Chapter Fifty-Three
The engine cuts out, propeller finally spinning to a stop. And I’m brimming with nervous excitement.
I didn’t see the texts. We probably should have read them before bringing everyone up here…
If Lachlan the helicopter pilot gets out alone, I’m gonna throw him off this roof.
Or maybe not… since we need him. And I’ve never killed anyone before, why would I start now that we’re all out of prison??
When the door opens, the first things I see are suede boots, tailored slacks, and long, rich-guy legs. Which obviously means Tauren.
Ren and I are beaming as he climbs down, looking around nervously.
Seeing Tauren in this setting is already super weird. I’m not sure how this will play out…
When he spots us, his shoulders drop and he exhales. “Thank God. It’s all good! They’re here. You can come out!”
And then two identical black-haired boys hop out of the chopper, and I’m shimmying while Ren is squealing.
“My babies!” He rushes Cyrus and Colson, hugging them while they laugh and squeal with him.
“Badass helicopter entrance, my dudes,” I chuckle, joining the hug.
“I can’t believe you greeted us up here,” Colson rumbles. “I feel famous as fuck.”
“Uh, you are famous as fuck, boo.” Ren smirks. Colson makes a face, but Ren scoffs, “Please, these people are all psychopaths the world thinks are dead. A little more exclusive than you and your masked singer persona.”
Col frowns.
“Oh my God, it’s reclusive billionaire Tauren Vance!” I tease, acknowledging our hero—one of them, anyway.
Tauren chuckles, hugging us. “Glad you guys are okay… Would’ve been nice if you’d answered your texts, but I guess greeting us on the roof is just as good.”
The twins are staring at our friends. Our friends are staring back.
It seems insane that they’re actually here.
Worlds colliding, baby.
“Guys, these are our friends.” Ren drags Colson over, while he drags Cyrus, while he drags me, and Tauren just walks normally because he’s a grown-up. “Cyrus and Colson. Cyrus is the good twin, and Colson is the bad one. See? Good, bad.” He gestures between them, making sure they’ve got it.
“And this is Tauren.” I peek at him. “He’s their… manager.”
“Right. Yes! Their manager.” Ren nods along.
The twins share a look, smirking at Tauren, who winks.
“Hey!” Of course Dash is the first to jump forward, hand out like the little pelmeni my best friend is. “I’m Dash. It’s so cool to meet you! These guys have been raving about you.”
“Same.” Cyrus beams. “We’ve heard so much about you. All of you.”
“This is Byron, and Trevel,” I go on with introductions.
The twins frown.
“Don’t worry, we like him now.” Ren grins.
“Ah.” Colson’s lips twitch.
“Sup.” Byron looks like he’s sizing them up because he is a little jealous, and it’s adorable.
“Charmed.” Trevel nods. “Whatever they told you, I’m sure it’s only partially true.”
The twins chuckle.
“And this is—” Ren goes to introduce Felix, but I jab with my elbow before he can. “Ouch! Jesus…” he whines.
“This is… Norman,” I stammer, immediately regretting that choice of fake name.
“Really??” Ren cackles. “Norman?!”
“I panicked!” I mumble through laughter. “Sorry…”
“I’m not worried about it,” Felix giggles, waving at the twins. “I’m Felix. This is my fiancé, Lemuel.” Lem waves as well, though somehow still aloof and doctor-like.
“And this is my fiancé.” Dash pulls Kemper over. “Kellan.”
Bestie obsessed with letting everyone know he’s locking that down.
“Where’s Velle?” I look around.
“Probably dealing with Joy’s dad,” Dash hums in amusement.
“Yea, you guys showed up at literally the craziest time.” Ren tells them. “You’re actually nuts for showing up here. It was an active war zone not twelve hours ago…”
They look nervous.
“It’s okay now, though,” Dash assures. “Sort of…”
“Why don’t we get out of the cold and show you guys around?” Kemper suggests. “We can get some food, or something to drink and give you the Alabaster Isle rundown.”
Tauren is visibly wary, but the twins are more excited than they are cautious, nodding and following us inside.
“Are you sure it’s safe for us to be here?” He asks me and Ren while we take the stairs down to the third-floor landing. “We saw some scary-looking shit on our way in…”
“Really?” Ren plays dumb, peeking at me. “Like what?”
