26. Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Alek
I knew this was going to be bad, but I had no idea how bad until the doctor started documenting and treating each and every one of Raena’s injuries. My brothers and I should get a fucking medal for not losing our shit while listening to what she went through and seeing the trauma fresh on her delicate little body. Especially my brothers.
Our girl is a fucking warrior.
The fresh cuts on her back have scabbed over. A couple of them needed to be reopened and cleaned before the doctor could stitch them up. Raena takes it like the strong, badass queen she is. I don’t know how she does it. Just watching Dr. Sterling reopen her wounds makes it feel like the blade that made them is digging into my own flesh and spilling my own blood. When she hurts, I hurt. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to witness.
I can tell Maddox and Royal are both about two seconds away from losing their shit when the doctor starts talking about rape kits, STDs, and emergency contraception. Raena looks down at her lap and tugs the blanket up to her chin.
“Baby Girl, if you’re not comfortable with Dr. Sterling examining you, we can clear the room, and I’ll do it.” Tears fill her eyes as shame passes over her features when she lifts her wobbling chin up at me. A fist wraps around my heart and squeezes it tight in its grasp. I’m at her side in two strides, taking her adorable chin in my fingers. “Listen to me. This is not your fault. You survived. Don’t you dare let him take anything else from you. He doesn’t get to force this shame on you. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“It’s just… I think I might need stitches somewhere else.” She whispers, picking at the threads on the blanket and keeping her voice low so only I can hear her. However, judging by the repressed sob Snow barely holds in, she didn’t miss it.
“Clear the room.” The warning in my growl is clear.
“Everything you need is in my bag. I’ll be right outside if you need anything else,” Dr. Sterling says softly, and I’ve got to say, he’s impressed me so far.
“I’ll be right outside too, Red. I’ll give you some privacy. Just yell if you need me.” Snow pats Raena’s hand and gets up, leaving the four of us alone for the first time since we found her.
Royal and Maddox push off the wall we’ve all been leaning on to keep us from overwhelming her while the doctor worked.
“What is it, Angel?” Royal asks, taking up Snow’s seat and gently turning Raena’s hand over to interlace their fingers.
“It’s just– it’s probably okay. I’ve had worse, but I think… I think something’s torn. There was a lot of blood, and it still hurts.”
“What hurts, Baby girl? Can you show us?” I don’t like how timid her voice sounds now compared to the brave and confident woman she’s been since she woke up. I already know whatever she shows us is going to be bad.
“I– it’s my– bottom? King, uh… and then his men…” She trails off, burying her face in her free hand.
Maddox turns away and hangs his head. Resounding growls echo through the bedroom as we decode what she’s not saying.
King sodomized her and then let his men do the same.
The level of rage coursing through my body feels foreign. I’ve been angry before, but this is something else entirely. It takes monumental effort and every ounce of strength I have to rein it in.
Royal is deathly still, gripping Raena’s hand tightly as he wrestles for control of his own demons. Maddox, on the other hand, loses it. The contents sitting atop the dresser in this room go flying with a swipe of his arm, smashing against the wall with a crash.
Tears spill down his sharp cheekbones when he turns back to us, crawling in the middle of the bed, laying his head in her lap, and wrapping his hands around her blanket–thighs to her waist.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” he says softly, emotion breaking his voice.
“Maddie, look at me.” Raena takes a steadying breath, dropping her hand to his head and running her fingers through his hair gently. Maddox turns, looking up at her with regret and shame twisting his features in pain. “This is not your fault. I did this. I goaded him, even though I knew he would hurt me. And he did. But I thought I could get close enough to kill him. I– I failed. What happened…is on me . I’m hurt, but I made it out. Again. He didn’t kill me. My daughter is safe because of you– all of you. We’re alive. We live to fight another day. And King will get what’s coming to him. I promise. Please don’t blame yourself.”
“No,” Royal says, venom lacing his tone. “This isn’t ‘on you’ either, Angel. This is all King. He’s the only one to blame. You’re a survivor– a goddamn Queen. And I’ll be damned if I let you blame yourself either.”
