19. Flora

19

FLORA

I steady my hands as I help Aurora arrange the stuffed animals on the carnival game stand, trying to align each one perfectly. The past two weeks have been almost peaceful. After constant threats and messages, my phone finally fell silent.

“These look cute here, don’t you think?” Aurora holds up a pink elephant, but her voice fades into background noise as another sound cuts through the carnival chatter.

“Well, well. Look who we found.”

My blood turns to ice. I know that voice. Would know it anywhere.

Tommy’s sneering face appears between two game stands, Jake right beside him with that predatory smile I’ve grown to fear. My fingers grip the stuffed animal I hold so tightly my knuckles turn white.

Aurora’s eyes dart between me and the two men, her posture shifting. The moment she picks up on my fear, I see how she steps slightly closer to my side.

“Friends of yours?” she asks, but there’s an edge to her voice I’ve never heard before.

I can’t speak. Can’t move. Can’t breathe. They found me. After two weeks, they actually found me.

“Come on, sis,” Jake says, stepping closer. “Time to come home. The family is missing you.”

Aurora’s hand finds my arm. “Flora?” Her tone carries a question, but I can barely hear it over the roaring in my ears.

The stuffed animal slips from my numb fingers, hitting the dirt with a soft thud that seems to echo in the space between us.

“I suggest you both fuck off,” Aurora’s voice cuts through my panic like a blade. “Pretty clear she doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

Jake’s face twists into an ugly sneer. “Mind your own business, bitch. This is a family matter.”

“She doesn’t want to speak to you.” Aurora’s grip on my arm tightens protectively.

Tommy takes another step forward, his hands curling into fists. “Listen here?—”

A shadow falls over us, and the temperature drops several degrees. I feel Aurora relax beside me even as Jake and Tommy freeze mid-step.

Gage towers behind us, silent and massive in his skull mask. He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t move. He just stares at my foster brothers with an intensity that makes even my skin crawl.

Jake swallows hard, his earlier bravado evaporating. Tommy’s face drains of color as he takes an instinctive step backward.

“We’ll... we’ll catch up later,” Tommy mumbles, grabbing Jake’s arm and practically dragging him away. They disappear into the crowd so fast they might as well have teleported.

My legs give out, and I sink to my knees, the stuffed animal still lying forgotten in the dirt. Aurora crouches beside me while Gage maintains his protective stance, watching the direction my foster brothers fled.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice shaking. “Both of you.”

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling. Aurora’s concerned eyes bore into me.

“Flora, who were they? What did they do to you?”

The genuine worry in her voice almost breaks me. For a moment, I consider telling her everything. The years of abuse, the pain, the degradation. But the words stick in my throat, threatening to choke me.

“I...” I shake my head, taking a step back. “I should go. Colt and Nash will be wondering where I am.”

“Flora, wait—” Aurora reaches for my arm, her face a mix of frustration and concern. She wants to help; I can see it in her eyes, but I can’t. I just can’t.

She holds my gaze for a long moment before letting her hand drop. “Okay. But if you need anything...”

I nod quickly, already turning away. “Thanks. For everything.”

I hurry through the carnival grounds, weaving between stands and visitors, not stopping until the familiar shape of our trailer comes into view.

I slip into the trailer, my hands still shaking as I close the door. Nash and Colt are lounging on the couch, but their relaxed postures instantly shift when they see my face.

“Little bird?” Nash is on his feet in seconds, crossing the space between us. “What happened?”

Colt follows, his jaw tightening. “Flora?”

The concern in their voices breaks something inside me. The tears I’ve been holding back spill over, and my legs give out again. Nash catches me before I hit the floor, pulling me against his chest while Colt hovers protectively nearby.

“They found me,” I choke out between sobs. “Tommy and Jake. They’re here.”

“Who the fuck are Tommy and Jake?” Nash growls.

I swallow hard and meet his gaze. “My foster brothers.”

Colt’s jaw clenches. “Your foster brothers are the ones who hurt you?”

I nod against Nash’s chest, my fingers clutching his shirt. The memories I’ve tried so hard to suppress come rushing back—the first time they cornered me in my bedroom, their friends holding me down, the pain, the shame, the helplessness.

