Chapter Two
Valli
I wake up and automatically reach for him, my hand moving across the bed to where he normally lies.
We were at the hospital for hours, yet no one would tell us anything, so Nixie made us come back to sleep.
She warned us we were going to have a fight on our hands, explaining that while Cave going to the hospital should be no big deal, as soon as they run his name in their system it will inform a certain doctor.
When I pushed for more information, she refused to say anymore, only that we will get him back no matter what it takes.
My heart sinks when I realize he is not next to me. I have woken plenty of times before and he hasn’t been here, but those times I knew he had simply gone to his cornfield, as it’s where he goes to get peace and clarity.
Noa is asleep on his stomach beside me, with one arm slung over my waist, and his face mashed into the pillow.
I love watching him sleep; he’s so peaceful.
Cipher is already up, and I can hear him tinkering with something.
I know he didn’t sleep much, the same as me.
So I slide Noa’s hand from my waist and sit up slowly; he stirs but doesn’t wake.
Once I find one of Noa’s shirts, I pull it over my naked body, then I take a deep breath and go find Cipher.
He is where I thought I’d find him, at his workbench tinkering with the small music box he has been working on for weeks.
He looks up when he hears me, and his eyes run over the length of my body.
It’s a feeling I don’t know if I will ever get used to—being looked at like I am the most beautiful and precious thing he has ever seen in his life.
“Hey.”
“Hey back,” he says, putting his tool down. “Did you sleep?”
“A little, you?”
He doesn’t reply, which is an answer in itself.
I pull up a chair and sit beside him, though we don’t talk.
I have learned with Cipher that simply sitting next to him is often enough and words can sometimes get in the way.
I watch him work for a while before getting up and putting the coffee on, Cipher is too focused to do it, and Noa won’t be able to function until he’s had one.
By the time it’s ready, Noa has surfaced.
“Is that coffee?” he asks, eyes still half-closed, and his hair is sticking up in all directions.
“Yes.”
“Fuck, I love you.”
I freeze at his confession of love, but he doesn’t seem to notice, coming over and pressing a kiss on my cheek.
“You look fucking sexy in my shirt,” he whispers in my ear, then wanders off to make his coffee.
My phone vibrates on the workbench. Cipher grabs it and hands it to me as Nixie’s name flashes on the screen.
“I need you all to come to Ares’s Bar. We have to talk,” she says as soon as I answer.
“When?” I ask.
“Now would be good.”
She hangs up, and I look at the guys. “Nixie wants to see us. Now.”
I head into the bedroom and get changed along with Noa, while Cipher packs up what he’s working on. He has trust issues about leaving things out now that Noa is here a lot more. Noa likes to touch little shiny things, and Cipher has a lot of those everywhere.
We all pile into my car, wanting to get to Nixie as quickly as possible.
Noa slides into the back, and Cipher gets into the passenger side.
I take the road that cuts toward the main area, since it’s early and no guests will be here.
We go past the cornfield—or what used to be the cornfield—and my heart sinks.
I knew it was gone; I had seen it before, but it doesn’t make viewing it again any easier.
It’s flat and scorched where the stalks used to be.
We drive past it in silence; none of us have anything to say.
When we pull up, Noa leans over from the back seat and puts his hand on my shoulder to reassure me. I take a deep breath, then get out of the car. We walk toward the alleyway to see Nixie waiting for us outside the bar doors. She is dressed professionally today, which makes my gut clench.
“Inside.” She pushes through the doors ahead of us, and we all follow her in silence. The bar is empty besides a man around Nixie’s age, gray spreading through his dark hair, impeccably dressed in a suit that looks like it costs more than I make in a year.
He stands as we approach the booth in the corner.
“This is Vincent Devereaux,” Nixie says. “He’s the best lawyer I know.”
Vincent smiles. “The only lawyer she knows.”
Nixie scoffs, which only makes him smile more. “Sit down, all of you.”
Noa slides into the booth, and Cipher holds his hand out for me to move in next, then he settles beside me.
Vincent sits back down and glances across the table at us as Nixie perches beside him, leaving a large gap between them.
“Nixie has explained the situation, but I want you to hear it from me directly so there are no misunderstandings. The position you are in right now is not good, but it’s not hopeless.
I need you to hold on to that.” When he looks at me, I don’t see sympathy, yet it’s like he understands how I feel.
