Chapter 21 ~
Rory ~
When I wake…I feel rejuvenated.
I smile, not needing to open my eyes to feel the tattooed arm keeping me locked against a hard, muscled chest. Or the leg thrown over my hip as an added security measure in case I tried to leave during the night.
There’s quiet music playing but that’s not what woke me up.
“If you’re broken, feeling weary,” Dominic sings, gravelly. “So tired from the fight.”
Dom’s normal voice does things to me I won’t admit but when he’s singing? It’s the most beautiful and most arousing thing I’ve ever heard.
“If you can’t find the strength to go on another day; and your back’s against the wall.” The words go straight to my soul, Dom’s drawl mixing in with the artist’s.
“I’ll walk through every fire. Stand tall there right beside ya, be the one to get ya through.” Dom rumbles, making my toes curl.
I don’t move, unable to move, as he sings.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do,” Dom promises, quietly. “I’d go to war for you.”
I close my eyes and feel every word that pours out of his mouth. I would listen to him for millennia, forever frozen in time if I could.
“I’d go to war for you.” Dominic finishes, his voice trailing off. Another song comes on but Dom doesn’t continue.
“Did I wake you?” Dom kisses the inside of my neck.
“Yes, but don’t you dare apologise because that was the best wake up call ever.”
Dominic chuckles, nuzzling his face into my neck before exhaling deeply. I snuggle back against him.
“It’s so quiet.” I realise.
“The guys are probably still asleep. My music’s programmed to turn on at six. I like to get up before everyone when it’s nice and quiet,” Dom tells me.
“It is peaceful,” I admit. Dom hums, agreeing with me.
We stay there, lost in time.
We hear the guys start moving around in the kitchen but neither of us makes a move to get up.
Feeling stiff, I arch my back, pressing up against the hard wall behind me.
Dom groans when my ass lines up with his junk.
“Oops, sorry.” I snicker.
“Tease.” Dom growls, playfully. I almost do it again, just for that reaction but an odd noise stops me.
“Is that someone leaving?” I ask Dom. We listen to the sound of the roller door opening and a car engine slowly gets quieter.
“Yeah,” Dom responds, sounding confused. I feel him shrug, dismissing it.
I roll over in his arms, spying his tattoos. The ink reminds me of what we did last night.
Dom’s eyes roam over me. He smiles, lazily. “I like seeing you in my shirt.”
“I had to get up last night and mine did not cover everything,” I tell him. Dom’s eyes travel down my body and my lips part in response to his deep gaze.
A smile plays on his lips before his head dips. I melt into his kiss.
Emotion storms in his eyes—most likely identical to mine. I’m feeling so many things but not regret. I could never regret him—any of them.
They scare me, make me feel alive, make me need more than I’ve ever wanted.
Dom rests his forehead on me. “We should probably get up,” he murmurs. His eyes search mine as if to make sure I’m okay with what happened last night.
My lips curl up and I press them back against his briefly.
“Okay,” I say, softly.
A few kisses later, we get up. Dom pulls some grey sweatpants on, nearly making me throw caution to the wind and demanding we stay here all day. What is it with guys and grey sweatpants? It is not okay.
I spy my shorts and underwear that Dom had thrown over his shoulder last night. I tug my shorts on, abandoning my underwear in Dom’s dirty clothes pile in the corner of his room.
“Who’s that?” I pick up the frame on his desk. It’s a German Shepard—a pup.
“That’s Abraxas.” Dom comes to stand beside me.
“That’s an interesting name for a dog.” I look a bit closer and see the date on the photo is from two years ago.
“Alec named him. I think it’s from a book or something. I just call him Abbie. He’s my dog but he lives with my parents on their property out west.” Dom smiles with deep affection.
We eventually make our way out to the kitchen where the guys are lounging around, still half asleep.
Dominic goes straight to the coffee machine.
“Dom,” Alec calls. Dom’s head instantly snaps up and sees the coffee Alec’s holding out.
Dominic slowly walks over, taking the mug into his hands.
“Thank you,” Dom says sincerely. Alec’s eyes flutter closed for a split second before he nods and takes a seat at the counter.
I smile sadly at them. If Dom’s not willing to pursue a relationship with Alec who’s done trying, then I’m glad they’re working back up to being friends.
Mason seems to be the only one who looks remotely awake other than Alec. Maverick’s staring into his coffee cup and nodding off.
Mase gets up from the island when he sees me come in and wraps his arms around me.
“Mornin’, Angel.” Mase kisses me deeply. He pulls back to whisper in my ear. “You make the most gorgeous noises. I can’t wait to hear you fall apart on my fingers.” They rub over the hem of Dom’s shirt which I forgot I’d walked out in.
