Chapter Twenty-one
Parker
O nce we’re all in the SUV, Cormac heads to Mackenzie’s house. Royce takes his usual seat in the front while the rest of us sit in the back, Mackenzie between me and Damon.
We haven’t been on the road long when I turn to look at the two of them. “I’m so fucking sorry—“
“Nope.” Mackenzie cuts me off with a shake of her head. “Your apologies aren’t needed or accepted. This wasn’t your fault. What happens lays at the feet of that asshole—not you. You have no reason to feel guilty, and I’m not going to put up with it. In fact, every time you apologize, I’m taking a nut shot.”
I gape at her, ignoring the muffled laughter from the front seat. I don’t even know how to respond to that.
Of course, I feel guilty. How can I not?
If it wasn’t for me, neither of them would’ve been dragged into this mess.
“I’m with Mac on this one,” Damon says with a shrug. “I don’t want any apologies unless they come in the form of blowjobs, and I think a nut shot is the perfect punishment if you try to apologize to us.”
I shake my head. “But…”
“No but’s. You, Cormac, and Royce rescued us just like I knew you would. None of the physical damage is permanent. The mental? Well, that might hang around for a while, but I’ve been meaning to see someone since my family died. This might be the push I need to stop making excuses and finally make an appointment.” Mackenzie reaches up to cup my cheek, wincing slightly at the movement. “But none of that is on you—on any of you. Would I prefer to not have gone through that? Of course. But I wouldn’t change a damn thing if it meant you didn’t come back into my life, Parker. Or meeting Cormac and Royce.
“What the three of you have is what I want for myself. I want that sense of family that the three of you share. I want to be a part of it with you all—including Damon. I’m not sure if this is the right place or time to have this conversation, but here we are. Try as I might, I’ve never been able to let go of what I feel for the two of you.” She glances between me and Damon. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and something tells me I’ll love you until the day I die. I can’t claim to love Royce and Cormac but only because I haven’t had enough time to get to know them. I feel drawn to them, and that’s enough for now.”
Damon hums. “It should’ve been easy to let go of a childhood love, but it never was. My love of the two of you and the memories I clung to is what helped me make it through the last few years. I never thought I’d get a chance to have you in my life again, but now that I do, I’m never letting go. You can run, but I’ll find you—both of you. Know that now. As for Royce and Cormac, I think we can work something out between us.”
Royce snorts. “Thanks for that, Damon.”
I can practically hear his eyes rolling, but a glance in his direction shows he’s pleased.
“I love both of you, too. You’ve never been far from my thoughts. It’s why Cormac and Royce knew so much about you. They helped me keep my memories of both of you alive. The fact that I was able to love them and you at the same time was all the reminder I needed that the heart doesn’t hold a definitive amount of love.” I glance down at my lap. “I hear you when you say you don’t want my apologies, but this guilt isn’t just something that’s going to go away. I’ll try my best, though.”
Cormac sighs, his voice gruff when he speaks. “This really isn’t the place for this conversation considering I can only half listen to it while I’m driving. Plus, I hate having these fucking conversations—they give me hives. Just know that whatever you three decide, I support. Not only would I never deny Parker something that clearly means so much to him, but the two of you fit with us. It’s like you’re the piece we didn’t know was missing.”
“That was…a lot of emotion from you all at once, Cor,” Royce says before grinning. “It’s a good look on you.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Glancing at Mackenzie and Damon, the three of us break out into laughter that only grows when Cormac waves his hand in the air as if brushing us off.
Royce turns in his seat. “When we set this plan in motion, it was mainly for Parker’s benefit. If the two of you weren’t interested in me and Cormac, we would’ve been fine with it. We still would’ve done whatever we could to make sure that Parker was able to have a relationship with you, but I hoped it would be something more. I hoped the five of us could be family in whatever form that took, and that’s still what I want.”
“Damn. Why did I start this?” Mackenzie sniffles.
Turning toward her, I realize she’s crying, and I can’t help freaking out. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? What can I do? Please don’t cry. I’ll do whatever I can to fix it.”
“Still can’t handle Mackenzie’s tears, I see. Glad to see some things never change.” Damon snorts, wrapping his arm around her shoulders with a wince. “Feeling a little overwhelmed, Mac?”
She nods. “It’s my own fault. This really wasn’t the time for this conversation, but I couldn’t seem to keep my mouth shut.”
