2. Chapter 2 - Layrin
Chapter 2
T he entire car ride was silent, with everyone looking off, lost in thought. It was a stark difference from how we were less than twenty-four hours ago.
As the car rolled through the gate, Ravi and Roux ripped their masks off. I could feel Ravi's eyes on me, begging me to look at him, but I refused.
The car jerked to a stop, and Roux shoved the gear into park. No one moved. No one spoke. We just sat in the car, none of us knowing how to move forward.
I was still so mad, so hurt. I had trusted them, and it bit me in the ass. Even worse, I should have known better, and that pissed me off.
A memory surged forward.
Light breaking through the leaves, a cool, crisp breeze caressing my cheek, making sure that no heat lingered too long. A hand grabbed mine, and I smiled, knowing who it was.
“Rin, do you ever think of the future?” Ravi's voice asked from my left side.
Someone shifted around across from me before Ravi cried out. Roux's voice rumbled, “Leave her be, Ravi.”
Giggling, I kept my face to the sky. The four of us were lying on the ground in a circle, watching the leaves and the sky play peek-a-boo. “Of course, Ravi. I'll be with you three, wherever you are.”
Next to me, Rion rolled over. “Do you mean that?”
Tipping my head back, I smiled, looking at him. “Yep. As long as I'm with you guys, everything will be fine.”
The two other brothers turned around on their bellies, all of them doing that triplet mind-reading thing I hated. Roux was the first to break the silence.
“We’ll always protect you.”
Ravi's voice sounded next. “We’ll provide you with anything you need.”
I smiled at them, nodding like an idiot when Rion finished with, “We’ll be everything you need from here on out. Just…” Rion's gaze deepened, his hand going to his pocket as he added, “Stay with us. Always be by our side. That's all we need.”
He shocked me when he flicked open his switchblade and ran it down his palm. He handed the knife to his side, then Roux did the same, and so on with Ravi. Once all of them were bleeding, they turned to me.
I knew a good thing when I saw it. I grabbed the knife and made a shallow cut to mimic theirs. Rion snatched up my hand, our palms slipping around before his fingers curled around mine. “I promise on my soul that we will always be together.”
My eyes went wide upon hearing his words, and I was transfixed by the sight of him kissing my knuckles. Ruby red liquid escaped our entwined hands, dripping down my forearm, but all I could pay attention to was the prince making a vow.
He nodded and let go of my hand, making me crave that comfort again. It was claimed by Roux next. “I promise on my soul to always save you when you need it.”
My normal haughty response to him vanished when I saw his sincerity in his eyes. Never taking his eyes off me, he pulled our hands apart and gently set a kiss at the center of my palm. A small hiss fell from my lips, and when he pulled away, his jackal of a smile was covered in blood. It should’ve scared me, but all it did was fill me with awe.
Ravi pulled my hand from Roux, weaving his fingers through mine as he pulled me closer, resting his forehead against mine, smiling at me so brightly I had the urge to cover my eyes. “I promise on my soul that you will always be the one.”
“Layrin, we need to talk.”
I pulled myself out of the sweet memory that now felt tainted to look at Rion. He had twisted around in his seat and was watching me expectantly.
Steeling my heart, I faced the three of them with a cold, serious face. “I think you have some explaining to do, but who knows if you’ll tell the truth. I guess you’ll have to see if I believe you or not.”
Roux’s shoulders tensed up while Ravi’s head sunk into his hands. Rion was the only one who looked unaffected by my words. His eyes still held that air of authority and power I’d felt earlier, but I didn't give a crap.
Yanking on the car door, I glared at him, making sure he saw I wasn’t going to take his shit. The door opened with a kick, and I threw over my shoulder, “I’ll wait in the living room, giving you all time to get your stories straight.” The door slammed behind me.
The clicks of the other car doors didn’t stop my speed. I stomped off, opening the door as quickly as possible. I knew it was a little much when I stomped my way to the chair next to the couch, sitting down with crossed arms and legs, drumming my fingers against my biceps, but it couldn’t be helped. I was being rocked with a million emotions right now, but the biggest one was a feeling of betrayal. I covered it up with anger since feeling betrayed came from a point of weakness, and I was going to do anything in my power to not look as weak as I felt.
Rion was the first to enter, looking cool as a cucumber. His stupid calm face made me want to throw a pillow at him just to see his lips quiver. He made a beeline for the couch, sitting the closest to me, and calmly folded his arms in his lap, like he had expected all of this. My teeth ground down on each other, and I glared at him. If anyone was the mastermind behind this, it would be him.
