by L. E. Bross
“Come on, it’s time for the cuddling part of the evening.”
He helps me to my feet and I walk on shaky legs to an oversized lounge chair. Baz sinks down first and pulls me half onto his lap, then lies back, his arms locked around me.
Even though he’s still hard as a rock, he makes no move to take care of it. When I reach down, he wraps his fingers around my wrist and pulls my hand to his chest.
“Tonight was for you.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been wondering what you taste like for weeks.”
“You’ve only known me for a few weeks.”
“Exactly.”
He nuzzles against my neck. “For the record, you taste like peaches.”
My toes curl when he pulls my earlobe between his teeth.
“It’s body wash,” I whisper on an exhale.
“Nah, baby, it’s all you.”
Warmth spreads through my body. I hated it when Nate called me baby. He said it with an almost derisive tone, but when Baz said it, I have to admit my blood went hot.
He kisses my shoulder and his hand strokes up and down my back. It’s soothing. It feels right.
“It’s okay to ask for help sometimes, Ever. It doesn’t make you weak. It actually takes a really fucking strong person to admit they need someone.”
I dip my head into the crook of his neck. How he sees through me like this is crazy. Taking care of Belle meant making sure the people around me believed that I could. It didn’t matter that I felt like I was completely falling apart inside, as long as it didn’t show.
I was strong.
It worked too. So good that people thought I didn’t need anyone else.
“I know,” I admit. “I’ve just never had anyone around to ask.”
He grips my chin and presses his lips to my forehead. “I’m here now. X and Ry are here. You have more than one someones, okay?”
I nod because all the feels have lodged in my throat.
My life has always been about Belle, about keeping her safe, and relying on only myself to do it because everyone else has let her down. I’ve never trusted anyone with her future, and in turn, never trusted anyone with mine.
Maybe I can share a little bit of the burden.
Maybe I can trust these Lost Boys to keep me safe, too.
∞∞∞
Friday at school flies by without a single incident and I spend almost all day Saturday shopping with Meri. It feels like the calm before the storm.
Despite my protests, she took me to a few boutiques that I have to admit, had really cute clothes. I may have given the black card a workout, but I figured that it could all end tonight so I might as well take advantage while it lasts.
I’ve hung up all my new things and lined the shelf with more shoes, still nowhere near enough to make a dent in all the free space, when my stomach growls so loudly I can’t ignore it.
I grab the timepiece out of my boot and tuck it into my pocket just in case. The guys weren’t around when I got back and I didn’t see the town car when Meri dropped me off. Maybe Peter’s planning on getting in later. I warm up the plate Hanna left and when I’m done, tuck the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
I still haven’t heard or seen anyone and it’s making me a little uneasy. This house is huge and most of the time empty. It’s not natural, which is why I spend so much time in my room.
Just as I hit the bottom of the stairs, the door to Peter’s office swings open and I bite back a scream.
“Oh, I didn’t know anyone was here.” I press my hand to my beating heart.
“Sorry. Ever, could you come here, please.”
I move into Peter’s office and freeze when I see Riot standing across the room. My skin prickles and the timepiece in my pocket feels like it’s pulsing like a beacon.
The manicness that I’ve seen in Peter’s eyes is gone tonight. He isn’t clutching a glass of whisky and his suit jacket is wrinkle free. He’s put together and careful.
“Thank you, Riot, I’ll talk to Ever now.”
Ry’s eyes widen in surprise. His gaze moves between me and Peter and he’s not happy as he makes his way to the door. He probably wanted to stay and listen to Peter tell me to go away. I can’t even imagine the things Ry told him to get rid of me.
He and I definitely need to talk soon.
As soon as the door closes, Peter's demeanor changes and he sinks down into the chair.
“Do you have it?”
Hints of wildness now dance around his eyes. He’s very good at hiding this version of himself from his boys. I don’t sit, don’t move closer. He’s unpredictable and those are the most dangerous of people.
“Ever, do you have the timepiece?” he repeats.
My pulse pounds in my ears. Why am I fighting this so much? All I have to do is reach into my pocket and give him what he wants and I’ll get what I want. But the desperation in his eyes feels like more than a grieving spouse.
I have so many questions. Why was it in William Hook’s safe if he and Hook had a falling out? Why can’t Peter find Wendi? If he has the world’s leading location software, why does he need me?
My gut is screaming that there’s more to this.
I’ve never not trusted my gut.
“The combination didn’t work. It’s not Luc’s birthday anymore.” The hair on the back of my neck prickles when his stare goes cold. “I’m a thief, not a locksmith. I don't know what you want me to do.”
“I want you to do what I brought you here to do. By any means necessary.”
“I tried. I’m not sure what you want me to do.”
Peter slams his hand down on the desk and I jump.
“I want you to get me that timepiece. Convince Luc to open the safe if you have to, just get it done. You should know that your sister’s foster parents have started the adoption application.”
It’s as if a sledgehammer slams into my gut.
“What?” The word wheezes out of my tight throat.
“They plan to adopt her. Soon. Our deal is the timepiece for the address. You better hurry if you want to stop it.”