Apparently, Mason’s kisses make my brain short circuit because it takes a while for that one to register.
“Did–did you—“ I stutter and Mase smirks as I struggle to word my thoughts. They heard us?
“Let’s just say we’re all thoroughly jealous.” Luc plants a kiss on my cheek as he passes me.
I gawk at Dom who shrugs and sips his coffee. He puts it down on the counter and strides over. Mase steps back to make room for him.
Dominic puts his huge hands on either side of my face. “Rory, it doesn’t bother me that the guys heard us. Does it bother you?”
I think about that but I don’t need to. I shake my head.
It’s the guys. I trust them with my life.
“You know our thoughts, Angel,” Mase tells me. “You can have your time with Dom or time with any of us and we won’t get jealous or upset.”
I search both their eyes. Then I smile. “You guys are the best.”
Dominic grins and Mason bops my nose. I roll my eyes. So immature.
Maverick hands me a cup of hot liquid, his arms curling around me from behind.
“I know you don’t drink coffee but you’ll like this one.” Mav leans his head on my shoulder.
“It’s not that I don’t drink coffee, I’ve just never had it before,” I tell him, raising the rim to my lips. I take a cautious sip. Mmm. This is good. It’s sweet.
“What do you mean you’ve never had coffee?” Dom looks at me like I’m crazy.
How many different ways can you interpret that?
“I mean, I’ve never had coffee before. Well, I did once but it was black and only because I’d gone two nights without sleeping.
It didn’t taste alright. This is good, though,” I add in an attempt to lighten the darkness that storms their eyes.
It doesn’t necessarily work but there’s no follow up questions.
“It’s a caramel latte,” Maverick tells me. “The only person here who drinks their coffee black on a regular basis is Dom.”
Then it’s my turn to look at Dom with an incredulous look. He shrugs, unapologetically.
Luc tells me to sit down. He pulls a tray of croissants out of the oven. My stomach rumbles in anticipation. It’s gotten used to having breakfast again.
“Where’s J?” Dom questions, taking a seat at the counter beside me. “We heard a car go out.”
“I sent him on some errands. If we’re leaving then we need supplies,” Alec says casually but I see him watching me from the corner of his eye.
My head snaps to the side. “What do you mean leaving? Where are we going?”
Everyone falls silent.
“If you’re not safe here, Rory, then we won’t stay,” Alec says, shooting the guys a look of annoyance at them for not answering me.
“You all are not leaving. You said Luc wasn’t safe back there!” My gaze swings to Luc.
“We’re not going back there, Butterfly. We bought a house,” he tells me, softly.
“What?” I say stunned.
“It was before we met you. We had plans to move somewhere completely new. We were just staying here until the renovations finished and I was healing,” Luc explains.
My head spins, trying to process all this information.
“You have a house?” I confirm, just in case my hearing just went to shit. “Where?”
“An hour or so from Jace’s parents. It’s about one hundred acres. The closest house is a few k’s away.” Alec’s fingers tap on the counter at a rhythmic pace.
“Baby?” Maverick prompts when I’ve been quiet for too long. Concern lines his ice blue eyes.
“Just…processing,” I eventually say. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, feeling a little hurt.
It must show on my face because Maverick’s eyes widen almost comically.
“Fuck, Rory,” he says panicked. “We didn’t mean to keep this from you.”
He pulls into a tight embrace, lifting me off my feet. I wrap my legs around his waist, making me just slightly taller than him.
“That idiot wanted to surprise you,” Maverick jerks his head towards his twin. Mase gets up and wraps his arms around me clinging to Mav like a koala so I don’t fall.
“I’m sorry, Angel.” Mase words are muffled against my shirt.
“It’s okay,” I tell him but neither of them pull away. I look over Mase’s shoulder and mouth ‘help’ to Alec, Dom and Luc.
They share a look, shrug and just drink their coffees. I roll my eyes and settle into my twin's embraces.
It’s not until Luc reminds the twins that I haven’t eaten that they let me down.
“Hey,” I say randomly as I’m eating. “Is that why you guys added me to a board on Pinterest about house furniture and stuff?”
Luc grins, leaning his forearms on the counter. “We were trying to get your input on your room design and everything without spoiling the secret.”
I have a room? They really want me there?
Without having to say anything, Luc seems to know that my mind went there.
His eyes soften and he leans over the counter, kissing me tenderly. He doesn’t have to say anything. Those bright green eyes tell me everything.
“Okay, enough spoiling shit. You’re not allowed to know anything else—you have to wait until you see it,” Mase orders through a mouthful of croissant.
“Don’t eat with your mouth full,” Alec scolds.