CHAPTER 23
THEN
DAPHNE – Age 19
Pain.
Small pockets of nothingness blanketed in black, interspersed with an excruciating pain unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
It’s the only two sensations I’ve been subjected to for however long I’ve been lying here.
Well… that, and fear.
Because every so often, the pain recedes just enough for a memory to flash to the forefront of my brain, and I’m reminded that my best friend’s been taken hostage by one of the people we trusted most in this world.
Tommy.
Tommy lost his shit when he overheard the truth about Jonsie and Mav. Driven by some crazed obsession, he took her. He took her, and I couldn’t stop him.
No matter how hard I screamed.
No matter how hard I fought.
I couldn’t protect her.
I failed her. My best friend. My sister.
And in doing so, I failed him.
I’m sorry, Nicky.
The blackness dances at the edge of my subconscious, and I feel myself slipping away once more.
***
THEN
NICKY – Age 22
“Girls!” I holler as I pass through the foyer, carting a couple of pizza boxes to the kitchen. “Food!”
Rico and JP are hot on my heels, snatching the top box from my grasp and digging in without bothering to grab plates.
“You fuckers are savages, you know that?”
“The fuck we are!” JP exclaims, folding his piece in half before taking a massive bite. “J and Daph can kill a whole pie themselves. We gotta eat now or we won’t get fed.”
I chuckle, sliding the other box onto the counter and pulling off my pink and black patchwork hoodie. “Facts. Just make sure you save some for Tommy, all right? He should be around here somewhere.”
I glance toward the stairway. “Girls!” I shout once more, listening for the sounds of their impending descent.
Nothing.
That’s weird.
“They probably fell asleep,” Rico suggests with a mouthful of pepperoni and cheese. “They’re not loving this lockdown. Daph asked me the other day if it was possible to die from boredom.”
I snort, thinking to myself how any exhaustion the little redhead is experiencing has less to do with boredom, and is most likely from staying up all night riding my dick.
When I put J and Daph on lockdown six weeks ago while I try to sort out who’s making moves against my and Bishop’s crews, I did not account for what having Daph in my space 24/7 would entail. The main thing being that I can’t get enough of her.
Having unrestricted access to the sex siren that serves as the muse for all my dirty fantasies? It’s a goddamn miracle we haven’t been caught yet.
Fuck obsession. I’m a full-blown junkie. She barely shuts the door to the guest room at night before I’m slipping inside behind her, desperate for my fix.
It’s getting harder and harder to keep up our typical banter in front of everyone. Yesterday, I walked up behind her while she was making pancakes and, in my still sleep-ridden haze, dropped a kiss to her shoulder. She skirted away from me so fast, you’d have thought I was a damn leper. I was about to chase her ass down and give her a spanking ‘til my brain kicked on and registered J and the boys at the table. It was sheer fucking luck no one happened to catch it.
I’ve been playing house. It’s possibly the only thing that’s been keeping me sane these last several weeks as all this shit continues to mount against me. My days are fucking miserable. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a rat somewhere in my crew, and with every passing day I’m unable to find ‘em, I grow increasingly ill-tempered to those around me. However, lately I’m less certain if my sour mood has to do with my business, or simply the fact that I have to start my days sneaking out of Daph’s bed. I know it’s completely irrational, but I miss her when we’re apart. So much so that I snapped a picture of her the other day while she was still asleep, all so I could stare at her whenever I want.
The only solace I find is when I’m losing myself inside her each night. And with every impending sunrise, it’s getting harder to let her go.
It can’t go on like this for much longer. Even if we continue to avoid being caught, my parents are set to come home from their recent business trip soon, and they’re going to have questions if Daph and J are not at school.
After my shipment got hit, and Mav’s crew was ambushed, it became evident that things aren’t safe at the moment. I used my connections to get the girls put on virtual status under some bullshit medical exemption. However, that shit is only going undetected at the moment because of our parents’ current work demands. This has been a big expansion year for their business, one that’s required them to be gone for weeks at a time. When they have been able to pop home, it’s been a random weekend here and there. However, they’re in the final stages now. So, these trips will be coming to an end soon. Which means I need to figure this shit out.
