephyr says. “That makes whatever is left our personal property. We’ll see what secrets they left behind.”
“Not everyone was on the island, were they?” I ask. “It’s winter.”
“Unlikely, but there were a whole lot of people for the dead of winter,” Darwin says. “Something was going on.”
“My guess is that the island will go up for sale at some point. Even if their boat club has money left in its coffers after Clark erroneously spent money on stupid shit, I’m not sure they have enough to rebuild and replace all the boats we burned,” Liam says. “We’ll just keep an eye out.”
“And an eye on the island now,” Moll says. “We’re going to send out drones periodically to see what we see, calling it a landscape photography project to share the beauty of Alexandria Bay with the rest of the world.”
“You’ve thought about this,” Darwin says.
“Yep,” Paisley agrees. “I’m irritated that you didn’t call us all in.”