Chapter 14
Ashia
Four Days Later
‘Heavenly Bodies’ -Villain Overture - Arankai
Damien stands by the large living room windows, staring out into the front yard.
His mind has been all over the place since the other night, and I know their plans today haven’t made his anxiety any better.
He’s still really tense, and whenever he starts to get overwhelmed, he immediately goes to the home gym to release some aggression.
Zeke is also constantly working out with him, so I assume the exercise is helping them both.
Even Carter has gotten more weightlifting in, and while he wasn’t as ripped as the others when I first met him, he’s on the right track to gain a similar muscle mass.
If they’re all going to help Carter build his new house, they’ll need the extra strength.
Thankfully, they’re just hiking through the woods to meet the land surveyor and not actually doing any construction today.
His property is only about a mile away, and the guys discussed creating a trail from our property to his.
It’s cute, actually, how much they need each other.
Carter provides a different comfort for Damien.
His smarts and ability to stay calm makes him feel safe, knowing that at least one person will always keep their head straight.
The plan was to start building before now, but then everything changed…
Since it’s late October, they’ll need to get started soon, before the ground freezes in the late winter.
Most of the shell work will be done by the contractors, of course, but Carter is insistent on doing everything else.
At least, I think he still is. When they all first agreed to do it together, it was a very different time.
I was only about ten weeks along, and most of our troubles seemed to be so far away. Everything is so different now.
It will all be okay. I just have to keep telling myself that.
They’ll only be gone for about an hour, Serena and Victoria will stay here with me, and Richard is on his way.
Then, of course, there’s Dr. Von. I don’t need babysitters, but I know having multiple people here with me will make Damien feel better.
So, I’ll sit right here and enjoy the company, trying not to lose my mind.
I step up beside him, hoping not to startle him.
He turns to grin at me, though his lips don’t fully curl.
There’s a swirl in his eyes that he’s had since I was poisoned, and it’s only gotten worse with time.
His mind is constantly running. I’m just trying to catch up.
The footage that we recovered from that old asylum is…
very hard to watch. I forced myself to, though.
I had to make sure that I wasn’t missing anything—not what he went through, and I had to be sure that none of his samples were moved…
Now, it just makes deciphering his complicated mind even harder.
What haunts him most when he stares at the trees?
Does he imagine them or the people they made him kill?
Does he remember more of what they did to him than he shows?
The files even changed my opinion of Victoria, and now there’s not a doubt in my mind that she’s telling the truth.
My skin crawls just thinking of her experience.
As terrible as it sounds, I’m grateful that the files didn’t contain any audio.
I’m not sure I could handle her screams, and certainly not his.
The images alone will haunt me for the rest of my life.
His painful moans from when we brought him home already live in my head.
Carter has tried to get into DeLuca’s phone, but since it died and turned off, it requires something called ‘cloned device activation,’ and we need the matching cell close by, or it will wipe the system.
Unfortunately, that means we need Saconne’s phone, too.
I’ll just add that to the never-ending shitlist we have, and right on the top of the list of things not to talk about in front of Damien.
He turns to face me, pulling me from my thoughts. His pupils widen and his body becomes more languid as he reaches out to touch me. The warmth alone from his palms on my belly heats my entire body. He’s close enough now that I can smell him, and I lean into his touch, desperate for more of it.
“Are you okay?” I ask him quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear. I can tell by his intense glares through the windows that he’s worried.
“Yeah. I’m alright, just nervous.” His gaze drifts from mine down to my stomach, and as one of his arms wraps around me, I melt against him—resting my hand on his firm chest.
“Damien, it’s okay if you’re not ready. You can take as much time as you need.” His face twists just a little, and then he shakes his head softly.
“I’ve had long enough,” he whispers, clearly disappointed in himself. It instantly breaks my heart.
“You’ve only been home a little over three weeks, baby. No one expects you to just get over it all,” I try to reassure him. His hand presses more firmly into my belly, like he’s trying to savor each of our daughter’s kicks.
