Chapter 17 #5
“I shot a seventeen-year-old girl in the head tonight.” I turn and slump back on my ass, resting my right arm on the toilet seat. I can see that my position is very distressing to Alexei, but I’m not sure that I can make myself move from this spot. “I’m puking up my own sins. I ain’t pregnant.”
Bohnes winks at me, in possession of an arcane knowledge.
“She’ll start her period today,” he says, like he knows my body better than I do. I use my upside-down cross to flip him off. It’s a listless, lazy move. I’m not upset with him. I don’t have the energy for playful fuckboy banter.
Ash comes over to kneel in front of me, wearing his sword on his back like some sort of male lead from one of Bastian’s video games. He shed his jacket and shirt, leaving his athletic body in black trousers, a katana, and bare feet. His tie is undone and draped over the back of his neck.
“If Polina had her way, Alexei would’ve died with Pavel. Lemon would be forgotten and Polina would be walking down the aisle with Aspen in her place. Her intel helped put this entire plan in motion.”
“You don’t get to comfort me, not after seeing Jonas with Yua.
Ash, it’s okay. I’m fine. Sometimes you just need to cry it out and move on.
” I flush the toilet and Alexei lets out a small sigh of relief as he makes his way over, stepping past me and Ash to turn on the shower. “And you…your dad’s finger…”
“I got the ring back.” Alexei stares at the wedding band on his hand, an allover shudder sweeping his body as he carefully slips it off and sets it aside.
I’m assuming he’s going to sterilize it.
There’s a lot of dried blood still stuck to the damn thing, embedded in the tiny diamonds that make up the snakes’ eyes.
It’s everywhere. “And further proof of Chet’s involvement. That’s more than enough.”
So he says. But his hands are trembling as he strips off his own clothes.
“I don’t know how you two put up with those snakes for so long.
I felt like I was suffocating five seconds after walking into that room.
” Widow is tearing his tie off like it owes him, scoffing and muttering under his breath.
“Every person in there was a ladder-climbing, blood-sucking, perverted scumbag.”
“Not much different than Prescott then?” Bohnes suggests, and both he and Widow get a small laugh out of that.
“What about Yua?” I ask Ash, curious about his thoughts. He looks away, dark hair falling across his pale forehead.
“It’s not possible for someone to work for Jonas for so many years and not know his true nature.
Yua has cleaned up crime scenes for him before.
Blood. Cum. Bodies. She’s not fully innocent.
If she went back to him after I sent her away, then…
I…” Ash clenches his fist over his chest and closes his eyes.
“Sometimes you love someone that isn’t worth saving. ”
Silence. The only sound is the running water as Alexei climbs in and allows himself to slump back against the wall. He never does that. Slumps. Or touches the wall. He’s hurting, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. Who wouldn’t, after seeing their loved one’s severed finger?
“Am I the only person not severely traumatized by the party? I thought the cake turned out well, and the effect of playing Ernest’s scream for the crowd was amusing.
Did you see Chet’s face?” Bohnes laughs as he peels his clothes off, throwing them into the hamper.
Kellin’s blue eyes are on mine, desperate to pull me back from the edge he sees me standing at.
Little does he know that I don’t need to be pulled back. I’ll walk away all on my own.
With a sigh, I force myself to my feet, extending a hand for Ash. He accepts it, even though he doesn’t need it. The way he stands, it’s like he’s as inhuman as Bohnes, liquid and wild.
“The cake was incredible.” Ash blushes as he says this, putting his hand over his mouth and mumbling from behind it. “Red velvet. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Well, it worked with the aesthetic anyway.” Bohnes is mendaciously flippant, waltzing past in all his naked, bone-etched glory.
He climbs right in the shower with Alexei which is the first I’ve seen them do that.
Usually, they just take turns. The shower is big enough to accommodate all of us pretty easily.
It’s that grand. Multiple showerheads and controls that belong on a spaceship.
Alexei sighs but doesn’t protest, lathering his shaky hands up with even more soap.
“Take your clothes off. We’re snuggling.” Widow steps up beside me, grabbing me by the jacket and turning me to face him. He undoes the single button, revealing the black lace bra I wore underneath. A warm, rough palm is pressed against my belly. “If you are pregnant—”
“I’m going to slit your throat in your sleep,” I warn him, pushing Widow off and stepping back. I drop my clothes to the floor as he scowls at me, up to his usual fuckboy fuckery. It helps take my mind off what happened tonight. I appreciate that.
“If you are pregnant, then let’s keep the baby. Regardless of whoever the father is. You do that for me, and I won’t ask for another one later in life.”
I ignore Widow, naked and slipping under the water so I can throw my arms around Alexei and press my cheek against his chest. He gives a single shudder as my unclean nudity twines with his soapy birthday suit. He twines his fingers in my wet hair, holding my head against him.
My eyes are closed now, but I can hear Widow and Ash get in the shower with us. Somebody closes the glass door, so it gets nice and steamy in there.
“I really need to brush my teeth,” I mumble into the spray.
“I’ll help you wash up.” Alexei adds shampoo to my hair, massaging my scalp with his fingers until I’m half asleep on my feet.
“You’re all feeling so down, but this should help.” Bohnes has his phone inside the shower (he rarely separates from it, for obvious reasons, intel and all that). I open my eyes just in time to see him turn the screen toward us.
It’s our account—Alexei’s account, technically—and it has a number listed as the balance that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. Never even knew numbers went that high.
“That definitely helps,” Widow agrees, hands on his naked hips and face bewildered.
I hope he feels like he’s in a fairy tale.
Yes, his princess murders randos, but hey, we got money.
His phone was left just outside the shower, on a fancy stool with a tufted cushion. It buzzes, drawing Adrian’s attention.
He moves to climb out of the shower, like he expects something ominous from that message.
“Don’t.” This is Ash, his hand on Widow’s bicep.
They look at each other. “That money we just got back, it’s going to cost somebody something.
Since it can’t be us tonight, other people are going to take the blame.
You could see for yourself how upset Chet was, but what you didn’t see was Jonas.
However angry Chet is, he’s a hundred times worse. ”
There’s an implication there, one that Widow picks up on right away. He rushes out of the shower, releasing the steam when he opens the door, and then picks up his phone. After a minute of staring at it, he taps at the screen a few times and then powers it off.
“Yua is dead, isn’t she?” Ash asks, his voice hollow.
“Not yet,” Widow replies.
We don’t talk about that again. Instead, we finish our shower and collapse in bed together. Usually, there’s a bit of space between the boys.
Not tonight.
My pile of aggressive fuckboys is as soft as a mountain of down pillows. I burrow in and let myself drown in sleep, heat and muscle. Never underestimate the power of hot dudes, vast fortunes, and big dreams on a damaged psyche.
When the alarm goes off a few hours later, and we all wake with frustrated groans, I’m okay.
I’m fine.
But I am going to take out my sleep deprivation on Chet.
That sorry bastard has no clue what he’s unleashed.