28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ANNEX'S POV

M aking my way down the stairs, I brush a hand through my messy hair. Where was Red?

Last I checked, she was snuggled up between me and Ez, her sweet scent wrapped around me while I dreamt of her.

I was planning on giving her a fun wake-up call, but instead , I woke up to Ez's face. And as pretty as my brother is, he isn't anywhere near as sexy as the little vixen that is my Red. He also has a dick.

I push through the kitchen door, hoping to be met by two sweet blue eyes and a set of plump, rosy lips stretched in a welcoming smile, but I find the room completely empty.

I glance around, seeing an open packet of cereal and two bowls in the sink. And a little note in pretty-script writing. Mal's.

Micai and I are grabbing some things from her dorm room. We'll be back in a bit.

~Mallyn.

He had such dainty writing for a guy of his stature. Wonder if the ass took lessons for that kind of shit?

Would Red like that? Would I have to take lessons or something for that shit?

I shake my head. Nah, I couldn't hack people trying to teach me shit unless it was about new weapons or torture techniques.

I glance at the clock. 10:05 am .

I wonder when they left and how long they would be.

How long had I slept beside the scaly bastard instead of my sexy little—

"Micai?" The asshole in question waltzes into the room, dragging a hand down his face and making his way over to me. "Where's Micai?"

I hand him the note, grab a couple of pop tarts from the press, pop them into the toaster, and take a seat.

Hopefully, Red will be back by the time they pop, or at the very least by the time I've finished eating them.

"How long have they been gone?" Asks Ez, his gaze still bleary with sleep as his eyes peer at the note in his hands.

But his guess was as good as mine.

"What did it say on the note?" I ask as my tarts pop up, freshly cooked and ready to eat.

I pop them onto a plate as my brother replies, "It didn't."

"Exactly." I roll my eyes, taking a seat by the counter. "So how the fuck would I know. She's with Mal anyway, so they'll be fine."

He nods as I bite into my breakfast, knowing our silent brother would protect her like we would.

We had both noticed a change in him. His eyes watched her more intently, edging closer to her when he was around and staying with us longer than before.

Since the night of the attack, he had a different look to him when he was around her.

A grin pulls at my lips as I chew my chocolate pop tart. Another one down…Only one more to go.

Unfortunately, he was the hardest one in the group. More stubborn and downright stupid as well. Always acting like a complete prick to our Red and trying to push her away.

Creed was too blinded by his own fear to see the potential future for all of us in front of him.

"I was thinking…" Ez calls, a serious look coating his face as he turns my way. "Micai…she's even stronger than I thought. I never want her to face danger and would aim to always keep her safe, but she's not the soft damsel-in-distress-type that wants to be saved or protected…She's more like us than I realised."

I nod, eating the last bite of my pop tart and wondering where my brother was heading with this.

"Last night, she handled those three by herself and easily protected Erving. She obviously has skill."

Of course, she does. She was our little ninja. Oh, right . They didn't know that yet. A small grin stretches my lips before I quickly school it.

That was a surprise for another day.

"I think she might be more of an asset to the other side of our group as well." He meets my gaze, his turquoise eyes entirely focused. "So, I think we need to seriously talk to Creed about her joining us, and I don't just mean me and you. Cause that's a given." He brushes a hand down his neck, a tired sigh leaving my brother's lips as he realises the fight we'll have on our hands with Creed.

We want Red to join us, which means showing her every facet of our little business and organisation we have set up over the past few years. We would have to open up to her on a completely different level and share our dark secrets and our plans for the future.

But it was an easy decision for me. I was already all in with Red.

She already has every part of me stored away with her, so what was a little more?

I wouldn't keep secrets from her, and that meant with our little group now, too. Every dark and bloody skeleton would be laid out and bare for her, and she could decide what to do with it.

The Infernal Four. The little kiddy-shit name the plebs at the academy called us. But little did they know. We go much deeper and have much more extensive and darker plans than any of them realise. And Creed is beyond invested in them. Almost obsessed.

Convincing him to let Red join our group would be as difficult as making him realise his feelings for her.

But if I had to fight tooth and nail for her, I would.

Creed will eventually realise that we made the right decision. For now, he just needs a little scooting—or maybe a hard shove would be better.

I nod to Ezra. "You know I'm all in, Ez. I'll do just about anything for Red. I've said she's ours, and I meant that in every sense of the word. She's a part of our family now, and family doesn't keep secrets…well, at least not ours."

Ezra grins, shaking his head. "We'll have to talk to Creed about it and—"

"Talk to me about what?" Creed saunters in, sweat dripping down his face before he wipes it away with his little baby towel. Probably coming in from his usual morning workout. The ass woke up religiously at six or seven every morning and worked out for hours. He even enjoyed that shit.

The only morning workout I want is with Red between the sheets, with her moaning my name.

"About last night and Micai—" Ez starts, but Creed cuts him off.

"Just break it down briefly." A bored look cuts across Creed's face as he walks over to the fridge, grabbing a cold bottle of water and downing it in one go. Rude asshole.

