Chapter Twenty-One
Nash made the call while Abi spoke with Sylvain via the internal link. Where should I send my plane?
Nash didn’t like having an internal link with anyone else besides Abi, but it was handy. It felt like a betrayal, as though he were fucking around with someone else. It felt wrong, but it was necessary if they wanted to get Daruss and the rest of the family there in a timely manner.
Nash gave Sylvain the name of a neighboring town to Wingspan with a larger airport.
Daruss answered on the second ring. “Hey, man. You need to call more often. I worry.”
“Okay, Father Daruss.”
“You make me sound like a fucking priest.”
“You’re the furthest thing from it.”
Daruss chuckled. “No shit.”
“I need the family here.”
“And where is here?”
Nash gave his location. “Sylvain has a private jet. He’s sending it to Benson Harbor Airport.”
Daruss cursed. “Fucking Spider Sylvain. Are you fucking serious? We’re already in deep with that family.”
That had been how Nash saw it until he met Abi in the foyer of Spider’s gigantic mansion. Abi changed things. “I met my mate.”
Abi turned to him, making it obvious that he was listening, so Nash put the phone on speaker. Abi sat in the middle of the bed. His cheeks turned pretty pink, and he smiled as if Nash had given him a gift.
“Yeah? Congratulations. I hope he’s as sassy as my Jude. A sassy boy would balance you out, man.”
Nash chuckled. “He is. And then some. He’s perfect.”
“And I hope he’s smarter than you, like my Raylee is smarter than me.”
“Also, yes. Not that I’m a genius or anything.”
“You’re smarter than most of us. That’s what makes you a good infiltrator.” Daruss might think so, but Nash disagreed. He was good at his job because he blended into just about any environment. But Abi was smarter than him at almost everything else.
“Being ordinary makes me a good infiltrator.”
Daruss growled. “You lie to yourself, brother.”
It was an old argument, and one he didn’t need to have in front of Abi.
Abi nodded his head. “You do, Daddy.”
Daruss chuckled. “Got me on speaker, huh? Hi there, Nash’s mate. I’m Daruss, Nash’s Alpha.”
“You’re coming here to help?” Abi asked.
“I’m on my way to the airport now.” The rest of the guys would be there within half an hour. They’d be there in a couple of hours at the most. One call was all it took.
“There will be lots of people to kill.” Abi grinned. His excitement came through in every word.
“You’ve got yourself a little killer, Nash.” Daruss chuckled.
Abi was the one who answered. “I am a Sylvain.”
“I suppose killing does come with the territory then.”
“Are you judging me?”
“Before I even knew your first name. No way.” Daruss was teasing, but he grew serious. “You’re a Dragon Skull now. That makes you family. But Spider Sylvain scares me. I won’t lie about that. That being said, I’ll still help because Nash is asking me to.”
“It’s Mallor, Daruss.” Nash knew Daruss wouldn’t like that Nash hadn’t told him.
Daruss cursed. “And you decided not to tell me until just now?”
“I had to do this one alone.”
“You weren’t even conscious when I carried you out of there. He had you tied to a fucking cross backwards. Do you remember how long it took you to heal? Fucking weeks and that was just your body.”
Daruss’s description still sent him back there, and his mind filled in the details.
Axel had deserved not to die at the hands of that sick fuck. All Nash had left was justice. And maybe Nash needed that for himself too.
“I faced him, Daruss.”
“You didn’t have to do it alone. You have a fucking family, man. We’re here for you. Or did you forget?”
“I didn’t forget.” Nash had a family and a home. The question was, could he convince Abi that he had a family with the Dragon Skulls too? “I wasn’t alone. Abi and I worked together on this.”
Abi closed the distance between them and drew Nash into a hug.
Daruss sighed. Whether it was resignation or relief, Nash didn’t know. “I’m glad he’s with you. Really. The rest of us are here for you too.”
“Thanks, man. And for what it’s worth, this last part will be the hardest. That’s why I need you.”
“Are you coming home after this is over?” That was a good question.
Nash met Abi’s gaze. “I would like to go home for a while.”