Daph’s parents are so self-absorbed, I doubt they’ve even noticed her absence. If it weren’t for the occasional event where she’s expected to play the role of the perfect daughter, she could probably get away with staying here forever.
Once J goes off to college, there’s no reason for me to still live at home. I’ve had my eye on a couple places in the area, and I happen to know Daph got accepted into Vassar—which is close enough for her to commute. She could tell her parents she’s moving in with a roommate. Maybe this wouldn’t have to end…
Maybe we could have the time and space to see what this would look like.
Me and her.
Us.
Where the fuck are the girls?
“Imma go get them,” I state, heading off toward the second floor. “The food’s getting cold. And somebody find Tommy.”
“I’ll get him.” Rico pushes up from the table, shoving the last bite of his slice in his mouth. “Yo! Tommy!” he shouts, heading off toward the den.
I jog up the stairs, still somewhat lost to the fantasy playing out in my mind while making my way toward J’s room.
“J! Daph! Pizza! Hurry up, or JP’s gonna eat it all…” My words trail off at the sight of the wood splinters littering J’s bedroom, the bathroom door kicked in. Amidst the debris, I notice the faint speckling of red decorating the hardwood floor. Blood.
Swallowing down the bile rising in my throat, I slowly make my way toward her ensuite as visions of my sister lying broken in a hospital bed flash on a loop in my mind. With every step, my heart sinks further into my stomach, as I beg the powers that be not to rob me of the only person I truly can’t live without in this world.
Taking a deep breath, I round the corner expecting the worst—and yet, I’m nowhere near prepared for what I find. Because at this very second, I’ve just discovered J is not the only person I cannot live without.
“NO!” The sound that tears from the depths of my chest slices me open, echoing off the walls as I release a tortured scream.
Diving forward, I slide in beside her unresponsive form, pressing my fingers to the pulse point in her neck. It takes me a second to find it amidst my hysterics, but I’m eventually able to locate her heartbeat. “Oh, fuck!” I cry out in relief. “Thank you, God. Thank you.”
Daph’s face is badly bruised. Combined with the swelling and dark crimson smears currently streaked across her face, she’s borderline unrecognizable. Her hair sticks to the blood in certain spots, making it harder to evaluate the full extent of her injuries.
Too scared to move her, out of fear I’ll somehow hurt her more, I pull my cell from my pocket just as Rico and JP hit the door.
“Daph!” they shout, rushing to join me at my side.
JP bends forward, reaching for her when I spin on a snarl, shoving him backward into the wall.
“Don’t you fucking touch her!”
He slides to the ground, hands raised in surrender while looking to Rico in question. Rico sends him a similar look, clearly at a loss, before both of them return their attention to me. Ignoring their inquisitive stares, I slide my phone to their feet, demanding they call 911. JP hops into action, scooping up the phone and scurrying into the other room to make the call.
“Daph.” I lean over her, carefully brushing the hair from her face. “Daph, I need you to wake up.”
I vaguely register JP’s voice at my back telling me the ambulance is on its way. Though, I don’t bother to acknowledge him.
All I can focus on is her.
All that exists is her.
“Baby.” My voice breaks on a shaky exhale. My thumb continues to brush her cheek, back and forth in a slow steady rhythm until on one of the passes it catches a bead of moisture, trailing it along her skin. I stop just as another lands. And then another. All the while, my hand trembling at the realization of what these are.
Tears.
My tears.
I’m crying.
“Baby.” I sniffle. “Baby, open your eyes,” I plead with her, alternating soft intermittent kisses between her jaw and lips. “Please. I have something important to ask you.” Dropping to the floor alongside her, I press a kiss to the skin of her delicate shoulder before positioning my mouth beside her ear. “Move in with me.”
Daphne stirs, a low groan rumbling within her chest. I pop up, shifting directly above her just as her lids begin to flutter before opening to reveal those emerald-colored eyes I love so much. My breath hitches, the sight of her rendering me completely powerless. Finally, she speaks.
“That isn’t a question.”