Roux came in next, head high as he maneuvered his way next to Rion. He sat down with ease, keeping his chin up like he had nothing to be sorry for, but his eyes spoke a different tale. Those blue-green pools kept flicking my way before looking away again. Did he feel at least a little remorse?
Ravi was the only one giving me the despair and regret that I wanted to see. Being the last one in, he closed the door with slumped shoulders, head hung, and his lips set in a deep, depressing frown. He didn't look up from the ground when he plopped himself next to Roux with a deep exhale.
“Rin—” Rion started, but I wasn't having any of that. The time for them to be in charge and have my full trust was over.
“No.”
Rion’s mouth pinched, and Roux’s face snapped back toward mine.
“No?” Rion’s incredulous question had me realizing he must hear that word a lot less than the regular population.
I shook my head and sat up straight. “ No , Rion. This is not going to be a conversation where you take control and spin whatever narrative you’ve decided to convince me of.” I glared at Roux in emphasis. Ravi still hadn't looked up from the ground yet. Good boy .
“ I will be the one asking the questions, and you will just sit there and answer.” His mouth opened, and his eyes told me he was gearing up for a fight, so I cut him off at the knees. “It's either that, or I leave right now.” Rion’s eyes narrowed. I imagined him weighing out the pros and cons of my threat. For once, I felt like I could read what he was thinking. “And yes, while I know you would find me eventually, that doesn't mean you will have me. You can spend the rest of your life looking at me from a lens.”
Roux’s eyes ping-ponged from mine to Rion’s, holding his breath. Finally, Rion closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine. You have the floor.”
Letting go of my biceps since I was currently squeezing the life out of them, I folded my hands in my lap, mimicking Rion’s calm demeanor. Fake it ‘til you make it, right?
“What was all that kidnapping business about? What's really going on between you and the Riccis?” Now that I’d gotten started, the questions just kept tumbling out. My eyes burned a hole into Rion’s as I spat, “How long have you been spying on me?” I turned my venomous rage in Ravi’s direction next. “What the fuck is the shrine for?” He flinched at my words but didn’t move otherwise.
Fear and pain filled my heart before I turned to Roux, eyes watering without my permission. “Why do you have those jars?” Before I thought about it, I choked on a sob. “Do you know what you did to me? How much people hated me because of you ?”
The silence that followed cut me deep, and my tears began to free fall as each silent second passed. At this point, I was just tired. Tired of the lies, the secrets, and the manipulation, because, when you boiled it all down, that was what it was. Regardless of the reasons behind their deception, they’d put on an act for me, and it had worked.
That thought woke me back up, and I furiously wiped away my tears. I had thought that I would feel better once I got my questions out, but all I felt was lost and alone.
“That’s a lot of questions, and some things are tied to each other. Can we start with the whole Ricci and Ambros thing?” Rion’s low, pensive tone had me nodding my head. I wanted to hear what he had to say. I deserved at least that.
Leaning forward, he blew out a heavy breath before he began to confess. “I'm going to be honest with you, we were planning to keep most of this from you for a while.” My mouth dropped as my eyes flew open, not having counted on him being that honest this early. His jaw clenched, but he pushed his words through it. “We wanted to keep you safe, Rin. That has always been the goal.” He looked at his brothers before wincing. “Well, one of the goals.”
Taking a deep inhale and quick exhale, I pushed forward. “Let's just start with what you and the Riccis are a part of.”
Roux patted Rion on the back like he was trying to comfort him, and Ravi nodded when Rion looked at him, seemingly confirming something. He turned back to me. “We’re a part of a worldwide organization called Foedus.” His lips pinched as he hesitated. “Later, I can go into a long, drawn-out explanation about how the organization operates, but since you’re asking for full disclosure right now, I’ll sum the whole thing up with saying that we kill people.”
My body stilled, eyes zeroing in on his. I was trying to process what he’d just told me. That was not what I was expecting, but thinking about their rooms, this house, and their secrecy, something like that made more sense.
“But why did the Riccis abduct me? Are you guys not working together?” Then something dawned on me, and my heart dropped further than I thought possible. “Does that mean Cin wasn't really my friend?”
Rion raised his hand to stop me from talking, and I frowned, lifting an eyebrow at him. Did he really think he could boss me around right now?
Bowing his head, his eyes flicked to mine, sparkling with a cold, detached blue hue. It reminded me of a tiger showing its belly before coming at you with a surprise attack. “In a weird turn of events, I think that Cinzia actually cares for you.”
What the fuck? Why is that so surprising? Does he think that no one could genuinely care for me?
