Chapter 25 #3
True to his word, he stopped just within the threshold, speaking to someone Rue couldn’t see in a hushed tone. It didn’t take long, and when he came back, he swept Rue into his arms once more, settling onto the chair himself before fixing Rue comfortably in his lap.
“What are you doing?” Rue asked.
“Don’t worry. Uriel is cleaning up the mess next door, and Ellery is dealing with the press at the resort. We just have to sit here for a bit and relax.” Ryker brushed some of the tear tracks off the rise of Rue’s cheeks. “Need to cry some more? You can.”
“No.” What he needed was answers. His gaze dropped to the area where he’d last seen a knife sticking out of. “Are you…okay?”
“Ellery and Uriel found another exit in the tunnels. Thank Light.” Sensing that Rue had lots of questions, Ryker started at the beginning.
“The first creature to explode was the one on the second floor. It gave them just enough time to scramble. They were carrying me into the kitchen when the next creature detonated. By the time the final one went off, the one in the dining hall, we were already underground. The building shook, but apparently the secret tunnels are a sort of bunker. A fireproof bomb shelter.”
“Your injury?” Rue couldn’t see any hint of it right now, but that was because Ryker had changed into the clothes Ryder had been wearing. He’d taken this ruse pretty seriously.
“The explosion woke me,” Ryker explained.
“Not long after, our multi-slates were working again. Ellery called Zar to come help. He’s familiar with those woods.
Got to us a lot faster than anyone else would have.
” He lifted his shirt and Rue saw a clear patch bandaged over Ryker’s middle.
“Second skin and nanites. That plus all the pain killers I’m on, I don’t feel a thing. ”
“You came straight here? You should have gone to a hospital,” he scolded.
“Zar is better than any doctor, you know that.”
“How did you know to come here?”
“It was kind of obvious.” Ryker grunted.
“You knew about his uncle?”
“I found out too late. That first year without you and Ryder…it was dark. I was dangerous to be around. Even Illya couldn’t stand me. But, even if I had known sooner, I can’t promise I would have done anything to help. Does that make you disappointed?”
“I don’t know,” Rue admitted. It didn’t matter. The past was done. “There’s no way you beat us back to the estate.”
“No,” he agreed. “Fortunately, whatever he gave you knocked you out pretty good. You’ve been asleep for five hours.
Ryder is the only reason he’d bother coming all the way here instead of making a run for it, so it was just a matter of posing as my brother and waiting.
I wanted to storm the room, shoot Bowie in the face, and get you out, but when I went for my blaster, it was missing. ”
“My mom told him where to find it.”
Ryker grunted.
“And Uriel?” Rue asked.
“With Ryder. After Uriel woke up, we actually moved my brother to a different room. It felt strange leaving him in there with two empty pods. I didn’t like knowing he was so alone.”
“How did you manage to take him out of his pod?” That wasn’t supposed to be possible.
“I didn’t. The one I was hiding inside used to be Uriel’s. I figured Bowie probably had never been there before, and if for some reason he had, he’d be too distracted to notice that there were only two instead of the usual three.”
Rue was remiss to admit he’d been too distracted to notice himself.
“Hey.” Ryker took him by the chin, lifting his head so their eyes met.
“I was so scared that I lost you,” Rue whispered. Even with the man before him now, that fear had yet to fully dissipate. “I got you into this mess. I caused all of it.”
“We’re all responsible for what happened,” Ryker corrected. “All of us. My father for being an ass and trying to take advantage, your mom for—”
“Losing her mind?”
Ryker snorted. “I was going to put it a little nicer than that, but yeah, basically. Bowie for joining her. Me for inadvertently fueling his fire by treating you like shit all this time. And you for—”
“Running away.” Rue rested his head on Ryker’s shoulder. “I won’t do that anymore.”
The sound of footsteps in the hall interrupted them. A moment later, Avan appeared in the doorway. He bowed his head.
“Young Master Hart, the police are here and asking to speak with you.” The old man glanced at them and then looked away.
“Thank you,” Rue said for Ryker. “Tell them we’ll be right there.”
“We’ll meet them in the main house,” the Black Hart added.
“Of course.” Avan turned and hurried away.
“He didn’t know what to do,” Rue guessed, “seeing us like this.”
“Our parents are gone.” Ryker stood, lifting Rue as he did so. “No matter how uncomfortable it makes them, everyone is going to have to get used to us being together. And quick. Because I have time to make up for, and I’m not willing to waste anymore of it. What about you, little brother?”
Rue linked his arms around Ryker’s neck and held on as he carried him from the room. “I’ve been in love with you since we were twelve, Ryk. If you’ll have me—”
“Oh I’ll have you.” He grinned wolfishly at him.
“Stop.” Rue shook his head, though he was smiling also. “The adrenaline has worn off and I am no longer experiencing misplaced arousal. I just feel…”
“I know.” He kissed his forehead. “We’ll get through this, sweetheart. Together. I promise.”
They had to pass by the room where the pods were stored on their way out. Inside, Rue could hear Uriel moving about, cleaning up Bowie’s remains.
Rue pressed his face in the crook of Ryker’s neck and refused to spare it even a glance as they walked by.
If everyone was guilty, that meant there was no use in seeking forgiveness. Either for himself, or for others.
Strangely, Rue found he could live with that.
So long as he had Ryker by his side, he could live with anything.