Chapter 3
EVELYN
“You took ten years off my life. I’m too young and handsome to be going grey this quickly.” Danny’s chest rumbled underneath my ear as his arms wrapped around me.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “But to be fair, I wasn’t in any danger.”
“We’ll agree to disagree,” Danny murmured.
I didn’t protest, sinking into the familiar comfort of his embrace.
Tonight had been a lot. From the operation to take down the director to HQ blowing up, my brain was fried.
But I wanted to see him and Grace before I crashed, because I was going to crash hard.
But not for long. We had too much to do.
“HQ is gone,” I murmured, grateful that the guys had given us some privacy and weren’t around to hear the uncertainty in my voice. I sounded like a child who had her toy taken away, and I hated that, but HQ was gone. Kingfisher had blown it up. Maya almost died tonight.
“I know,” he murmured, resting his cheek on the top of my head. “We’re going to find him. He’s not going to get away with this.”
I wanted to believe him, but I was struggling to see how we were going to take down someone like the Kingfisher.
“Izzy said Grace woke up a bit?” I pulled back so I could see his face.
“Just briefly. She was still really groggy from the sedation, but the doctors said that was normal. She’ll be clearer tomorrow.”
“That’s good.” I knew they kept her sedated to give her time to heal, but I could really use her as we went into this fight with Kingfisher.
“She’ll be okay.” Danny squeezed my arms. “Matt called. The arson investigator is calling it a gas explosion?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I figured it would be simpler. We don’t need the extra eyes right now.”
“It was a good call. We’re going to nail this bastard.”
I could only hope.
There was a knock on the door, and Izzy stuck her head through. “Maya’s been discharged. Detective Patel is taking them home to sleep. Liam’s going with them, and we’re going to meet at SDS after lunchtime today.”
“Great, so this one can go home and rest?” Danny asked, pointing at me.
“Why does everyone keep assuming I’m not going to rest?” I threw my hands up.
Danny and Izzy just stared at me flatly.
“Maybe because you haven’t voluntarily rested in the history of, I don’t know, ever.” Danny folded his arms and glared at me.
“I sleep eight hours.”
“Yes, but only since your boyfriends figured out how little you were really sleeping,” Izzy said.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
Izzy crossed her arms. “I am on your side.” With both of their arms folded, I felt like I was getting stared down by my parents. Well, if my parents had ever cared about me enough to notice if I was resting or not.
“Fine,” I said, exasperated. “I’m going home now. Happy?”
“Very,” Danny said, reaching out and folding me in his arms again. “Now, let’s get you to your boyfriends.”
“You know I’m capable of walking out the door myself?” I snarked at him.
“Yeah, I just like saying ‘your boyfriends,’” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and guiding me out the door.
Izzy opened the door, and I stepped out into the hall. All my guys and Dominic were huddled around Dominic’s phone, faces grim and bodies tense.
“Fuck, what happened now?” I asked. This couldn’t be good.
Alexander frowned but handed me the phone. “It appears Kingfisher sent another message.”
A single text thread with three images filled the screen. HQ in rubble, Alexander, Sebastian, and I entering the hospital, and Marcus, Adrian, and Dominic entering the hospital. The pictures were accompanied by a single sentence. “There’s nowhere I can’t reach you.”
“Fuck,” I breathed out.
How did he get those images so quickly? Was someone following us? I hadn’t seen anyone, but was this how he found HQ?
Adrian clasped Dominic’s shoulder. “I think it’s best if you come home with us. The penthouse has better security than any FIA safe house right now, I bet.”
Dominic’s eyes met mine. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Of course,” I said easily.
I didn’t examine why the thought of him going off to the FIA safe house and being vulnerable to Kingfisher filled me with dread. That was something to unpack another time.
“You can crash with me,” Adrian said. “I have an extra bedroom in my apartment.”
“Perfect,” Danny said. “Now take her home, please.”
I rolled my eyes but reached out and grabbed Sebastian’s offered hand. “Danny doesn’t believe that I’ll sleep of my own accord.”
I was a little insulted when the whole group laughed. Even Dominic.