Ravi quickly cut in, jumping up, waving his hands in front of Rion’s face, panic lacing his voice. “No! No. What he meant was that given our history with the Riccis, he thought that Cinzia was placed as a plant because of our association with you. He was surprised when she helped us find where they’d taken you.” He turned to glare at his brother, who was still facing me with a blank expression. I didn’t think he understood how what he’d said could be taken differently.
“Wait, how did she help you?”
Ravi sat down as Rion's lips pursed like he’d eaten something sour. He looked off for a second before mumbling under his breath, “She gave me clues that she knew only I would be able to follow. That way, she covered her ass with her family while still making it so we could get to you as soon as possible.”
Ravi piped up next. “If her family found out what she did, she would be in deep shit. The Riccis make sure that traitors pay for their crimes. No clean, sweet death for them.”
My jaw dropped as I leaned forward. “Wait. Wait. Wait. Are you saying she could be tortured and killed for helping me?” I thought back to the hooded figure that had given me water and spoken to me, now realizing that must’ve been Cin.
None of them answered aloud, but their silence spoke volumes. She really put herself in a tight spot to help us, well, me… but what did that mean? What did any of this mean?
“So, the rivalry between you guys and the Ricci family isn’t just about money? It's about this organization thing?”
All of them nodded before Rion picked up the explanation. “There's been a long-standing rivalry between our families. The Ambroses were one of the founding families, and we’ve made a lot of the major advancements for Foedus. This makes us high up in the ranks.”
“How high?” I interrupted, feeling like he was trying to gloss over this part.
Rion hesitated, but Roux blurted, “Our uncle likes to open his big, fat mouth, so he’s made a few enemies among the heads of some of the other families. If he hadn’t done that, he would be the speaker for the council, not Maria Ricci, the woman who’d been sitting in front of you. She’s the head of the Ricci family.”
And Cinzia’s mother rang in my head even though he didn’t mention it.
I could see how Cin was in a difficult position. Either she stayed loyal to a friend she’d just met, or her family who was a part of something that had dire consequences. Remembering all the things my roommate had done to help me, I kind of felt bad for her.
“Basically, our father was the last speaker, and his father before that, and his mother before that. For centuries, the speaker was an Ambros.” Rion kept his tone even, almost like he didn’t care about what he was saying, but it seemed like it was important. “Since our uncle was inept at making proper connections with the council members, they pressured him to find our father’s missing heir.”
Rion paused. Ravi smirked, then rushed to speak before his brother. “He just didn't expect there to be triplets, and since the rules were strict, he knew he couldn't introduce all three of us.”
With furrowed brows, I looked at him, about to ask a question, but Rion butted back in. “In Foedus, if a set of multiples is born, each of them next in line to succeed their family, then one must kill the others. They don’t take into account the small details like who was born first; they are just seen as equal contenders for the ‘throne.’ Foedus claims the elimination of the others is the fairest way to settle the line of succession—survival of the fittest.” He snarled at the end, telling me how he really felt, and I was almost there with him. How could this group demand that? It wasn't the children’s fault.
Suddenly, it dawned on me. “ That's why you need to play like you’re one person, so you’re not forced to eliminate one another.”
“So, you are able to put simple things together, Rin. Bravo.” The slow clap Roux was giving me made my back straighten and my nails dig into the couch.
We were glaring at each other, both of us on the wrong side of our emotions, when I spat out, “And what about what I found in your rooms, huh? How can you explain all that to me?”
This time, all of them tensed up. Ravi was rubbing his hands together, his head down, and Rion's whole face clenched, making it seem like he was made of stone. Roux gripped his biceps so hard I thought they would pop. They were clearly on edge and didn’t want to say anything.
I turned my rage to the weakest link and the least hurtful of the three. “Let's start with you, Ravi. What the fuck?!”
He sighed, slumping farther down as he mumbled, “It's just a bunch of pictures. No harm.”
My legs took over as I got up and parked myself right in front of him. “It's not just pictures. There's a blown-up version of me in pillow form and a shrine-looking thing with all sorts of pictures!” I hesitated for a second before I whispered, “And my panties.”
Ravi’s head lifted, his face contorted into a snarl, like he had become a beast with a flip of a switch. “Those are mine ! You gave them to me !”
My body instantly leaned back even though my mind assured me he wouldn't hurt me. His eyes held a feral edge, like desperation and survival were battling to take over. His fists were clenched on his thighs, and his breathing came in and out at a rapid, heavy pace. I couldn’t have a conversation with him like this. I needed to do something to bring him back, bring him out of this mode.
