Chapter 69 #2
“Lead the way,” Ripley replies, snatching up my hand and threading our fingers together.
Shantel clocks the public display of affection as she stands at the door like a guard dog, an ugly snarl marring her face.
I plaster on my biggest smile, dismissing her entire existence as we pass by her without so much as an acknowledgement from any of us.
Bucky and Rip converse unhindered as we make our way through Bleakcrest. I pay them no mind, allowing my eyes to roam the obscenely beautiful mansion.
I hate how fucking majestic it is up top.
The dichotomy between life and death that lines the walls pulls at a place in my soul, an ache for art that has long been buried.
A sound of pleasure rings from down a blue-lit hallway, and I tense.
Ripley looks to me immediately. “Everyone who’s here now, wants to be.
The doors aren’t locked and no one is being forced.
Unless they like that.” He winks and I nod.
Ripley tugs me close, keeping me beside him in the narrow halls that lead below ground, and abandoning Bucky to walk the front alone.
The tech genius swings open a heavy metal door, and a raucous chittering starts up.
“You didn’t seriously bring them here?”
“Glitch goes where I go. She could give birth at any moment. And since I don’t know who the dad is, Megabyte and Xerxes have to come along.”
“I’m going with Xerxes, he’s the invader,” Kyle pipes up, spinning to reveal himself in an elaborate high-backed leather chair.
“What are they?” I whisper to Ripley.
“Ra—“
“Don’t you even start with that rat shit, asshole. They are fucking marsupials, and you know it,” Kyle interjects.
Ripley starts laughing, and Bucky opens the enclosure, scooping one of the animals up.
“They’re sugar gliders…or flying squirrels.
” He approaches me, letting me watch as the small animal roots around in his palm, scratching at the cuff of his long-sleeved band shirt.
Bucky tugs it open, and the little furball scurries inside, travelling up the arm only to pop out the neck hole, and climb atop his head.
It circles, ruffling his auburn mullet, then looks to Kyle, then Rip, finally landing on its home.
The sugar glider leaps, arms outstretched as the flaps of skin help it glide back to the top of the enclosure.
It scurries back inside, snuggling up to another flying squirrel sleeping in a hammock, and quickly falling asleep.
“They’re nocturnal,” Bucky says to me. “All the back and forth is messing up their sleep schedule.”
“Well hopefully you’ll be done here soon?” I reply.
“You may as well move in, Buckster,” Kyle interrupts. “Isn’t that right, Rip?”
Ripley goes rigid. Unsure of what to say when his best friend yanks the rug out from under him.
“What are you talking about, Ky?” Bucky asks, a devious smirk barely being held at bay. I clock it, but Rip doesn’t with the panic ratcheting up his pulse.
“Our bestie here, never intended to burn Bleakcrest to the ground. He’s always wanted to take over and improve upon Maximus’s empire.”
“No!” Bucky gasps far too dramatically. “He would’ve told us.”
I turn my face away, hiding it in my shoulder so as to not ruin their ruse.
“You’d think he’d tell us, but he wanted our support until the very end.” Kyle looks from Bucky to Rip. “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than try to persuade the whole team to follow another crazy part of the plan.”
Ripley opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He hangs his head, shame apparent in his body language.
Looking to Kyle, I shoot him a how-long-are-you-going-to-drag-this-out look. The dick smirks, clearly enjoying the torment he’s bringing Rip for withholding information.
“It’s a good thing I saw this coming a mile away and planned for it,” Kyle finally says, after deeming Rip punished enough.
Ripley lifts his sad eyes, the realization he’s been duped filling them with annoyance.
Kyle rises from the black chair, crossing to stand in front of Rip, and I release his hand. “Everyone’s ready to stand behind you. We know you did this for us, as well as yourself.”
“How’d you know?” Rip asks.
“I know you better than you’ll ever realize, dickhead.
We both do.” Bucky nods his agreement, double checking the enclosure door so the creatures can’t escape.
“I’ve known all along it was a possibility, and made the team aware.
Those that wanted to bail were given the option. Not a single person swayed.”
The loyalty between this band of criminals is honourable. It’s more than I ever found with people I once considered family.
Ripley wraps Kyle in a bear hug, clearly shocking him.
“Me too, me too!” Bucky jokes, jumping on top of them.
The sight makes my chest tight and eyes burn. Fuck, I miss my sister. But, I’m happy for Ripley. Maybe the guys know him better than I assumed.
They pull away, all gruffing in a manly way. “We expect a raise for relieving you of the burden of telling everyone you lied,” Kyle ribs.