Abi stiffened and tried to pull away.
“I’ve gotta go. See you in two hours.” Nash ended the call, set his phone on the dresser, and crossed the room to where Abi had practically run. “I’ve already asked you to come to Wingspan with me. Come and live with me there. Please, baby.”
“But you’re going to leave regardless of what I want, aren’t you?”
“I said we’ll have a discussion, and we will.
It’s not like I’m unwilling to compromise.
” Nash tried to find the right words. He ran his hand through his hair and sat on the bed, facing Abi, who leaned against the wall next to the full-length mirror with his arms crossed at his chest. “I faced him once. I know I can do it again. Especially with you being there.”
Abi’s lips turned up into a smile.
“When Daruss, Izzy, and the others rescued me, I couldn’t function.
I couldn’t even take care of my basic needs.
Everything was just…too much. But Izzy moved in with Daruss for a while, and together they did everything for me as if I were a toddler.
Bathed me. Put on my clothes. Made sure I drank enough water and ate regularly. ”
“Daruss and Izzy are like your parents.”
“They were at first. Daruss slips into that role on occasion. He does it with all of us.”
Abi nodded. “Peter’s like that with me.”
“Maybe we can go back and forth between families.”
Abi shrugged. “That would be a good compromise. But we’ll talk about it later, like you said. I’d like to hear the rest.”
Nash nodded. “Eventually, I got better. I started taking showers on my own. I ate when I was hungry. Drank when thirsty. And then I finally broke down. I didn’t cry.
I beat the shit out of Daruss. Or as much as I could, with him being a fully grown dragon shifter and me being a teenager and not even close to shifting yet.
Daruss just let me. He never even fought back, and Izzy was there afterward when the anger turned to tears.
Then the rest of the guys started showing up.
Skippy is the best listener. I told him everything—every little detail.
And then I started talking about my feelings.
About Axel. About not having family, and he said something I’ve never forgotten.
He said, ‘We’ll all miss Axel. You’ll talk about him, and we’ll miss him.
That’s what Dragon Skulls do.’ What he meant was that they would feel the pain with me. Daruss had certainly proven it.”
Abi held onto him tighter. “So they’re the ones you need to lean on when all this is over. That’s what you’re saying, right?”
“And you. Always you, baby.” Nash kissed Abi. “It’s never not going to be you.”
Abi was all Nash saw. He’d be half a person without Abi. “I’d like to go home for a while, but if it’s not what you want, then…” Nash sighed. “Then, okay. As long as we’re together. That’s the most important thing.”
“Fucking hell. Now I’ll be the monster who didn’t let you go home. That’s just great.”
Nash smiled. “No.”
“Yes.” Abi sighed. Abi was making it way more dramatic than it had to be.
“It’s really not that big of a deal. It’s a visit.”
“To see your family, who might not like me.” Abi gestured to himself. “I’m kind of an asshole on my best day. If someone catches me on my worst day, I’ll inject them with venom. That’s what you’re dealing with here, Nash. You know that, right?”
So the kickback Abi was giving Nash had to do with his likability. Good to know.
Nash smiled. “I’m very aware of how great you are, baby.”
Abi rolled his eyes. “I know you like me. We have sex. A lot. And it’s fucking great. Believe me, I like you a lot too for that very reason.”
Nash chuckled. “You’ll fit right in.”
“I don’t fit in anywhere. I smell weird. I’m the only skinwalker in existence.”
“We’re bonded. Our smells are mixed now, right?”
Abi nodded and smiled. “It’s mixed up now.”
Nash crooked a finger, and Abi came to him. He pulled Abi onto his lap and buried his nose in Abi’s neck. “Mmm.”
Abi wrapped his arms around Nash. “I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you. And you should know Jonik has two forms.”
“I know.”
“And Samuel has some seriously weird magic.”
“And Seryn is a warlock and a vampire. Not to mention Abit. None of us knows what the fuck he is. He’s such a prickly bastard we’re not brave enough to ask.”
The only difference between the Dragon Skulls and the Sylvain Mafia was reputation. The Sylvains were notorious in a way that the Dragon Skulls would never be.