Chapter 23
Into It - Chase Atlantic
"About fucking time," Sayshen's comical voice shouts as Talon and I enter the small hospital room.
"Oh fuck off," Talon replies with a large grin. "Like you didn't just make us all wait days before finally deciding to wake up. I can't control the traffic, idiot," he adds as he crosses the small space and hugs his brother. The guys are seated around the room. Thorne in the window, flipping through a magazine. Reign is in his wheelchair with coffee in his hand as he watches some reality show on the small wall-mounted TV with Wolfe. They all look exhausted, but the tension in the room is obviously lighter, with Sayshen finally awake.
"Nah, that's not what I meant." Sayshen laughs before peering around his brother to lay eyes on me. "Hey, baby," he whispers. Tears of relief brim my eyes. Seeing him awake and smiling was everything we needed. Everything this family needed right now with all the shit that's happened.
Talon makes his way toward the guys, greeting them one by one while I hold Sayshen's stare.
"Hey," I reply softly before eagerly approaching him. I need to hold him. To touch him. To feel his heart beating next to mine.
As if sensing my internal panic, Sayshen shuffles himself to the side of the bed before placing his feet on the ground. When I reach him, he pulls me into his arms. Holding me tightly against his chest. Wrapping my arms around his neck. I sigh, and inhale his earthy yet citrus scent. "You fucking scared me," I mutter into the crook of his neck.
"I know, Bex. I know. I'm sorry," he replies, running his hand softly along my hair. "I'm okay, though. Alright?"
"So you going to fill us all in on what happened?" Talon snaps. He leans against the window next to Thorne and crosses his arms over his chest as he waits for his brother's response.
Sayshen lifts his legs back onto the bed and positions himself on the far side, leaving me room to climb up and cuddle with him. "What's to tell? I went down, it happens."
"Bullshit," Reign shouts with agitation. Turning himself around in the wheelchair, he turns his eyes to Sayshen. "You don't really expect us all to believe that, do you? You just went down? Bro, we've seen you ride. Bike and riders go down, that's life. But you're one of the best riders on our team. There's no fucking way you just went down on the strip. It's a fucking straight shot to the finish."
"You could've avoided him. We all fucking know it. So what is it then? You didn't see him coming?" Talon spits with an aggressive tone. His chest rises and falls with quick, panted breaths as he pushes off the wall and brings himself to stand at the end of Sayshen's bed. He firmly grips the metal bed frame until his knuckles turn white. His jaw clicks as he stares at his brother, waiting for an explanation.
He clearly agrees with Reign's statement, and I don't blame him. Even I've seen Sayshen ride. I've been on his bike, and I know how skilled he is.
There's no way he just let Christian hit him. He'd have avoided it if he saw it coming, but why didn't he? What had him so distracted?
Then it hits me.
I called him that night.
"It doesn't matter. Can we just talk about this later? What's important is that he's okay. That Christian didn't win. Not this time," I explain in a soft tone, desperate to change the subject as the guilt begins to set in.
Talon's eyes snap to mine, and I silently plea for him to stop.
"You're right," he admits, releasing a deep breath. He runs a hand through his hair before taking a seat in one of the chairs along the wall. "Why and how, isn't important right now."
"I fucking knew it," Sayshen laughs as his eyes shift between Talon and me. His laugh is a welcome sound in light of the situation.
"Why do I feel like something is going on here that we don't know about?" Wolfe chimes in as he rises from the chair.
"Nothing is going on," Talon adds sternly, shaking his head at his brother. Sayshen pulls me in tighter against him, and I rest my hair in the crook of his arm, making myself comfortable.
Thorne's phone rings. Backstreet Boys – Shape Of My Heart echoes around the small hospital room.
"Really? That's your fucking ringtone? Fucking pussy," Reign mocks, tossing the empty coffee cup at Thorne as he hops down from the window.
"Oi listen yeah, you man, are just chatting absolute shit… you don't know about this tune, bruv!" he snaps back with a smirk as he dodges the cup and swipes to answer his phone. He brings it to his ear, "Yeah? Alright, boss man, I beg you, just give us twenty minutes, and I swear we'll be there…" he ends the call, "Coach wants us at the track, like yesterday," he adds, signaling to Reign, and Wolfe.
"Well the doc said I'd be out of here today, so no point in hanging around here," Sayshen explains.
"Really? So soon?" I ask, tilting my head to look up at him. He presses a kiss to my forehead as a small smirk forms on his face.
"Yeah, babe. Going to take more than a little wipeout to keep me in this shit hole for another day. Especially when I could be home, in bed, naked with you," he whispers.
"Okay, that's enough for me," Wolfe laughs. He grabs the handles on the back of Reign's chair, "Hit us up when you get home, yeah? And Bex, keep him in line. Don't let him get back on that bike too soon."
"Oh fuck off, I'm fine. Would you all chill out? It was one small wipe out." Sayshen rolls his eyes with annoyance.
"Don't worry, Wolfe. I won't," I add, taking Sayshen's hand in mine. "It will be home to bed with his royal cockiness," I reply, returning his kind smile.
"Good. Alright, boys, let's dip before Andre has our asses," Wolfe explains as he slowly pushes Reign out of the room with Thorne close behind him, still humming the tune of his ringtone.