“You’re probably in shock,” Royce says softly. “I have a buddy who was a medic that lives in the area. Pretty sure he’s a doctor now, but I’ll have him meet us at your house. Both of you need to get checked out, and I’m sure you don’t want to go to a hospital.”
“Definitely not,” Damon and Mackenzie say together.
“Okay, I’ll give him a call.” Royce faces forward once more, his phone already in his hand.
I bite my lip, unsure what to say now. Is this really happening? Are the five of us going to try to make this work? What will that look like?
Mackenzie twines her fingers through mine. “Don’t go getting lost in that head of yours. Stay here in the moment with us, yeah? There will be plenty more conversations to come, but don’t invite trouble we don’t need, Parker.”
Knowing she’s right, I squeeze her hand and try to turn my brain off. It’s easier said than done as the car falls into relative silence, the only sounds are Royce murmuring into his phone.
“O’Reilly will meet us at Mackenzie’s house shortly. He’s coming in from Detroit as well, so we’ll beat him there. He said he’s taking his bike though, so who knows. He’s a speed demon on that thing,” Royce tells us when he ends the call.
I hum my agreement. O’Reilly was in the same unit as us for a while. I didn’t know he’d gotten out, but the two of us were never close. He was always an adrenaline junkie, so Royce’s words make sense to me.
Silence comes over the SUV once more, and I settle back in my seat and close my eyes.
I must have fallen asleep at some point because the slamming of a door has me jolting awake. I blink my eyes, trying to clear the sleep from them. A bone deep exhaustion rushes through me, and I know I’ve reached my limit. Glancing at my watch, I see it’s just after noon. I’ve been awake since seven yesterday morning. It’s not the longest stretch I’ve been awake by any means, but it’s been wrought with emotions, making it feel so much longer.
“You coming, Parker?” Mackenzie’s voice is quiet, and when I turn to look at her, I find she and Damon are already out of the SUV. In fact, I’m the only one still inside.
“Right. Yeah.” I reach for the door handle, struggling to grasp it and open the door. Frowning, I attempt once more. When I fail, the door opens to reveal Cormac.
He shakes his head. “You need to go to bed. Hell, we all need to go to bed.”
“Can’t yet. Need to make sure Mac and Damon are okay first.” I allow him to help me out of the SUV. When I waver on my feet, he wraps his arm around my waist with another shake of his head. “Thanks, Cor.”
“The house is all clear,” Royce calls out.
Huh.
I didn’t realize he wasn’t standing here with us. Damn, I really do need sleep.
Cormac helps me walk up to the house with Damon and Mackenzie walking in front of us. Mackenzie is limping slightly but makes no complaints.
Once we make it inside, Royce is just about to shut the door when the sounds of a motorcycle tear down the street. He shakes his head as he steps outside to greet O’Reilly.
“Let’s figure out where everyone is sleeping while Royce chats with O’Reilly. We can have him examine the two of you there, and we’ll get you showered before we all get some much needed sleep.” I’m not sure I’ve heard Cormac’s voice that soft before. “Little one, do you want to direct us where to go?”
“Sure,” Mackenzie says, exhaustion threading her words. “My bed should be just about big enough for all five of us—if that’s okay with everyone. It’ll make me feel better having us all together.”
Cormac nods. “Then we will be. Lead the way.”
Mackenzie heads for the stairs, and we follow a path that I’m very familiar with. Arriving at her room, I smile. It’s changed a lot since the last time I was here. She’s right about her bed—it’s massive.
“I like what you’ve done with it,” I tell her with a smile before staggering over to the bed.
“Do not sit on that bed,” Cormac barks, and I freeze. “You’re covered in blood, Park. If the two of you are okay, I’m going to help Parker shower. When Royce comes up, ask him to grab some clothes for us and to grab a snack. We need to make sure you all get some food in your system before you go to sleep.”
Mackenzie nods. “We’ll be alright, won’t we, Damon? Lets put a blanket over the couch and we’ll wait there for this O’Reilly.”
“Perfect. If you need anything before they get up here—“
“We’re here,” Royce announces from the doorway, and I startle. I hadn’t heard them approaching.
I really need some sleep.
“Get Parker in the shower and then bed before he passes out. I’ll take care of Damon and Mackenzie.” Royce walks over and kisses my lips lightly before doing the same to Cormac. “Love you both.”