My face splits into a wide smile, expelling a sigh of relief. “Nah, demon. It’s definitely more of a demand.”
“Say it one more time,” she slurs, clearly still somewhat out of it.
“Move in with me.” I oblige her, repeating my request.
Daph squints, her forehead scrunching up while she hisses in pain. “That’s what I thought you said. Great, I’m dead.”
I bark out a laugh, a few stray tears still making their escape. “You’re not dead, baby.”
“Then I’m delirious.”
“Hello!” A voice calls from the stairwell. “EMTs, is anyone here?!”
“Here!” I shout out over my shoulder. “We’re in here!”
The EMTs push into the room seconds later, beckoning me back so they can work. Taking hold of Daph’s hand, I press a kiss to her knuckles before releasing her so they can do their job. Standing to give them space, I turn toward the door, coming face-to-face with my boys who are looking at me like they’re straight up shell-shocked.
“I know you both probably have questions—”
“Nick,” Rico interjects, cutting me off. He grinds his teeth, his jaw tightening as he extends his hand out toward me. “You need to take this.”
I look down, retrieving my cell from his grasp and flipping it over to read the name on the screen.
TOMMY
Raising the phone to my ear, I take notice of JP, whose fists are clenched in anger.
“Tommy?” I ask. “What the fuck’s going on?”
“I got J, Nick. And if you want her back, you’re gonna have to do exactly what I say.”
My grip on my phone tightens, my eyes narrowing in response. “What the fuck do you mean you’ve got J? Tommy, this isn’t funny. Where the fuck is my sis…” The words die in my throat as the pieces pop into place. “It’s you,” I whisper. “You’re the rat.”
I spin, the sight of Daph being loaded onto a stretcher inciting a mixture of panic and rage to swell within me. “If you lay a single finger on my sister, Tommy, there won’t be a corner in this world you can crawl to that I won’t find you.”
“She’s fine,” he rushes out. “I swear. She’s fine. And I’m sorry about Daph. It wasn’t personal.”
“I assure you, it is incredibly personal to me. Now, where the fuck is my sister?”
“If you want her back, you’re gonna have to come to me. But first, I’m gonna need you to go get something.”
“And just what the fuck is that?” I seethe.
“Maverick Bishop.” His request takes me completely by surprise. “You bring me Maverick Bishop, and I’ll give you your sister. I’ll text you the details. Don’t be late.”
***
THEN
DAPHNE – Age 19
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The steady beeping from the machine I’m hooked up to cuts through my most recent stretch of sleep, letting me know I’m still alive.
Cracking open an eye, the room slowly slips into a hazy focus. It’s dark out now, though I currently have no concept of time. Damn, these pain meds are no joke.
“You’re awake.” A deep voice thick with exhaustion pulls my attention to the corner of the room.
Nicky pushes up from the cramped loveseat, coming to perch at the edge of the cushion. With an exaggerated yawn, he scrubs his hand back and forth atop his head, mussing his already disheveled blond locks.
Even in the midst of my grogginess, I still think he’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. I used to wish he’d peak in high school. That maybe there was a chance he’d level off so the rest of us mere mortals could catch up, but no. He just continued to supersede any expectation I could possibly fathom when it came to him.
“Hey, you.” My words come out slurred as a lazy smile slips into place. “How are you still so pretty? Hospitals aren’t supposed to make people look pretty.” Like I said, pain meds—no joke.
He chuckles, rising to approach the bed, allowing his face to come into focus. “You’re a bit more out of it than when I was here earlier.”
“Am I?” My face must convey my panic, because Nicky nudges me over, moving to sit on the edge of my mattress.
“Don’t worry if you don’t remember. It’s probably from the drugs, not any brain injuries. Rest assured, you were very awake earlier. Issuing all kinds of demands.”
“Demands?” I yawn. “What kind of—” The image of Tommy’s fist colliding with my face jolts me up. Pain tears through my right side, making it difficult to breathe.
“Hey! Hey!” Nicky’s hands take hold of my shoulders, his grip gentle but firm as he stabilizes me. “Are you crazy, woman? You’ve got broken ribs.”