“I do…”
“You ready?” Zeke calls out from the kitchen, slicing through our moment like a scythe. I go to answer, to tell him that Damien’s staying here with me, but he beats me to it.
“Yeah.” He pulls me in even closer and kisses my forehead before I can argue.
His lips linger a little longer than necessary, and then he moves his head down to rest against mine.
“Promise me you’ll stay inside until I get home.
” That wasn’t a question, but a demand—one that I can’t deny him.
A part of me wants to go with them, but inserting myself would only belittle his decision.
“I promise,” I whisper back. He leans down to kiss my stomach as well, then he stands straight. His posture is firm and tall, but the small tremors in his hands flutter against my belly.
“I love you. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“I love you too, baby. You’re going to do great.
” I pat his chest and watch him walk away, feeling like an anxiety-ridden mess.
My hands are tingly, and that same electric feeling bubbles through my veins.
It’s clear that he’s nervous about leaving as well, but he also seems determined to see this through.
If I intervene, that could set him back too, and I don’t want that either.
I feel like this is one of those lose-lose situations, and I hate it.
Zeke grabs the bags of marker flags, passing the other to Carter as they all walk through the back door.
The moment they leave my sight, Serena comes down the stairs, looking more put together than she has in weeks—and it’s certainly not because Richard will be here any moment.
She doesn’t care how she looks in front of her dad, but she’s playing games for an entirely different reason.
Her hair is down and waved in that aggravatingly perfect way.
Flawless, sun-kissed make-up covers her face, and she’s wearing one of her most flattering mini-sundresses, even though it’s only about fifty-five degrees outside.
She’s not wearing any shoes, and I’m almost positive she isn’t wearing a bra either.
If I had to guess, I would say she’s wearing all of this to try and seduce Carter before she goes back to work tomorrow.
She’s being a bitch about it, and she knows it.
Why would she do all of this in front of her dad?
Oh, that’s right—to be a little tease once they come back.
The enjoyment she gets out of being such a brat is hilarious, but watching Carter squirm might be even better.
“You look cute, Ser,” I tease.
“Oh, thanks!” she chirps, flinging her hair back with her hand and twirling around.
Her dress flares up just enough to unveil her bare ass, and my laughter echoes against the walls when I completely lose it.
Victoria walks down next, ready to join the shit show, but she stops dead on the stairs and glares curiously at Serena.
My best friend turns to look at her, only to sport an annoyed snarl. “What is it they say? Take a picture?”
“I’m not interested in pornography.” Victoria rolls her eyes, and I have to cover my laughter with my palm.
She walks the rest of the way down the stairs, pulling her own T-shirt down in a nervous yank.
Once she makes it inside the kitchen area, she looks over the clothes she’s wearing with a frown, trying to be discreet.
I can’t quite tell if she’s embarrassed or curious.
I’m assuming she’s never had the chance to dress how she wants, because I know that look all too well—and that feeling.
That sympathetic wave I’ve started to feel for her comes back, and now I kind of feel bad that we didn’t let her pick her own outfits.
Richard walks through the garage door, finally, and bounces his attention between me and Serena. He smiles so wide that his pearly teeth can be seen across the room. His steps are forceful as he makes his way inside, not wasting a moment to throw his arms out from his sides.
“There are my girls!” His tone is excited as Ser skips up to him and wraps her arms around his neck.
While I’m not quite as energetic today, an excitement similar to hers fills my chest. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen him.
Our talk a few weeks ago definitely helped fill some of the emptiness in my chest, but seeing him now is overwhelming.
When Ser finally sinks back to her feet, and I step up to them, he puts one arm around my shoulders, and his other around her—holding us both so tightly that our faces almost meet each other in the middle.
“It’s about time,” he says, exasperated.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Daddy,” Ser begs, and he laughs one of the most comforting chuckles. His head lifts up, and even though I can’t see what he’s looking at, I already know.
“Who’s this?”