My heart is pounding a mile a minute and the Mexican rice I ate for dinner is threatening to come back up. This isn’t a man in front of me, it’s a monster. How can a father act like this? How can he knowingly withhold information about my little sister and not feel a thing?
“Why would you do this?” My voice shakes from anger and from trying to keep from crying. He knows where she is. He could tell me and I could go get her.
The desperation in his eyes grows brighter. I’ve seen the same look in the eyes of Nate’s clients. The ones who think they’ll die if they don’t get a fix. They’re the most dangerous because they are at the point where they will do anything for a fix.
Peter isn’t a druggie, but there is something he’s willing to turn into the devil for. That’s what’s keeping me from giving him the watch. The feeling that there is so much more to this.
“Because we have a deal. Because you promised to get me something I need. Because I have to have that timepiece to bring my wife home. Take your pick, Ms. Darlington, but make no mistake that my family will and does take priority over yours. In case you thought you could sway me into giving you the address you need.”
The watch is all but throbbing in my pocket. I want to give it to him so he’ll tell me where Belle is, but I can’t. Not yet. I need just a little more time to consider my options. To make sure that I get what I need from him too. He throws out threats too easily to ignore the possibility that he could be bluffing about Belle.
I don’t trust him and that’s what it comes down to.
“I’ll get it. Give me a few more days, but I’ll figure it out.”
He nods and sits back in his chair. I can see the suspicion in his stare as I leave, but he has no proof. Of course, he could decide to search me or my room. Maybe I should hide the timepiece someplace else for tonight just in case.
My neck prickles
the whole way up the stairs. I don’t look back in case he really is watching me, but by the time I close the door to my room, my heart is thundering and my skin feels alive.
I tuck the watch into the linen drawer in the bathroom and pull off my clothes. The hot water helps to ease the strain from my muscles and it also helps me to think.
I picture Belle being adopted, being taken away from me forever, and my stomach starts to ache. I lean my palms against the shower wall and duck my head under the water, letting it run down over my head, my face.
Belle is going to be adopted if I don’t do something. Do I really have a choice? I need to get to my sister before she’s lost to me forever and I have the means in my hand.
I have to trust that Peter will uphold his end of the bargain and I can’t be concerned about his motives. Not with Belle at stake. If I lose her then all of this will have been for nothing. I know what I have to do, despite the unease weighing me down.
I towel off and wash my face, then pull on a pair of sleep shorts and a shirt. When I look at the girl in the mirror, she’s different than the first night. The gauntness is gone, her cheekbones not as sharp. The haunted look is faded and in its place I see hope, something that has been missing for so long.
Yes, this is the right decision.
I grab the watch from the drawer and give myself a moment to examine it. It’s pretty for sure, and I feel a pang of sympathy when I trace my finger over the name engraved on the front.
I can’t imagine what clue it will give Peter, but that’s not my business. Not anymore. I’ve lost sight of my ultimate goal. The voice in my head was simply warning me not to wait too long.
At the top of the stairs I stop and see light spilling from where the door to his office is cracked open. With my pulse hammering in my ears, I descend the staircase, my bare feet silent on the runner. At the bottom I pause and suck in a fortifying breath. Just as I’m about to knock, I hear his raised voice. I force myself to inhale slower and take a step closer so that I can hear what he’s saying.
“I don’t care what she says,” I hear through the door, “I told you I want her kept sedated at all times. She’s a danger to herself. Need I remind you that she tried to harm her children?”
I press my fingers to my mouth to stay silent.
“I can move her to a different facility if you can’t comply, Dr. Philips.” His voice is harsh and filled with ice. “My wife is to be fully medicated at all times, is that clear?”
A gasp flies through my fingers and I hear his chair scrape over the floor.
“Hold on one second,” he barks and footsteps hurry toward the door.
I sprint across the foyer and duck into the dining room, then search for some place to hide. The office door swings open, spilling bright light across the entry as Peter moves across the marble floor, his shoes tapping as he gets closer.
I curse the minimalist theme and finally duck behind a potted fern just as a shadow falls into the room. He stops and I can almost hear him listening. I pray that my frantic heartbeat isn’t as loud as it seems to me.
After several tense seconds, he retreats and I let out the air I was holding.
“I’ll be there on Monday and I want to know if she says anything about… ” His voice is cut off when the door shuts.
I wait a few more minutes until I’m certain he isn’t lying in wait for me. The foyer is dark and silent as I hurry across the floor and race up the stairs, running right past my door.
What the fuck is going on? Did I really hear what I just thought I did? I second guess every word I overheard but it doesn't stop me from throwing open the first door I come to.
I’ve never been in the boys’ rooms before even though they're just down the hall from mine and I have no idea who I just barged in on, but it doesn't matter. I need them all to wake up.
I flip the switch, throwing blinding light into the room and hurry to the bed.
Riot rolls over and squints up at me.
“What the fuck are you doing in my room?”
His voice is raspy and low and even in my panic, it still makes me break out in pleasant goosebumps. But only for a second. I still need to wake X and Baz.
Without answering him, I run out of his room and fling open the next door. Again I hit the light and again, I’m met with growling protest.