“Oh, fuck off, all of you,” I grumbled, only half serious.
“I believe you’re capable of many things.” Sebastian pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Except sleeping, apparently.”
“I just think you quite like our way of making you sleep.”
Danny groaned. “Okay, that’s my cue. I don’t need to hear that.”
Danny and Izzy went back into Grace’s room, and we headed out.
Exiting the hospital, everyone’s head was on a swivel, but I didn’t see anything suspicious.
Not that it really mattered. If he was able to take photos of us without any of us noticing and blow up HQ, which was supposed to be a secret location, we probably wouldn’t see him coming anyway. Which was such a comforting thought.
When we got back to the penthouse, I expected to get off on my floor with Adrian and Dominic, but Adrian kissed me sweetly and nudged me back onto the elevator. Alexander took my hand, drawing me close to him.
“I need you close tonight, baby girl,” he murmured, and I leaned back into him.
“Okay.”
I wasn’t going to argue. Tonight was going to be rough with nightmares. I already knew it, and Alexander was more familiar with my nightmares than the others. Not that the others wouldn’t help. I always slept better next to them, but tonight I was content to let Alexander take the lead.
When we entered the penthouse, Marcus touched my elbow, and Alexander pressed a kiss on my temple, then strode to his bedroom.
“You okay?” Marcus murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
His hands slowly rose to rest on my hips as if he didn’t want to scare me away. I stepped closer to him, pressing my forehead to his chest.
“I don’t know,” I confessed.
I was so used to handling everything, to being fine even when I wasn’t, because what other choice did I have? But Marcus would appreciate my honesty.
His arms tightened around me. “That’s okay. We’re going to figure this out.”
“But what if we can’t?” I voiced the quiet fear that had been circulating in my head for the last few hours.
“We will.” His firm confidence eased the knot of tension in my stomach slightly. He pulled back slightly and kissed my forehead. “Now, go, let my brothers take care of you tonight. Everything will look clearer in the morning.”
I rose on my toes and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Thank you,” I whispered softly.
His green eyes darkened. “Any time, sweetheart.”
“Come on, my darling,” Sebastian said. He leaned against the wall of the hallway a couple of steps away. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
At his words, it was like I could feel every speck of dust and dirt on me. My skin crawled, and I needed to get clean, to wash the day off and start fresh tomorrow. Well, later today.
“Yes, please.” I took his offered hand.
He led me into Alexander’s room. The lamps on the bedside tables provided a soft, warm glow to the room. The bathroom door was open, and steam billowed out of it. Alexander appeared in the doorframe, wearing just his boxers. My steps stuttered as I took in his bare, golden skin.
“No funny business tonight.” Sebastian smirked at me.
I rolled my eyes but didn’t protest. They helped me undress, their movements methodical but intimate, fingertips grazing my skin.
Alexander stepped into the shower with me, still in his boxers.
He worked shampoo into my hair, rinsing it with care.
He soaped my body, running a washcloth over my skin and wiping away the dirt and grime.
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to soak it all in.
I was falling in love with these men. The way they cared for me, the way they helped me shoulder my burdens without feeling like they were taking over my life.
I would do anything to make sure we all made it out of this, even if I had to deal with the Kingfisher myself.
The shower ended too soon, even as exhaustion tugged at my eyelids.
Sebastian held out a large towel for me, warmed in their fancy towel warmer.
He dried me off softly, wrapped my hair in a microfiber towel, then tugged one of his shirts over my head.
Alexander dried off and dressed. He unwrapped the towel from my hair.
We brushed our teeth side by side; the sheer domesticity of it all settled me in ways I didn’t know how to express.
Sebastian exited a step ahead of us and pulled back the sheets so I could slide into the middle of the bed. I collapsed face first onto the soft mattress.
“Can’t move,” I mumbled into the mattress.
Sebastian chuckled softly while Alexander turned off the lamps and slid in next to me. They maneuvered me until I was between them, half resting on Alexander’s chest, Sebastian’s arm around my waist. I wanted to savor the feeling, but in the next breath, I was asleep.