When the door closes behind them, Sayshen's eyes snap back to the chair where his older brother is sitting.
"So…you guys finally fucked, huh?" his tone is playful and soft. Talon's head falls back against the back of the chair, his eyes fluttering closed as he exhales.
"Sayshen─" Talon huffs.
"We totally did, twice actually," I admit. Sayshen laughs, and Talon's eyes snap open, widening as he sets them on me. His lips pull into a smile as he shakes his head with disapproval. "What? It's not like he isn't going to find out, and besides, I rather enjoyed it."
"I fucking knew it," Sayshen replies excitedly. "Shit. All that shit-talking, to end up eating your own words, huh."
"Yeah, yeah. Is this where you tell me how wrong I was?" Talon adds, rolling his eyes. "Cause I don't need to hear it from you too. Fuck knows our girl here gave me an earful already."
"Our girl," Sayshen replies, wiggling his eyebrows. "Ha, I bet she did." He pulls me into him playfully. "I fucking bet she did. Little spitfire, god, I missed that mouth of yours."
An uncontrollable laugh erupts through me, "Would you relax!" I snap, "You literally just woke up from a coma like a few hours ago, can you chill out and take it easy!"
The knob on the door twists open as the doctor from the other night enters. He closes it softly behind him before greeting us with a kind smile. "Well, Mr Shaw, I've gone over your chart and the recent tests, and I think you're good to head home for the rest of your recovery."
"Thank fuck," Sayshen replies. "Thanks, doc."
"So, he's all good then?" Talon adds, rising from the chair. "Is there anything we should watch for?"
"No. I don't think so. The swelling is completely down, so he is out of the woods. There is still some minor healing that needs to be done, to the scrapes and cuts, of course, and a headache in the next day or so is a possibility but nothing to worry about."
"Great. Thank you," Talon adds, shaking the doctor's hand.
"Here are your discharge papers, and you're free to go whenever you please." The doctor replies. He hands the papers to Sayshen before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
Talon sits back down in his chair and pulls out his cell, shooting off a quick text.
"Draygon will be here shortly to pick you up and give you a ride back to the beach house," he explains.
"Bex and I will stop and grab you some supplies and some pain meds on the way home," Talon adds as he rises from the chair and begins to pace the room. The vibe in the room changes, the tension from earlier slowly returning as he clears his throat. "You know I'm not going to let this go, right? Neither will the team. Not this time."
"Good, because that fucker should've been dealt with weeks ago. Even before the shit with Cruz and Reign," Sayshen replies. "It should be him rotting in the ground, not fucking Cruz." I don't have to ask who they're talking about. I already know it's Christian, and I don't blame them for feeling the way they do.
I don't even disagree with them.
Does that make me a bad person? Maybe. Probably. But in the short time I've been with the Demons, they've shown me more respect and love than Christian ever did, so when it comes down to it, I'll support and back them, no matter what.
Sitting myself up, I comb my hands through my thick hair, pulling it up into a top knot on my head.
"What will you guys do?" I ask. The sound of my voice causes Talon to stop his pacing. He crosses the small room space until he's standing beside me on the bed. Gripping my chin firmly in his hand, he tilts my head up so my eyes are forced to his.
"Nothing you need to worry about. You're ours now, and he will never hurt you or anyone we care about again," he whispers before lowering his lips to mine. At first, I feel guilty. Having Talon kiss me while his brother's arm is still wrapped firmly around my waist. But Sayshen slowly runs his hand softly up and down my back reassuringly. His way of letting me know it's okay.
That what I'm feeling for both of them, is alright. Talon breaks the kiss, and the moment he releases my chin, Sayshen's hand grips it, turning my head to face him. His whiskey-brown eyes scan my face as his lips pull into a coy smirk. My cheeks flush.
"It's all good, Bex. Like my brother said, you're ours now," he whispers, ghosting his lips over mine. "Ours." He kisses me softly before pulling back. "You guys should get going. Draygon will be here soon anyway, and I can meet you guys back at the house."
"You sure?" Talon asks, "We can wait."
"Nah, it's all good. Get our girl home before it gets too late. I'll make Draygon stop and grab some food from his parent's restaurant too for dinner," he explains. I hop off the bed, and Sayshen taps my ass playfully as he bites down on his lip.
Talon's phone beeps, and he pulls it out of his pocket.
"Maybe we can all chill and watch a movie tonight?" I ask, feeling the need to decompress everything and hang out.
"Sounds like a plan." Talon cuts in. "Apparently, Andre wants me at the track in the morning, so it won't be a late one for me tonight," he explains. "You ready?" he asks, taking my hand in his and pulling me toward him.
"Yep," I answer excitedly.
"Alright. Tell Draygon to text me when you guys are on your way."
"You got it," Sayshen adds as Talon leads me to the door. "And don't get my girl killed fucker," he shouts from his bed as we leave the room.
"Our girl!" Talon yells back. The door clicks behind us, and Talon drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulling me into him.
A smile forms on my face. I never saw myself falling for two guys at once, let alone brothers. Sure, it's chaotic, and it's not all sunshine and rainbows, but when it comes down to it, I know there is nothing they wouldn't do for me and I for them.
Our relationship is far from conventional. It's different, and yet I wouldn't change a fucking thing about it. We're a family.