Chapter 25 ~
Rory ~
“So, what’s the verdict, doc?”
Luc glances up distractedly from where he’s playing with Benji and Elsie on the floor.
It’s day five and everyone’s more than ready to get out of the hospital, despite the entertainment we’ve gotten since meeting Benji.
It’s so freaking cute just how adorable it is watching a dangerous, hot man—your dangerous hot man—sit cross legged, playing animals with two little kids.
Elsie, Benji’s little sister, is obsessed with Luc. She hangs off his every word as he tells her wild, made up stories about unicorns, fairies and princesses.
Elsie broke her collarbone climbing a tree. She’s been here for a few days now, simply because being at the hospital may keep her contained for a while so she doesn’t reinjure herself.
It took a closed conversation with Sara to assure her that Luc definitely does not hit me and some charm on Luc’s part before she warmed up to him.
I also had to explain the compromising position we were in when Benji found us to help explain where he got the idea that Luc was hurting me. She completely understood then.
Benji took instantly to Maverick and Alec. Mav didn’t really know what to do with the young boy and need I say, seemed a little afraid of him. Benji thought it was amazing that Alec had glasses too. He was careful of Alec who we’ve kept pretty much confined to his bed.
Dom’s been trying really hard with Alec. I think the accident has opened Dom’s eyes to the fact that he doesn’t want to be without Alec.
Alec, however, seems insistent on keeping Dom at arms length. With us both stuck on bed rest, Alec has confided in me that he’s afraid Dom’s going to want to be together but will eventually change his mind.
I assured him that wasn’t the case but I think Alec’s worried about Dom hurting him again.
It’s hard because they’re my partners and they would be so perfect together but I can’t push them.
With Alec determined to keep his heart in one piece, Dom’s going to have to try really hard to get him to open up.
Flynn accesses all our injuries. His face reveals nothing when he’s working.
The bruising from my seat belt and Mase’s have pretty much all healed up. My stitches are dissolvable so that’s not an issue. It’s just Alec.
So far there hasn’t been any issues with the collapsed lung or the brain bleed but Flynn hasn’t wanted to risk anything by releasing him early.
I lean my head back on Maverick’s chest, his arms tightening around me.
Alec looks at Flynn hopefully from his bed beside me.
Flynn purses his lips before relenting. “Tomorrow.”
I sigh with relief. Despite the company with Benji and Elsie and Helen and Devon coming by every day, I’m ready to get out of here.
“Fuck yes!” Maverick and Mason groan in unison.
“Language,” Alec and Flynn snap together.
The rest of us laugh. Elsie and Benji giggle adorably.
I snicker, leaning my head back to meet Mav’s amused gaze. He places a kiss on my lips, lingering momentarily before reluctantly dragging them away.
I internally groan and shift between Mav’s long legs on either side of me.
With all the doctors and nurses coming in and out, as well as Benji, Elsie and Sara, the guys and I have had to keep everything pretty PG.
Let’s just say everyone’s a little frustrated.
I notice Dom glaring at Flynn as he talks to Alec about the next steps. I outstretch my hand, my fingers curling around his wrist.
“Steady,” I murmur, taking his phone from his hand before it shatters into a million pieces.
Dom grumbles but takes a deep breath. He puts his phone on the bed so he can enlace his fingers into mine. My hand is completely engulfed whenever one of them is holding it but I am definitely not complaining.
Flynn takes Elsie to her x-ray so they can check the progress of her collarbone healing and Sara takes Benji to get ice cream, leaving us alone.
Luc lays down so I can play with his hair.
“God, I can’t wait to get out of here.” Alec sighs.
Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, I’d say he didn’t sleep well last night. Like Mase and I, Alec has had his own twisted nightmares or just memories of the accident. I normally sleep okay if I’m in someone’s arms but I woke up alone the other morning and completely freaked.
Everyone’s on edge. I can’t wait until we’re all alone together—no threats or problems. Just us.
“So what’s the plan?” Mav questions. His magical hands start rubbing my arms and shoulders making my eyes roll back into my head.
I hear Luc chuckling, reminding me to keep playing with his hair. It’s soft and smooth, my fingers gliding through his locks with ease.
“We need to go back and get our stuff,” Alec announces. My eyes flick open.
“We need our clothes, the cars, the coffee machine.” Jace carries on listing things. I love how high he put the coffee machine on that list. It is a good coffee machine.
“Where’s my knife?” I ask as my heart seizes. Did it get left the car?
Dom leans down, taking his hand with him and produces my knife and sheath from the bag of clothes Helen dropped off for us.
I breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
“Where’d the sheath come from?” Jace questions, putting his sock covered feet up on the bed.
I swear, he always has cold feet. I remember him wearing socks around Helen and Devon’s house in summer. It’s funny to see that hasn’t changed.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to tell everyone yourself or not,” Mase tells me.
He shuffles up from where he was laying at the end of the bed to crawl between my legs. His face gets planted on my stomach right beside Luc’s on my leg.
“Thanks, Mase.” I run my fingers through his hair. It’s getting long, I think absentmindedly. I think he and Luc like it that way just so I have more hair to play with. The back tickles the nape of his neck.
“Uh, so…we went to go see Drake’s sister.”
Everyone’s silent after the bomb I just dropped on them.
Luc lazily opens one eye to tell me, “Butterfly, Drake King doesn’t have a sister.”
“Yeah, he does.” I sigh. “It’s not a known fact, so you can’t repeat this to anyone. I’m sure you all know the Dark Rider’s rule that the next in line has to be a man.” I assume they do anyway.
“Yeah.” Dom says to me. The guys nod.
“So, when Lindsey—Giovanni King’s baby—turned out to be a girl, I’m sure you can imagine the uproar in the Dark Riders.
Giovanni let Drake’s mum have the baby and Lindsey was raised at the Dark Rider’s compound until Drake was born.
Only a handful of people know that Lindsey was Giovanni’s legitimate child,” I explain, “after Drake was born, he became the centre of Giovanni’s world.
He was obsessed with making Drake a carbon copy of himself.
Lindsey spent most of her childhood life at the compound, hidden away from the rest of the Dark Riders until she was at an age to serve a purpose, in Giovanni’s eyes.
Lindsey’s mum disappeared not long after Lindsey turned thirteen.
She was just a sperm donor to Giovanni but Lindsey was devastated. ”
I pay extra attention to Luc as I’m telling this story. He’s staring up at the ceiling as I continue to run my fingers through his soft hair.
“How’d she end up with The Black Roses?” Alec asks.
“The Black Roses?” Jace’s eyes widen.
I smile. “Xander, who you might know as The Ghost, was paying a Dark Rider a visit years back and ran into Lindsey. She had no idea who he was.” I chuckle as the shocked faces around me. “Xan was totally expecting Lindsey to run screaming but instead, asked him to take her with him.”
“Xan was with Rowan, Ethan and Fallon at this point. Lindsey cut ties with her father when Xan gave him the official warning of what would happen if they were to come after her. Giovanni has interfered with missions but never came for Lindsey.”
“I cannot believe you’re calling The Ghost, Xan.” Jace looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
Luc chuckles. “I can.”
I smile, seeing the humour that replaces the darkness in his eyes.
“How’d you meet them?” Dom interrupts, still looking lost.
“Lindsey’s the librarian at Cattle Creek,” Alec tells him.
Dom’s eyes are blown wide. “Daaaamn. How the hell did we not know that?”
“I’ve kept an eye on The Black Roses over the years. Well, tried to. Fallon’s done a damn good job. Getting anything on them is just about impossible. I mean the systems are incredible,” Alec tells me, his eyes bright.
“Well, according to Fallon, you aren’t bad yourself,” I say playfully.
“He would be awesome to work a case with. Was he being serious?” Alec questions.
“Oh, yeah.” I nod. “Fallon wouldn’t have said anything if he wasn’t.”
Alec grins, looking the most excited I’ve ever seen him.
My mind drifts to the accident. I wonder if they heard about the crash.
We don’t know who was in the car that crashed into us. It was intentional, we know that but it could have been anyone.
Luc wasn’t with us so it seems more like they were after me than him but how did they know it was us in Jace’s mustang?
It’s less like they were trying to kill us and more like they were trying to scare us.
Whoever it was could have easily taken me while we were out. Why didn’t they?
“Where are Helen and Devon?” Maverick rumbles behind me. “I’m surprised they left us alone today.”
“They went to check out the progress on the house.” Jace pulls out his phone to let the guys look at the photos his parents took.
I pout when they purposely angle the phone so that I can’t see it. Excitement bubbles up in me now that I know tomorrow I get to see the house.
“So, what’s the actual plan?” Mase throws out, not opening his eyes.
My fingers slowly drag through his waves, gently scraping my nails where his hair meets his head. A quiet groan rumbles from his chest.
I smirk and continue playing, occasionally skimming my nails across his scalp.
His eyes leisurely flick open, heat dancing excitedly in his warm blues.
Something tells me I’m walking the thin line of Mase’s control.