“Okay. I won’t blame myself if you all agree not to blame yourselves, either. It serves no one. King doesn’t get to steal our peace anymore.” Raena’s determination is awe-inspiring. Here’s this beautiful, fragile creature with balls bigger than any of us. She’s fucking amazing.
“I think we can all agree on that, Baby Girl,” I say, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Now. I need to take a look at your injuries. How do you want to do this? Do you want them to step out or turn around? It’s your call. You are in charge here.”
“I trust each of you. We’re in this together,” she says softly, sighing as she sits back against the headboard, returning to stroking Maddox's head in her lap. “But if you want to step out or turn around, you can. You don’t have to watch. It might be best if you don’t. You guys sound like a bunch of grizzly bears sometimes.”
“We do, don’t we?” Her playful smile lights up my chest like a Christmas tree. “But that's because you’re ours. We don’t like it when you're hurt.”
“I still don’t understand any of this,” she shakes her head with a ghost of a smile tilting her lips. “All I know is the only thing I could think about while King had me was getting back to my family. My daughter– and you three. You’re my family now.”
“You’re ours, too. We’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us now, Angel. That means we protect you.”
“Yes, we do,” Maddox adds. “It also means we worry. No one hurts you and gets away with it. No one gets to take you away from us and live, which reminds me. We’ve got a present waiting for you when you feel up to it.”
“Who is it?”
“Ah-ah, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. You’ll have to wait and see,” Raena swats Maddox’s shoulder playfully.
“Alright, you two. Let’s not worry about that right now. Let’s just get you fixed up and call our little girl,” Royal says,
“Our little girl, huh?” Raena questions him. Doubt infiltrates her voice, battling with the hope glossing over her eyes.
“Well, I just assume you come as a package deal. And since you’re our woman… She's our little girl, too.” Tears spill over her bloodstained cheeks at Royal’s declaration. Maddox and I nod in agreement. “We already love her, and that’s not going to change. The only thing it changes is her last name.”
“Her last name?” Confusion clouds her face for a moment before Royal lays it out for her.
“Well…when we marry her mother, she’ll want her last name to match. We can’t have her feeling left out. She’s our daughter.”
“You want to… marry me? All of you?” Raena asks, whispering with disbelief. Oh, there will be none of that. We haven’t discussed this at all, but we all know there is no going back. When you know, you know. And when that happens, the bullshit of life fades into the background. This is the beginning of our forever– our happily ever after.
“Baby Girl, we would marry you today if you’d agree to it,” I tell her, tilting her chin up to meet my eyes.
“You’re it for us. Our Queen. Of course we want to tie ourselves to you every way possible. You’re ours… forever, Cherry.” Maddox sits up and kisses her forehead, resting it there and breathing her presence in.
“Angel, we’re not going anywhere. You’ve had us locked down since the minute you stabbed Maddox, and I pulled you out of Grimm River. We didn’t even know your name, but the one thing we did know was that you were ours. There’s no need to try to explain it or define it. You. Are. Ours. Then and Now. Forever and Always.” Royal cups her cheek, his burning gaze searing into hers.
I can tell she’s going to need more reassurance than we can offer her in this single moment and that’s okay. We will tell her everyday just what she means to us if she needs it.
“Just so you know, this is not your official proposal. We are gentlemen, after all. You deserve so much more than this,” I add. She deserves the biggest, most romantic grand gesture we can give her.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Her sweet smile contradicts the serial killer bathed-in-blood look she’s still sporting right now.
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled,” I smile back at her. She’s at ease now so we might as well get this over with. No matter how uncomfortable it’s going to be for us all, most of all her. “How about we take a look at your injuries now, Baby Girl?”
“Oh–that. Um… yes. Let’s get this over with.”
I’m sure if she wasn’t covered in blood, I’d be able to see the pink flush on her cheeks and down her neck. Her breath starts to rush out in short bursts.
“Don’t be nervous, Angel. We’ve got you,” Royal assures her. “Take your time. When you’re ready, tell us exactly what hurts, and we’ll take care of it.”
“Okay.” She takes a steady inhale and lets it go slowly. “I’m ready.”