Lifting a shaky hand, I cupped his face. “Ravi, I’m not trying to take those things away from you.” He blinked a few times, and the frenzy in his eyes slowly disappeared. “I just want to know what's going on because I’m scared. I’m nervous, and I’m… deeply hurt.” I didn’t like admitting that last one, but I thought he needed to hear it.
One of his hands unfurled, cupping my face, his eyes finally clear of the animalistic edge. “We didn’t mean to hurt you.” His gentle hand was warm, and his eyes pleaded for me to believe him. I could feel myself sinking into his earnest gaze, wanting to feel the depths of his despair. The cold ice I’d put around my heart started to crack. Damn it!
I shook my head, pulling away from him. No. I couldn’t get sucked in. I couldn’t fall into the trap that was these boys. I needed to stay strong.
Letting go of him, I intended to go back to my seat, but he snatched my hand, tugging it just enough for me to face him. He looked down at our entwined hands as he spoke softly. “I needed a way to feel connected to you. To feel like you were with me, around me, because when you're not, life just seems dull, gray, worthless.” He looked up at me, water lining his eyes. “You have always been and will always be my everything, so I thought, why not snatch up as much of you as I could? Why can’t I look? Why can’t I fantasize about you while we’re apart?”
Opening and shutting my mouth, I was finding it hard to say anything. When he put it like that, how could I chastise him? How did I explain that it was creepy and weird when his explanation was kind of sweet and charming?
He squeezed my hand. “I’m not sorry for it. I would do it again a million times over, and if you didn't come here when you did, then my whole room would be covered in your photos like a stalker. It would be the only way I could get through the day.”
Well, fuck, how do I combat that?
“Ravi’s obsession is harmless. The least problematic. If you want someone to be angry at, be angry at me,” Rion called out, and I turned to him.
“You don’t think I already am?” My words had him flinching, but he kept his head high, indicating that he wasn't remorseful. “I get Ravi, but you... You’ve known where I was and how I was doing this whole time?” My voice broke at the end, swallowing down a sob. That was what really hurt, the thought of him watching and never doing anything.
“It isn't like what you're thinking.” His hand ran through his hair, making the normally perfectly sculpted do into a mess. I hated it at that moment, but I had to admit it still looked gorgeous.
“I kept tabs on you in high school, but it was more from afar, data collected from others. You didn’t post on social media, and that damn town had only two security cameras, one on the bank and one on the police station, so I had to make do. It wasn't until we were eighteen that we were even in a position to try to find you in person. By the time we checked out the orphanage, you had already left. We searched online, but my program was relatively new and we didn't have an updated picture of you to go by. You were suspiciously good at keeping yourself hidden from cameras.” This time, he glared at me, and I almost laughed.
To think that I, Layrin Smith, had almost outfoxed the perfect prince… It was laughable. I would’ve been proud if my soul wasn't whirling with different emotions, going so hard and fast that I couldn’t keep a hold of any of them long enough to name it. Just keep going, Layrin. Get all the answers you need.
I straightened up, matching his glare with one of my own. “Then how did you find me? Those thumb drives looked like you’ve been keeping tabs on me for—”
“The past two years, five months, two days, and sixteen hours. Yes. Catching you was intermittent at best since you normally avoid cameras, but I’ve occasionally caught you when you didn't have a choice.” My body stilled as he rattled off his number, but he just shrugged. “That's only the data post-high-school years. Anything pre has been stored away.”
“And the bloody band-aid? Hair? Samples? Medical records? ” He looked up at me as I folded my arms, making sure he understood I wasn’t letting those go.
He leaned back against the couch. “Same as Ravi, just my way of keeping you close to me. Bringing me solace when our lives felt like dread. We had to have a goal to work toward, and that was you.” He mumbled something out the side of his mouth, but the only words I heard were, “Our perfection.”
It was hard to navigate this issue because I understood it to some degree. I could empathize with Ravi and Rion. Even if I thought their outlets were weird, the pull to be with someone was understandable, especially if they hadn’t had a lot of positive relationships in their lives after they left the orphanage. To be drawn to someone so fully… Well, it wasn’t reasonable. They just didn't want to be alone anymore. I bet it was hard growing up to be a killer.
My thoughts snagged on my high school days when I’d felt the most alone, the most abandoned, and I turned on my heel toward Roux. “And you .” He stiffened at my words, but it could’ve been my tone because my voice went low and deep. “You have no idea how horrible you made my life. I told you what they called me, how they spat in my face every time they had a chance!” I growled, throwing up my hands as my veins filled with molten rage.