“Jonsie?! Is she okay?”
“Shhh. Yes, Daph. I got her. She’s fine.”
“Tommy?”
“Handled.” He guides me backward, brushing the hair from my face as my head hits the pillow.
I wince, my side now throbbing as I struggle to readjust to a comfortable position. Nicky takes note of my pain, reaching for a clicker hanging over the bed rail and pressing the small red button atop it.
“What’s that?” I ask, my eyes tracking the cable it’s attached to and following it to an electronic box displaying various numbers on the front.
“IV pain meds,” he explains. My eyes drop to the needle in my arm just as a rush of warmth spreads through my body. “Pretty potent stuff. The machine lets you push the button once every three hours to administer a dose, in addition to the other stuff they have you on.”
“Mmmhmm,” I hum as my eyelids grow heavy once again. The pain in my side dulls as my body relaxes into the bed beneath me. “I feel better.”
“I’m sure you do.” He snickers, and I hear him moving around before feeling the mattress dip on my left. A wall of warmth presses against my body as I’m shifted, carefully over to the right, granting space for my new bedmate.
My head turns, my face nuzzling into his side, only to pull back while wrinkling my nose in disappointment. “You don’t smell like you,” I complain.
“I don’t know what that means.”
Pressing my nose into his side once again, I take a deep inhale, reaffirming my previous sentiment. “You smell like… mint and… fabric softener.”
“And what do I normally smell like, demon?”
I smile, slipping deeper into a dreamlike state the longer I engage him.
“Like sandalwood and sunshine. With a hint of gasoline.”
He barks out a laugh. “Gasoline?”
“Yup. Always on a bike. Comes with the territory.” Another yawn overtakes me. “But you don’t smell like any of that right now. I don’t like it.”
“Hold on.” He shifts, maneuvering to sit upright while his body momentarily contorts. Suddenly, he’s lying back down, the skin of his now-exposed torso drawing me in even closer.
I take a whiff, his familiar scent taking root in my brain causing me to bite down on my lip in response. “There you are.” I nestle into him once more. “What did you do?”
“The shirt. I borrowed it from Bishop.”
“Maverick.” I smile as I continue to cuddle up to Nicky in my semi-coherent state. “He loves Jonsie so much.”
“Yeah, I learned about that little fun fact tonight. Thanks for keeping me in the dark, demon.”
“I’m sorrrrrryyyyy.” The word drags out amidst my subdued giggle. “But you can’t be mad, Nick. Their love story is epic.”
“You’ve lived in my house the last six weeks, share a bed with me each night, and yet you need me to shoot you up with pain meds to come clean? You’re lucky you’re in no shape for a spanking right now.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
Nicky snorts. “Those meds are making you delirious.”
Another yawn, this one deep, threatens to pull me under. “Tell me about it. I dreamed earlier you asked me to move in. How crazy is that?”
Nicky stills for a moment, his body so rigid I almost question if he’s still breathing. But then I feel his fingers caress the skin of my forehead, the gesture catapulting me further into my comatose state.
“Pretty crazy, demon,” he murmurs.
I continue to feel the tender touch of his fingers stroking my face, resigning myself to the conclusion that I’ve most likely succumbed to either dreams or full-blown hallucinations by this point.
“You’re bleeding.” His deep voice hitches with concern. “Daph, the split in your lip busted back open. Let me—” He goes to pull away, but my hold on him tightens.
“Lay back down, Conners.”
“You’ve got blood all over your lips.”
“Don’t care. This is my dream. I call the shots.”
I clutch him tighter, knowing full well I’m probably cuddling my pillow at the moment and not the boy I’ve been in love with my entire life, but I don’t even care. His body relaxes back against mine, and in the moment, it feels real enough for me.
Whatever’s in the IV must be potent as hell, because I swear I feel his arm envelop me, drawing me up into his side at the hollow juncture between his arm and shoulder. I smile, pressing my lips to the warmth of his skin before letting sleep claim me entirely.
“I less than three you,” a deep voice whispers amidst the darkness, the incoherent gibberish only confirming my initial suspicions that none of this exchange has been real.