Chapter 46
Idon’t know what death is supposed to be like, but I recall nothing until my eyes open again. What woke me up?
Then I hear a familiar voice.
“I’ll fucking kill you all for what you put her through! She was safe all these years, and then you got involved—”
Turning my head, I watch Taylor scream at three pale-faced Sai brothers who make no move to stop the tiny five-foot woman pacing before them. “She’s all I have, and look where she is because of you!”
“You’re always so loud,” I mutter, and she spins, her jaw dropping when she sees me.
All her anger dissipates, and she rushes to my side.
Tears slide down her face and she sniffles, snot dripping from her nose.
“I was so scared. Don’t you dare do that to me again.
” She smacks my arm. “You just fucking let him stab you! Then you left!” I let her rant, knowing she needs to get it out.
She’s fine, and I breathe a sigh of relief then look at the brothers.
They are frozen with their eyes on me, and their bodies are tense, as if they are ready to pounce on me at any moment, but from the haunted looks in their eyes, I know they feel the same as Taylor.
Wincing, I look down to see I am covered in heaps of blankets and in Willow’s operating room. “Huh, so I didn’t die,” I scoff, and Taylor smacks me.
“You weren’t even listening to me!” she shouts hysterically.
“Babe, you were talking in a pitch only dogs could hear,” I tease, and her eyes narrow. “I’m hurt, be nice.”
“Whose fault is that for getting stabbed?” She shakes her head, dropping into a chair next to me. “Is it over?”
“It’s over,” I promise as I take her hand. “Lauren?”
“She’s fine. A hottie with a serious mean face offered to show her their toy room, and she went with him, the traitor.” I look at the brothers, and Kane nods.
“Dodge?” I guess, and she nods.
“Who names their kid Dodge? What is he, a movement or a car?” she mutters before shaking it off. “We are all fine.”
“How did he get you?” I ask, needing to know. I can’t bring myself to say his name, and I lower my eyes, not wanting to look into hers or theirs.
“Some men found us. Shelly said the guy who betrayed you from down the road was a client of hers a long time ago and knew about the house. She fought, but they overpowered her. She was fine when we left, just out cold. I’m sorry. I tried to fight and keep Lauren safe—”
“Shh, you did well. You stayed alive, and that’s all that matters.
Sometimes it’s better not to fight,” I tell her, and her eyes soften, having seen too much.
Glancing down, I try to pull my hand away, feeling filthy now that they all know.
The room shrinks as panic grips me. They know.
They all know, and now I’ll be soiled to them.
“You heard him.” It slips out, and the room falls silent. “I didn’t tell you. I couldn’t bear to. I couldn’t even think about it. My own brother. He was my brother, and he—” Shaking my head, I close my eyes and look away, feeling disgusted with myself.
He planned to make me rule at his side, to break me and keep me with him. All this time, it was my fault.
Her tightening hand makes my eyes snap to her.
“You listen to me, Bexley, you stupid bitch. You are my sister, not his. I don’t give a shit about what he said or did.
You are Bexley, our Bexley.” She hiccups.
“It doesn’t matter, do you hear me? We are your family, but if you try to die on us again, I swear to fucking God, I will find some voodoo priestess to bring you back, and then I’ll kill you myself. ”
“Then you’d have to clean up the mess instead of me,” I tease, and she smacks me, tears sliding down her cheeks, but she smiles.
“I’d bribe Lauren.” She holds my hand tighter. “I don’t want you to ever look like that again, okay? Nothing else matters. We’re family.”
“But what he did—” I whisper.
“Doesn’t matter,” Kane interrupts, and I stare at Taylor, unable to look at him even though I felt him round the bed.
Reaching down softly, he tilts my chin up until I meet his eyes.
“You survived so much, hellion. Do you know how proud of you I am? I can’t take it away, but I will never let anyone hurt you again.
None of us will. Your sister is right. Nothing else matters. You are our Bexley. It’s that simple.”
“Besides,” Zayn adds, but his eyes are sad and relieved, “you’re too stubborn to let him win, and if you keep thinking like that, then he will.”
“Stop the fucking pity party.” Neo’s harsh words snap my attention to him. “You’re alive, we’re alive, and that is all that matters. Who are you to sit there, moping and feeling sorry for yourself?”
“I will kill you,” Taylor growls, but I cocoon myself with his words and the harsh truth.
“Fuck him,” he continues. “You’re alive, and he isn’t. That’s all that matters. Are you really going to lie here, feeling sorry for yourself, and let him win? If you do, you’re not the person we thought you were.”
“That’s it—” I keep Taylor seated as I smile at him.