I grin. “Love you, too.”
Are my words as slurred as I think they are?
“Come on, Park. Shower time.” Cormac leads me into the en suite, closing the toilet seat before helping me sit on top of it. He flicks on the water, testing the temperature before coming over to help me undress.
Once we’re both naked, he leads me into the shower. I’m so tired, all I can do is lean against the wall as Cormac washes me. It’s a little pathetic, but it’s not the first time it’s happened. I have a habit of pushing myself too far until I’m about to drop.
My eyes droop, and I’m barely able to stay awake.
“Parker?”
My eyes pop open at the sound of Mackenzie’s voice. At some point, she, Damon, and Royce joined us in the shower. I must’ve fallen asleep because I’m now sitting on the bench inside the shower with my head propped up against the wall.
“Hey, Mac.”
Mackenzie laughs, shaking her head. “Cormac said you’d fallen asleep standing up, but I didn’t believe him. You really were sleeping in the shower.”
“What can I say? I’ve slept in worse places than this.” I push to my feet, my hand shooting out to steady myself when I waver.
“Nope. Sit back down.” Mackenzie pushes against my chest until I’m seated again before sitting beside me. “The three of them are almost done, then we’re all going to go to bed.”
It’s probably best I don’t attempt that on my own since I apparently can’t even stand on my own two feet.
I sigh, leaning my head against the wall. “O’Reilly give you the all clear?”
She nods. “I got the all clear. He gave both of us antibiotics to fight any possible infections and some pain medication. We’re supposed to take it easy for a few days. Damon had to get a few stitches which is why he’s pouting while Royce and Cormac help him wash up. He can’t get them wet.”
“I’m not pouting,” Damon complains, but when I glance at him, I see he’s definitely pouting.
“Yeah, okay, Damon. Whatever you say.” Mackenzie chuckles, leaning her head against my shoulder.
Damon sighs heavily. “I’m a grown ass man who can wash himself. I don’t need someone to do it for me.”
The sound of a slap rings out through the shower just before Damon yelps. I grin, knowing exactly what just happened.
“Don’t be a brat,” Cormac growls. “You’re injured, and we’re making sure you don’t hurt yourself worse while taking a damn shower. Not to mention the fucking stitches that can’t get wet. Just stand there like a good boy, and maybe you’ll get a reward later.”
While Cormac is talking, my eyes take in Damon’s body, seeing stitches on his abdomen and chest. If I had to guess, I’d say they were pretty deep cuts. I don’t know how I didn’t notice them at the warehouse.
No, I know exactly why I didn’t notice them. All of my attention had been on Mackenzie, a realization that makes guilt rise in me once more.
When Damon’s cock swells, I raise my eyebrows, guilt temporarily forgotten. “I think he likes being called a good boy.”
Royce narrows his eyes at me. “As if you don’t like being called a good boy. All three of you have a praise kink. Stop giving him a hard time.”
“Oh, I’ll give him a hard time alright.” I snicker.
“Not right now you won’t.” Cormac’s tone is firm as he glances at me. “I don’t give a shit how turned on anyone gets right now, we’re all going to fucking sleep as soon as we’re all clean. Bunch of fucking horny assholes, the lot of you.”
Mackenzie giggles. “He’s not wrong.”
“He’s not, but don’t let him know that. It’ll give him a big head.”
Somehow, I manage to not fall back asleep as the others finish up. Then I’m being hustled from the shower where a warm towel quickly dries me off.
The five of us stagger out of the bathroom and into the bed. There’s a bit of a tussle as we figure out who’s sleeping where, but I end up right where I want to—wrapped around Mackenzie with Cormac at my back. Damon managed to beat out Royce to be on her other side, leaving Royce to spoon Damon. Once we’re all settled, I don’t hear anyone complaining.
I expect sleep to consume me immediately, but I seem to hover somewhere between being asleep and being awake.
“They’re going to be okay, aren’t they?” Royce’s voice is quiet.
I can feel the rumble of Cormac’s words before I hear them. “We’ll make sure they are.”
Royce hums. “This is what you want, right? You’re not just saying it because it’s what everyone else wants?”
“When have you ever known me to lie to please others?” Cormac snorts. “I meant every word I said. I don’t know how it’ll work, but if we can make it work? I think it could be just what we need.”
They’re still talking, but I can no longer make out their words as sleep finally pulls me under.