“War zone stuff. Wreckage, scorched earth… a bunch of soldiers loading crates of guns onto a ferry…”
“And bodies,” Colson adds.
“Yes…” Tauren gulps tensely. “More than a few dead bodies.”
“Caught quite the glimpse, didn’t you?” Ren rumbles.
“We’ll explain everything, but basically the war is over and we won,” I chirp.
The official statement of the day, so we’ll go with that.
On our way past The Ivory’s room, I peek inside, slowing when I see that he and Angel are in there… packing their things.
We all share a look.
“Oh… hello.” Ivory’s head tilts. “Who’s this?”
“Don’t stop. No eye contact, just keep walking,” Ren whispers, and I smack him again.
“These are our friends from California,” I tell them.
Ivory and Angel come up to the doorway, looking the twins and Tauren up and down.
“They came because they were worried about us,” Ren adds.
“That’s nice,” Ivory murmurs lethargically.
My forehead lines.
“Did you slip him a sedative?” Dash asks in amusement.
Angel chuckles. “He took a painkiller. Because of his face… And he was driving me loco about Joy’s dad.”
“So… you did drug him,” Ren laughs.
I can’t lie, it’s crazy seeing The Ivory all beat-up. Such an evil dude with black eyes forming, and a split lip, in his expensive yet still regular clothes; some slacks and a Henley. Not wearing a suit for the first time ever.
He’s like Barney Stinson. He came out of the womb in a suit. So this is peculiar to say the least.
Honestly, though, it’s also kinda cute.
“Our other friends kicked his ass.” Byron grins.
“Are you staying?” Ivory asks them. “If so, you can take my bedroom if you like. Angelito and I can stay downstairs.”
“That’s so… thoughtful.” I narrow my gaze at him.
“Yea, what the hell,” Dash grunts.
“Let’s go find Velle.” Lemuel hustles us along.
“Bye!” Ivory waves at them. “Good to meet you…”
“Why does it feel like we just met Pennywise?” Colson grumbles.
“The hair on the back of my neck is standing up,” Cyrus whispers.
“That’s a normal reaction, trust me,” I mutter.
The longest two days in history wind down to a surprising tranquility.
The cartel is gone. Joy’s crazy dad and his crew also left, which is a relief, because things were tense as hell with them here. Things are still a little tense, but that’s mainly due to us not knowing what’s going on with The Ivory.
I think Velle knows something is up, but he’s not telling us. He’s mainly just trying to keep an eye on everyone, especially while we have guests.
It’s a far stretch to say that Cyrus, Colson and Tauren are innocent. But it’s also a far stretch from engaging in a taboo relationship to being a murderous sociopath.
It is. I don’t care what any braindead morons think.
They were nervous at first, but I think having the Pen family walking around them everywhere like a security detail has comforted them, while letting the others know that these innocents, as it were, are not to be trifled with.
And for the first time, at least since before the storm, but definitely the first time since we got back, the island is quiet. Not silent; it’s not that ominous echo of nefarious shit you just know is going on within the walls. There’s noise, but it’s normal.
People talking and laughing. Engines from the cars bringing supplies to and fro and Peters driving Alex up and down the coast on Velle’s Harley. Birds chirping, ocean waves calmly crashing, and fire crackling as nature’s own melody.
And music.
Some of the guys built a bonfire on the beach—on the east, not to be confused with the fire they were using to burn bodies on the west.
The only body they buried was that of Kent, The Ivory’s personal security and his right-hand man, who’d sacrificed himself to save us when Russo’s men were firing at us. Angel and Trevel wanted to have a small funeral for him, which they did. His grave now rests beside those of our friends…
Henry Landon. Kieran O’Malley…
And Parker Freeman.
It was an emotional moment even being over there. But we had each other, and that made it easier, just like it did when we lost them.
Velle had the team cook food for everyone over the bonfire on the beach—easier than doing it in the kitchen.
We ate, talked and laughed, celebrating the win, and remembering those who lost their lives along the way, whether in the war itself, or the years of imprisonment that led to it. Then we poured out a drink for them.