“You’re right,” I admit as I take a deep breath and let the panic pass.
They aren’t treating me differently, they are still here, and they are right.
If I let these feelings take root once more, then Butcher wins.
I’m too petty to let that happen. “I don’t suppose you have any good drugs, though, because my body hurts like a son of a bitch. ”
“No more drugs,” Willow interrupts, and I look at her as she sweeps into the room. “Sorry, but I don’t want to keep you dosed up forever. I needed to know you were okay. I gave you some ketamine.”
“Ah, the floaty drugs. That shit was good,” I joke, and she grins as she checks my vitals. “So, am I going to die, doc?”
“Nah, seems you’re too stubborn for that.” She pats my hand. “You should know they didn’t leave your side. Hell, I even saw them crying. Some tough bastards they are.”
“Crying, really?” I grin as her eyes sparkle. “That I can use.”
“Thought you could.” She looks around then back to me. “I don’t want you moving yet. Rest.”
“The bodies—” I start, looking at Kane.
“Shh, we will deal with everything. You heard the doctor. You need to rest, nothing more. Besides, hellion, who do you think you’re talking to? You don’t think we can cover up a little mass murder? Please.”
As he speaks, I see some life return to his eyes, and it makes me relax. They really were worried. I panic for a moment at what that means, but he’s right. I’m tired, and before I know it, sleep claims me, taking me away from any concerns of bodies and men who may or may not love me.
A horrifying thought, even more so than the dead.
Two days later, I am still bed bound by Taylor and the Sai brothers. They fuss over me and argue with me when I start to get annoyed.
I’m over it.
“I got stabbed, not torn apart by dogs. People get stabbed all the time.”
“I don’t care,” Zayn snaps, crossing his arms. He’s playing the bad guy this time since I argued with Kane and Neo all morning. I managed a pretty good shot with a bedpan they tried to make me use, and his cheek is red. “You’re staying here.”
“I’m going home,” I snarl. “Move or I’ll stab you too.”
“Go for it.” He shrugs. “We have a doctor here.”
“Sai,” I snap.
“Bexley,” he teases.
“Enough, children,” Willow says. “One more day and you can go home on bed rest. I mean it—bed rest. I’ll check on you every day.”
“She’ll be with us. I can send the address,” Kane begins.
“Like fuck I will be,” I scoff, trying to sit up.
Neo and Kane pin me down. Taylor is watching, chewing on a sandwich.
She seems to find this way too amusing. Traitor.
I don’t know when they started wearing her down, but she’s almost .
. . civil toward them. Maybe it’s the fact that they bought Lauren so many toys, we’ll need a new house, or the bodyguard or the new car and protection on our house.
It seems the Sais aren’t above bribery. I have no idea why they are trying so hard to win her over, but I don’t like it.
“You will, so we can keep an eye on you,” Kane demands before sighing. “Please, hellion.”
“No,” I growl, eyes narrowed. “I’m going home. I need my own bed and house. Besides, our contract is complete. It’s done.”
“We aren’t done,” he warns. “You’re running away from us.”
“I’m not running anywhere,” I taunt. “Besides, I only run from zombies. I’m just going home. We had a contract, and it’s finished. We have no reason to be near each other.”
“No reason?” Neo mutters, but I sense his hurt. I try not to let it get to me. It’s for the best. “Seriously?”
“None,” I add, the word feeling like a lie.
“Bexley, we lo—” I throw the cup near my head, hitting Neo in the face and bruising his nose before he can say the words. They’ve been hovering around since I woke up. If they say the L-word, then everything will change, and I can’t deal with that.
We were just having fun. That’s all.
“This is better than TV,” Taylor remarks, and I glare at her. “Alright, boys, it’s clear Bexley is coming home with me.” She holds up her hand. “How about we compromise? You help us get her home, and I’ll update you on how she is whenever you want to know, and you can visit.”
“Like hell they will!” The idea of the three Sai brothers in my tiny bedroom is enough to break me out in hives. There would be no escape, which is exactly what they want. I started this with them because I wanted them, but it’s obvious they have no intention of letting me go.
They were serious when they said I was theirs.
I don’t run, but a bitch can walk away fast when faced with these three idiots.
“No, she will come with us—” And so the arguments begin.
It goes on like this for hours. The police were finally allowed through, and they took our statements.
I played dumb, using my wound to say I didn’t remember anything, and since the bodies mysteriously disappeared from the morgue, they have no case, so they left.
I have no idea what they did with the mercs and Butcher, and honestly, I don’t fucking care.
It’s over, and I’m going home.
Everything will go back to the way it was . . . but the thought almost makes me sad.