Ez sighs, glancing my way before turning back toward Creed. "Erving's place was attacked last night while we were there."

Creed's gaze narrows as Ez continues.

"It was a group of fourteen, all clad in black, a handful of shifters and a few warlocks mixed in. We got Erving and his most important equipment out after the fights and placed him in the third safe house. Thankfully, everyone on our side was fine." Ez brushes a hand through his hair. "Silas is looking into who the group was and why they hit Erving's last night. I also put a few feelers out and called some contacts. But there's nothing back yet."

"No survivors to question?" Creed asks, grabbing one of his gross protein shakes and sipping it like it's liquid gold and not the most disgusting thing ever created.

Ez shakes his head. "They weren't exactly holding back, so we couldn't either. Mal and I took the six to the front, Annex took the five out back, and Micai…she handled the surprise three that tried to grab Erving."

Creed's brows raise before quickly narrowing. "Why was she with you both on a job in the first place?"

That's what he takes from Ez telling him Red helped us and kicked ass?

"We were together—"

"What's new these days? You're both always with her," Creed gripes like some toddler throwing a tantrum. Matching his damn baby towel.

"How is that a bad thing?" I ask, my brows pinching together before a playful grin quickly stretches my cheeks. "Oh…Jealous? Missing my time, are we, Creed?"

A frown pulls at the bastard's lips as he gives me a cute glare.

"It's lucky we were together," Ez continues, a little tick working its way into his forehead.

Talking to Creed about Red was getting annoying. His repetition of ‘she's an unknown' and ‘ she can't be trusted' was pissing the both of us off and grating on each of our nerves. She had proven multiple times now that she can be, and that she is one of us.

Nobody else could be more perfect for the spot beside us than her. The dick was just too stubborn to see it properly.

"They had concealment spells and electronic disruptors. And if it wasn't for Micai, Erving could have gotten hurt. Or even taken."

Creed scoffs. "You would have gotten to him in time—"

"Why are you so against her?" Ez cuts Creed off, annoyance pulling his brows into a glare as he stares at Creed. "And don't give us that shit about not knowing enough about her, Creed."

Oh, Ez was getting serious now.

I pull the cereal box toward me on the counter and start chewing on the cocoa krispies like they're popcorn. Watching the show.

And with both of my brother's darkening expressions, it would surely be one hell of a performance.

"We don't, though," Creed barks, glaring at Ez. "How the hell does someone who can't use magic and was weak as shit just a couple of months ago suddenly become so strong and fast? She can handle that beast with Grey with ease and out-run Mallyn's beast like she's going for a jog? She has secrets, ones she's not sharing with us."

Ezra glances at me with Creed's words.

Red has her own past, like we all do. But she was already opening up to us. She told Ezra and me about the marks on her body and had no problem showing her strength and speed when dealing with the guys last night to help us. She's showing us who she is bit by bit and letting her guard down.

It's time we did the same.

"Of course she does. We all do." I put the krispies down and stand up, going over to Creed and patting him on the back. "We all have our pasts. Ones we don't freely talk about. Nobody wants to pour that shit on the ground and let everyone see it." I shake my head. "That stuff takes time, Creed. You know that. Red's already opening up and letting us in by showing us what she's capable of and helping us. And it's time we showed her the same respect."

Ez nods, taking a step forward. "We want Micai in. She's a part of us now, and a part of our family—"

"The fuck she is," Creed barks, glaring at Ezra. "I get that it's more serious than I originally thought. But who's to say you'll all be together in a year, or five?" He looks to me and then back at Ezra. "We can't risk our group and the plans that have taken us years and ruin them by adding one girl."

"She's not just one girl—" Ezra calls, before Creed interrupts him again.

"She's someone who could derail everything," he grits out. "She could leave you, betray you and this group for someone else."

"She wouldn't—"

"But you can't say that for definite." A mocking grin tilts Creed's lips. "We don't know enough about her. Who's to say she's not using you now? She might take what she wants from you and leave. Or who says that you won't get tired of her and want someone else? Where would that leave us if she knows our secrets?"

Even I was getting pissed now. What the fuck did he take Ez's feelings for? My brother wasn't that fickle, and Creed knows better.

Ezra's glare narrows while gritting his teeth, his anger reaching a new level as the vein in his forehead grows thicker.

"That's not going to happen, Creed. She means more—"

"You only think that now. But after a while, you'll get bored with doing the same shit—"

"She's my mate!" Ez shouts. "My fated -fucking mate, Creed. One year, five or fifty… Nothing, and no one will take her from me."

The room falls silent as Creed's mouth opens and closes, shock etched across every inch of his face. "That…how—"

"Wait…" I call, pulling Ezra and Creed's gaze toward me. "You too?"

Ezra's eyes widen as a look of pure disbelief coats Creed's expression.

My eyes widen before curving upwards, my lips stretching into a smile that pulls painfully at my cheeks as I gaze at my brother. A genuine feeling of warmth and happiness spreading through me.

I knew the bastard had great taste.