“When Cave was brought in, the admitting physician flagged his history, and his previous files were pulled. He was sent to the institution a few hours ago, the same one from when he was younger.”
My stomach drops. “Can they keep him, though? He’s now an adult.”
“They can hold him for an initial assessment period without a court order. After that, they’ll need to make a case, and that’s where I come in.
I need you to understand that this assessment period is important and what happens during this time matters.
How Cave presents himself, how he responds to staff, and whether there are any incidents. ”
I imagine him locked in a room, without his cornfield, without us, and what I picture happening is not good.
“There will be incidents,” Cipher whispers beside me.
Vincent looks at him. “Yes, I expect there will be.”
“So what do we do?” Noa asks.
“I have already contacted the institution and filed the paperwork necessary to establish myself as his legal representative, which buys us some breathing room. The next step is to get eyes inside. Someone who can tell us what’s actually happening versus what’s being put in the reports.”
“That can be arranged,” Nixie says.
Vincent makes eye contact with her, then focuses back on us.
When I glance at him, Noa gives me a smile, and my pointed look means to leave it alone.
He leans into my side. “Did you see that?” he whispers.
“Noa,” I warn.
“I’m just saying there is some tension in this room that has nothing to do with Cave. I think we should—”
“Drop it.”
Noa huffs and Cipher chuckles under his breath.
Nixie shoots a death glare at Noa. “Are you finished?”
“Not really, but please continue.”
“Vincent will handle the legal side, and I have two other people who will be involved. One is a psychiatrist, and the other works at the facility. I’m trying to reach them.”
“Trying?” Vincent says, and there’s something in his tone that indicates he knows more than we do right now. “You mean you haven’t called them yet.”
Nixie screws her face up. “You know things didn’t exactly end well, and a certain someone else might be a problem.”
“Ah, you mean when you fucked them, then fucked them over. Yeah, I would be hesitant to call them as well if I were you.”
Noa opens his mouth and I jab my elbow into his ribs as Nixie looks our way.
“Do not ask. It’s none of your business. I have it handled.”
“Can I see him?” I ask, changing the subject before Noa tries to grill Nixie. Her past is none of our business.
Vincent shakes his head. “Not yet. He’s too volatile, and they won’t allow visitors until they have completed the assessment. Though I know that isn’t what you want to hear.”
“And how long does that take?”
“Up to seventy-two hours, but that depends on what they find.”
Three fucking days?! That’s bullshit.
“He’ll think we left him,” Noa says. “It will destroy him that we’re not there.”
I think about the night I left with Rowan and how it started all of this. Once again, my brother is the reason we are in this mess. Why couldn’t he have been a normal brother, one who actually gave a shit about anyone but himself?
“Then we’ll make sure he knows we are coming. Whatever it takes. Vincent, is there any legal avenue to get a message to him? Anything they must allow?”
Vincent considers this. “There are provisions around communication rights that I can push for. I won’t promise, but I’ll look into it.”
“Push hard,” I tell him.
He looks at me again with the same expression. “I intend to.”
“What do we do in the meantime?” Cipher asks. “While Vincent does the legal work, and you reach out to your contacts, what can we do that actually helps him?”
“You keep the island running, and don’t fall apart,” Nixie answers. “Do nothing that gives anyone a reason to look too closely at this place or the people in it. We’ve had enough cops sniffing around, and now we need to lie low. You need to trust me.”
Noa opens his mouth and Nixie stares at him.
“I was only going to say we do trust you. Even though there are clearly things you haven’t told us and the tension between you and the very attractive lawyer is making me compile a huge list of questions for when this is over,” Noa rushes out.
Vincent laughs.
“Don’t encourage him,” Cipher says with a smile on his face.
“I find it refreshing.”
I ignore them and look at Nixie. “You’re going to get him out.” I refuse to make it a question.
She holds my eyes. “Yes, I am.”
I believe her, though I don’t know why, except she’s Nixie and she doesn’t say things she doesn’t mean. Plus, she has been fighting for Cave long before I came around.
Vincent reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and places a card on the table in front of me. “My direct number.”
I pick it up. “Thank you.”
He nods and then looks at Nixie. “Walk me out.”
She slides out and they exit the bar together as I look down at the card in my hand, then close my fingers around it.
Hang on, Cave, we’re coming for you—no matter what it takes.