“There’s... there’s more,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “More than what I told you about my foster family being cruel.”

Nash’s hand stills where it’s been stroking my back. “Tell us, little bird.”

The words feel like glass in my throat, but I force them out. “They... they didn’t just mistreat me. They...” I can’t look at either of them as I speak. “They took turns. They and their friends. I was sixteen the first time.”

The silence that follows is deafening. Nash’s entire body has gone rigid against mine, while Colt’s breathing has turned harsh and uneven.

“They gang-raped you?” Colt’s voice is barely recognizable, twisted with a rage I’ve never heard before.

I manage a small nod, fresh tears falling as Nash pulls me closer, his arms like steel bands around me.

“Why didn’t you tell us before, little bird?” Nash’s voice is gentle.

I pull back, wrapping my arms around myself. “I was ashamed. Especially after...” I swallow hard, unable to meet their eyes. “After that first night in the woods. The way I responded to you both chasing me, catching me. It’s pretty messed up, isn’t it? Wanting that kind of thing after what they did to me?”

“Flora, look at me,” Colt’s voice is firm but kind. When I don’t move, his finger gently tilts my chin up until I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing.”

“But—”

“No,” Nash cuts me off, his hand finding mine. “What they did to you was abuse. Violence. Terror. What happened between us was trust. Choice. There’s a world of difference.”

“Your desires aren’t broken,” Colt adds softly. “And neither are you. Those bastards tried to take your power away. But choosing to give that power to someone? That’s strength, angel. That’s healing.”

The tears start falling again, but for a different reason this time. “I was so scared you’d look at me differently if you knew.”

“Never,” they say in unison, and despite everything, it makes me smile a little.

Nash wipes away my tears with his thumb. “You’re ours now, little bird. Nothing could change how we see you. Nothing.”

I look up at Colt through tear-blurred eyes as his jaw clenches, a muscle ticking in his cheek.

“There’s no fucking way those pieces of shit are getting away with gang-raping you with their friends,” he growls, his hands curling into fists. “We need a plan to make them pay.”

Nash’s arms tighten around me protectively as Colt paces the length of the trailer, raw fury radiating from every movement. The intensity of their reaction makes my chest tight with something warm and safe despite the darkness of the conversation.

“Colt,” Nash’s voice warns. “We need to be smart about this.”

“Smart?” Colt whirls around, his eyes blazing. “Did you hear what she told us? What those fucking bastards did to her?”

“I heard,” Nash’s voice is deadly quiet. “Trust me, I heard every word. But we can’t rush in without thinking it through. We need a solid plan.”

I press closer to Nash’s chest, drawing comfort from his steady heartbeat. “They’ll be expecting me to tell someone,” I whisper. “They always said no one would believe me anyway.”

Colt stops his pacing, and his hand finds mine, squeezing gently.

“We believe you, angel. And they will learn exactly what happens to men who hurt what belongs to us.”

The possessiveness in his voice should probably frighten me. Instead, it makes me feel protected, loved, and safe.

“Whatever we do,” Nash says, his lips brushing my temple, “we do it together. And we do it right.”

I sink deeper into Nash’s embrace, feeling his chest’s steady rise and fall against my back while Colt’s thumb traces gentle circles on my palm. The weight I’ve carried for so long feels lighter somehow, shared between the three of us.

“I never thought I’d be able to tell anyone,” I whisper, watching Colt’s fingers intertwined with mine. “Every time I tried before, the words would just... stick.”

Nash’s lips brush my temple. “You’re safe now, little bird. No more carrying this alone.”

“It’s strange,” I say, a small laugh bubbling up. “I should feel worse after telling you both, but instead...” I trail off, searching for the right words.

“Instead?” Colt prompts gently.

“Instead, I feel like I can breathe again. Like maybe there’s actually a way forward.” I squeeze Colt’s hand. “For the first time since I was sixteen, I feel light might be at the end of this tunnel.”

Nash’s arms tighten around me. “There is. We’ll make sure of it.”

I turn my head to look up at him, then back to Colt. These two men have shown me what it means to be cherished rather than degraded, protected rather than controlled. Who believe me without question and hold my broken pieces like they’re precious.