“The cursed child. The bad omen. The girl to stay away from. I was a social pariah for four years . Hated. Feared. Ignored .” My voice shook as I remembered the feeling of accusing eyes and nasty words mumbled under one's breath. “And yet you sat there and pitied me when I told you even though you knew it was because of you!”
He launched out of his seat, eyes flaring with agitation. “How do you think we felt?! It might seem simple to you, but it was agonizing to learn third hand what you were doing. Knowing that you were seeing other people, that some girl was bullying you! Were we supposed to just sit by and let you be touched? Let you be abused?”
The volume of his voice had me flinching, but he kept going, chest puffed out like it was armor. “We take care of what’s ours, and we decided a long time ago that you belonged in that category.” He took a slow, menacing step forward, trying to intimidate me, but that was the wrong move.
While I was usually one to fly under the radar, not wanting to attract trouble, I was still that girl who had jumped in front of a group of boys to defend those I thought needed it. That girl burst forward, going chest to chest with a man twice her size.
“And you think that gives you the right? That I should be on my hands and knees thanking you?” Rolling my eyes, I scoffed, a cruel laugh spilling out of my lips before my eyes narrowed on his. “Who said that I agreed to be yours, huh? You barely even like me!”
His mouth twisted up, veins popping out along his neck as his hands fisted at his sides.
My whole focus was on the menacing man in front of me even though I heard Rion talking beside us. “Let's take a break. Calm down. It won't do any of us any good to be at each other’s throats.”
While my muscles ached from the day's activities, my mind tired and on information overload, my soul was ready to keep going, to fight this out to the death. The only thing that changed my mind was Roux’s reaction.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping before he opened his eyes again. The ire that had spit venom just seconds ago was replaced with something I couldn't quite understand, something softer. “We should sleep and talk again in the morning. It will give you more time to think of questions now that you know a little bit.”
Like his words had sucked up all the negativity in the room, my body grew heavy, muscles groaning at how sore I really was. Suddenly, his suggestion didn't seem so bad. Maybe I did need to take a breath, think about what I’d just learned, and re-evaluate. I nodded, not trusting my mouth to say it in a kind and productive way.
The three of them turned toward the stairs, their heads hung like they’d been through the wringer.
Glancing around, I realized that I wasn’t in any kind of head space to be in one of their rooms, and a little pang of hurt sliced through my heart. That safety that I craved had been taken, and what was left was distrust and hesitancy. This wasn't how I ever pictured our relationship going, but here we were. The pedestal they were on had been knocked down, and we needed to deal with the aftermath.
My backpack and other belongings were still in the room, splayed out, reminding me how panicked I had been when I left the house. It felt like so long ago. Picking up the notebook and a few scattered things, I shoved them in my bag.
“What are you doing?”
My head swung up to see the three of them looking at me with pinched expressions. I huffed before any of them could say more. “I'm packing up. If one of you could call me an Uber, I would appreciate it. I don’t have my phone.”
They looked at each other before Rion stepped down. “Rin, you can’t leave. We still don’t know who tried to run you over. It’s too unsafe with an unknown assailant out on the loose.”
Looking away, I thought about it. He might be right. This group they belonged to, Foedus, had a hierarchy I knew nothing about. Maybe someone else wanted to get back at the guys though me? Biting my lip, I tried to come up with some reason as to why I had to leave, but nothing was coming to me on the spot.
Ravi stepped down, sighing as he leaned up against the railing. “Rin, please stay with us. If you don’t, we’re just going to follow you and keep watch all night, and I really think we all need some sleep.”
I could tell by the others’ faces that Ravi was right. As much as I wanted it to be, leaving wasn’t a solution right now. “Fine,” I grumbled, “but I’m sleeping on the couch.” My silent words, I’m not comfortable with you , rang out loud and clear as pain filled those gorgeous hazel eyes.
Rion turned, taking the stairs two at a time, and came back with a fluffy pillow and comforter. “Here.” He pushed them into my hands. He could be salty about it, but I still appreciated that he was trying to make me comfortable. I nodded, not knowing what to say.
He headed back for the stairs, and I thought that was it until he turned around, eyes down. “I’m not going to apologize or regret what we’ve done, but please think about this… We’re killers, murderers, psychos. We don't know the proper way to court you. All we know is we want you safe, happy, and by our side.”
His head tilted up, his eyes shining like golden honey. “That has and always will be our goal. Tonight hasn't changed that. You're it for us until these bones and this body turns to dust. Even then, our souls will find you wherever you are. I hope you think about that as you judge us tonight.”
Without another word, they left me standing speechless.