18. Fae #2
“I wanted to make sure The Company couldn’t blackmail any of us, so I hacked the system.
I promise you, Fae, I didn’t read most of it once I realised what it was.
But I read enough. I’ve been working on this for years.
For you, for Riggs’ sister, for all the people who come to this university and never leave. I should have protected Robyn.”
His voice cracks. I don’t think, I just move. I step around the island, climb onto the counter so we’re level, and pull him into me.
“It wasn’t your job,” I say softly, squeezing him like it might be enough to take away his pain.
“I…” Atlas clears his throat. “I think it’s bigger than all of us even realise, Fairy.”
I nod. There are too many inconsistencies, too many things that don’t add up, all of it linking back to The Company.
“What does this have to do with Robyn’s DNA? You said you tested it.” I lean back so I can look at him properly. He takes a breath before pulling away from me.
“Robyn isn’t just a care kid, Fae. She’s Dr. Fisher’s daughter.”
The words don’t land all at once but fracture. My brain refuses to line them up into anything that makes sense, so instead they ricochet violently around my skull.
Dr. Fisher’s daughter.
My stomach drops so hard I think I might be sick.
My pulse roars in my ears, drowning out the quiet of the kitchen, the warmth of Atlas, the safety I thought I had.
Robyn’s face flashes behind my eyes, her laugh, the way she used to braid my hair when we couldn’t sleep, the nights I woke to her holding me after nightmares, all of it feels suddenly contaminated.
Did she know? Was she placed next to me on purpose?
A spy? A plant? A sick fucking joke? If she knew and said nothing, I don’t know how I survive that.
And if she didn’t? If she’s just another pawn, another girl born to rot?
That’s worse, because it means The Company has been playing a game so big, so calculated, that even love can be manufactured.
I press a shaking hand to my mouth. Either option rips something vital out of me. My best friend is tied by blood to the man who broke me, and I suddenly don’t know if Robyn was ever mine, or if I was always being watched through her eyes.
“Fuck,” I whisper, looking back at Atlas.
“Fuck indeed.”
“What… what do we do with that?” I mumble, more to myself than him. Atlas grabs my cheeks, holding my face steady.
“We find out the truth, Fairy. We play their game. We follow the lead. She might not even be his first. His evil has no bounds. Maybe all the scholarship kids are Company blood. Why else would they accept them? Maybe the warehouse will give us answers. Once we investigate that, we’ll know what we’re dealing with, okay? ”
“Okay,” I choke out. “I will—”
“No.” Atlas shakes his head. “I’ll keep digging into the system, find out who owns the shell company. And we go to the warehouses together. We see what’s there, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod again, grateful I don’t have to make the decisions. Take choice away from someone for long enough and they stop wanting it.
The kitchen door swings open and I jolt away from Atlas, not out of guilt, just because the noise makes me jump. Felix walks in, frowning at both of us.
“Please tell me it wasn’t you fucking my sister last night?” Felix scrunches his face in disgust as I groan and cover mine. “It was bad enough coming to terms with it being Roman.”
“We aren’t fucking,” I snap.
“Who’s not fucking?” Riggs calls from the hallway.
“Fae and Atlas. Why was the kitchen door closed?” Felix demands.
“Who closed the kitchen door?” Victor asks, wandering in and heading straight for the coffee.
“Atlas and Fae. They fucked last night,” Riggs says, popping a grape into his mouth.
“Oh my god, will you all shut up!” I whine.
“Why are Atlas and Fae fucking? I thought she was with Roman?” Victor asks, completely ignoring me. I glance over at Atlas, who’s barely holding in his laughter. Traitor.
“She was definitely fucking Roman last night. I picked the room next to his because he’s basically a nun. That’s come back to bite me in the arse,” Riggs adds, still chewing.
“Well, why was the door closed?” Felix asks again, crossing his arms and fixing us with a death stare.
God help me.
“It’s a private matter,” I respond petulantly, lifting my chin as I glare at Atlas, who seems to be enjoying this far too much.
“Private because you’re fucking?” Riggs teases.
“Who is fucking?” booms Roman from somewhere near the kitchen I tilt my head back to the ceiling and count to ten.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“You, my sister, and Atlas,” Felix replies, turning to give Roman a death glare as he walks in.
“He better fucking not go anywhere near Fae,” Roman growls, his attention snapping to Atlas, who raises his hands in surrender.
“No fucking happening here. She’s all yours,” Atlas says far too seriously, though I can see the laughter threatening to break through.
“Why do they think you’re fucking, Tink?” Roman asks, turning to me he actually looks… hurt, maybe worried. Maybe both.
“See how quick rumours start, guys? Jesus Christ,” I scoff. “Felix walked in on me and Atlas having a conversation. It was a closed-door conversation.”
I walk over to the bug sweeper still sitting on the table and lift it, giving it a small shake. The boys clock it instantly, a mix of reactions flashing across their faces, but it’s Felix’s guilt that makes me smile.
“No fucking here.” I shrug, then feel the need to be a little mischievous.
“Well…” I continue, looking at Roman and giving him the guiltiest look I can muster. Roman bristles, his nostrils flaring as he takes a couple of instinctive steps towards me. “Unless it’s The Company. That’s fucking us over.”
His body relaxes instantly as he pulls me into his chest, his hand tangling in my hair.
“Not funny, Tink,” Roman growls and I giggle because honestly, it kind of was.
His hand fists in my hair, pulling my head back so I have no choice but to look up at him. My breath stutters, like he’s pulled all the oxygen from the room. He holds me there for a second before leaning down and kissing me.
It’s not as frantic as the others, but there are embers beneath it, like one push and we’d burn. His tongue presses at my lips and I part for him without thinking, letting him take what he wants. I whimper as he groans, his hand tightening on my arse.
“GROSS!” Felix slams a cupboard behind me and I jump, pulling away from Roman. His scowl darkens as he looks past me at Felix.
“Don’t scare her,” he barks, pointing at him.
“Oh, hell no, nope, na-ah, nadda, we aren’t doing this,” Felix says as I turn to look at him and detangle myself from Roman.
Roman doesn’t let me go far, just enough that my back stays pressed to his chest. “You kept me up all night fucking, it was disgusting. There needs to be ground rules here, people. No fucking so loud it wakes me. No sucking each other’s souls in the kitchen and no policing how me and my twin fucking sister deal with each other, Roman, or so help me God. ”
“So help you God what, Felix?” Roman snaps back. “Don’t shout at her. I don’t care if you’re her other half or whatever the fuck you two say, if you make her cry or scare her, you answer to me.”
“Okay, let’s all calm down,” Atlas cuts in.
“Roman, no one wants to hear you telling someone to call them sir at four in the morning. Felix, don’t be a little bitch and shout at women, and Fae…
well, actually, I’ve got nothing to say about you,” he blushes slightly after his speech, which is honestly adorable.
“That’s because Fae is the best,” Riggs says, walking over and pulling me out of Roman’s arms.
I barely have time to hug Riggs before I’m upside down, thrown over Roman’s shoulder as I squeal and laugh. He slaps my arse and I thank my foresight for wearing boxers so I don’t flash everyone.
“Stop purposely winding him up!” I hear Atlas mutter as we reach the hallway.
“Come on, admit it, it’s fun,” Riggs laughs.
“NO FUCKING MY SISTER, GO TO HERS!” Felix shouts as we reach the stairs, Roman marching me straight to his room.
“One day I’m killing them all, Tink. Be prepared, because I really don’t want to hurt your heart,” Roman mutters, still stomping down the hallway.
The most messed up part is that all I really hear is that he doesn’t want to hurt my heart.
Cute.