Now we’re sitting around the fire, as a family, beneath a blanket of stars, while Colson strums his guitar.
He’s just playing, weaving soft melodies as a soundtrack to our chitchat.
All the couples and throuples cuddling up, watching the fire.
As it does, the chatter dies down, and all that’s left is the fire, and the music.
Colson stops the unfamiliar chords of his own music. He does that often, comes up with something on the fly. It’s how he writes his songs, melody first.
But now he’s started on something that’s not his. Likely one of his emo-boy favorites.
I can see that Velle is instantly perked. He knows this song.
And then Colson begins to sing, lyrics about being a long way from home, lost by an echo, I’d never have known…
Cyrus and Tauren are smiling, and as he goes on, the smiles spread across the rest of us. Bobbing and swaying along to the enchanting harmony of our friend the musician, around this campfire of victory.
To my surprise, by the chorus, Byron joins in. I’ve never heard him sing! He’s actually got a great voice.
Then Trevel joins. Then Ren and Dash, and Kemper. Cyrus, and even Felix, and I’m mad I don’t know the lyrics because I don’t listen to sad-boy songs!
But by the second chorus, I pick it up.
And when Velle, Joy, and Rook join in, it’s a full-on family kumbaya around the campfire. Like that time we sang in the cafeteria…
Only now, we’re free.
We broke out, and burned it down. So we’ll sing… Because we can.
There’s room to believe…
Out of sight, out of mind, out of reach.
Start over. It’s no way to begin.
By the final chord, we’re all cheering and whooping, and laughing.
“That was amazing!” Ren trills.
“Now do Crimson and Clover!” Felix cheers.
We all laugh. Well, those of us who get the joke, which is most of the Pen family, minus Rook, Lem, and Trevel, who look lost.
But Colson is grinning, and ever the secret lover of playing to people’s requests, he starts it up.
“If you guys think I’m singing in front of all of you like some fucking ballad or whatever, you’re high,” Dash chuckles as Kemper pulls him in close, grinning and kissing his hair.
“What is your obsession with this song, anyway?” Velle smirks.
Dash’s forehead lines, like he’s remembering something. “I think my parents used to play it when I was little. When things were… simple.”
He looks up. His father is over by the trees lining the mansion driveway, talking to The Ivory and Angel.
“It’s okay, bestie. We’ll sing it with you,” I hum.
“Yea, we all know the words now, thanks to you singing it on repeat for months,” Byron chuckles.
“He sings it in the shower too, it’s adorable.” Kemper smirks.
Colson gives Dash a look of question, still strumming the song. And Dash smiles, flush-faced, but happy. Content, settled. No twitches, no fidgets.
Because he’s here with his family, where he belongs, surrounded by love and support.
“Fine, but after this, we’re doing your favorite song.” Dash eyes me.
I beam, but Ren beats me to it.
“Home Sweet Home by Motley Crüe,” he announces proudly.
“Hell yea!” Rook bops.
Velle and Joy fall over laughing.
“Let’s do it, Luscious,” Kemper whispers, kissing his man’s face.
Colson starts over, and we all launch into a family rendition of Crimson and Clover.
While we’re singing, Dash’s dad comes over, standing off where the trees meet the shore, just watching and listening. And smiling.
Angel, Ivory, and his assistant, Yari Estevez, who it turns out used to work with Ren at The Ivory’s club—before my fiancé burned it down—also join us by the fire.
Just to sit, and listen. And smile with us while we sing crimson and clover over and over…
Laughing about how it used to be over and over and over with Dash singing it nonstop.
And when we’re done, we do Home Sweet Home.
I think Colson, Cyrus, and Tauren get it now. Why we’d feel like this place is a home to us, despite it being fucked up, chaotic and even dangerous at times.
It’s not about the place, though part of me does feel like this island has some sort of black magic woven into it, from its history… A story that The Ivory tells us while we’re all nestled up around the fire.
Really, it’s just about us. The prisoners of this island who have escaped and will now explore new, exciting lives, out in the world. Taking advantage of this second chance we’ve been given at life.
But no matter where we go, wherever we end up, whether we’re together all the time, or there’s distance between us… We’ll still be able to find home in one another.
Home sweet home.