X sits up, running his fingers over his face.
“The fuck?” he mumbles.
I spin around, ready to do the same to Baz and slam into Riot. He’s blocking the doorway and glaring at me. Panic swirls around my stomach like a bad amusement park ride.
My eyes feel as wide as saucers and I flail a bit before I try to shove him out of the way.
“Move. I need to get Baz.”
“Not until you tell me what the hell you’re doing.”
My hands start to shake and there’s a buzzing in my ears.
“Riot, you need to move...I need to get Baz...you have to know…” I’m gulping in air every other word but my heart is racing so fast I can’t catch my breath.
Ry stares at me a few seconds more then nods his head behind me.
“Take care of this.”
X wraps his arms around me from behind, effectively trapping my back against his front. They aren’t going to do this to me again. Immediately I start to twist and buck. They can’t ignore me, not now. Not when I have to tell them about Peter. About Wendi.
A sob lodges in my throat and a strangled sound comes out instead.
“Ry, you need to listen to me,” I finally wheeze out. “Peter knows where Wendi is.”
Ry stops and turns around. X goes rigid behind me. Before I can blink, Ry is right in my face and I’m pinned between the two boys.
“The hell’d you just say?”
“I just overheard Peter on the phone. He was talking to some doctor. He said his wife was a danger to herself. He said she tried to hurt you guys? He's been drugging her... ”
Rage burns in Riot’s eyes.
“You’d fucking say anything, wouldn't you? You get backed into a corner and now you’re spreading lies? You have no idea what we’ve been through. It’s a low blow even for you.”
“It’s true. You have to believe me. Peter brought me here to steal something from Hook, something he said might tell him where Wendi went.”
Ry pushes even closer, wedging me back against X.
“Stop fucking lying,” he grinds out.
Now that the truth is out, I can’t stop confessing.
“He said he’d find my sister if I did this. That he’d help me get custody of her.” My voice breaks and hot tears stream down my cheeks. “She’s going to be adopted if I don’t stop it.”
“A sister?” Ry sneers. “That’s convenient, except there’s nothing in your file about a sister. Just you and your record of trouble. What do you have on Peter, why did he let you come live here? Are you blackmailing him?”
“I’m telling the truth,” I grit out. “Ask Baz, he’s been helping me try and find her, but it’s just been dead ends.”
A harsh laugh escapes Riot. “Now see, this is where you fucked up, Peep. Baz is a fucking genius. If he can’t find her, then she doesn’t exist. He wrote the base programs for the Panchard software, he knows it inside and out. There’s no way he’d come up empty.”
I stare wide-eyed at him and realize he’s made up his mind. I won't change it. Not without proof.
“I did come up empty,” Baz says from the doorway. He steps into the room and shuts the door, rubbing his fingers over his eyes. “I heard what you said about Wendi. I never figured out why I couldn’t find her. It wasn’t until Ever said that I was a Panchard with Panchard tech that something clicked. I’d been searching like a hacker, but the system I designed, the one impossible to get around, was meant for that. I did literally everything it was programmed to block because it never occurred to me that this was coming from the inside.”
X loosens his hold but keeps his arms loosely around me. We all just s
tand there staring at Baz. His gaze meets mine and he gives me a small smile.
“I found Belle. For real this time. Once I knew what was going on, I went through a backdoor and bypassed the protocol. It was all right there.”
A soft cry leaves my lips and my knees go weak. He found her. I push out of X’s embrace and fly across the room, throwing my arms around Baz. Gurgling half laughs bubble out of my throat.
He pulls me close and I’m surrounded by warm bare skin. It feels too right to be wrong. After a minute, I loosen my hold and Baz glances down at me.
“You really did?” I ask.
He gives me a soft look and a nod. I lean up and press my lips to his.
“Thank you.”
“This is fucked up,” X says, sinking down onto the edge of his bed. He drops his face into his hands and shakes his head. When he snaps back up, anger blazes in his eyes.
“So you’re telling me that Pete knew where Wendi was this whole time? That he’s been pretending to look for her? That he let us suffer thinking she left?”
His voice gets louder with every word.
“That he’s been fucking drugging her?”
The last is almost shouted and I glance at the door. Peter’s still here.
I hurry over and press two fingers again this lips. His eyes are wild and unfocused.
“He’s downstairs, we need to be quiet.”
Understanding floods his eyes and though the anger still blazes fiercely, he nods.
“None of this makes sense,” Riot grits out. His hostile gaze swings to me. “What the fuck did he want you to steal from Hook?”
I hesitate, but the time for secrets is over. I trust that Baz is telling the truth, that he found Belle, so there’s no reason to lie anymore. I reach into my pocket and pull out the watch and hand it to him without hesitation.
His face pales as he studies it.
“This is Wendi’s. She never took it off. Where did you get it?” His stare is accusing, but I see the terrible pain in his eyes.
“It’s what Peter had me steal from Hook’s safe.”
Disbelief wars with the physical proof he holds in his hand.
“Why?”
“I don't know,” I tell him honestly. “And it makes even less sense now that I know he knew where Wendi was. He said this would help find her.”
