51. Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

Skyla

T he next morning, I woke up to find my left side empty. I fell asleep with Asher and Vincent, but woke up with only Asher. Looking to the bedside table, I see a quick hand scribbled note.

Got a job. Be back soon. Love you, Siren.

I smile at that, setting it back down as I snuggle onto Asher’s chest, pressing kisses up and down his neck. He hums in his sleep before waking up fully, his eyes landing on me as they flutter open.

“Good morning, princess.” He smiles as he runs his fingers through my hair.

“Hi.” I grin.

“What do you want? You’re looking at me like you want something.” Asher laughs, his morning voice unbelievably sexy.

“Pancakes?” I ask.

“Pancakes?” he gruffs. “Ronan is the cook, have him make them.”

“But it’s so much better when you make them because you hate cooking. Pleaseee,” I beg with a pouty lip.

Asher groans, capturing my lip between his teeth before biting hard. I yelp and he smirks before pulling himself out of bed. He’s just in his boxers as he steps out of the room and I slip on a baggy shirt before following after him.

When we get down there, Wesley and Ronan are already drinking their morning coffee, both of them lighting up when I step into the room. I give them each a kiss and perch myself into Ronan’s lap.

“Asher is making us pancakes.”

“Since when?” Wesley laughs.

“Since the princess asked for them,” Asher grumbles as he gets out the pancake mix and a bowl.

Liam sleepily makes his way down the stairs, wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants that are doing wonderful things for him. He makes his way to me first, cupping my jaw as he brings his lips to mine before moving to Asher. Liam wraps his arms around his waist, resting his head on Asher’s back.

“Whatcha making me?” Liam asks.

“Nothing. I’m making the princess pancakes. You all are on your own.”

Liam frowns. “What if I give you an extra-long blow job in the shower?”

Asher perks up at that, looking back at him before the rest of us.

“Alright, Liam and the princess are getting pancakes, but the rest of you are on your own.”

“Shit, I’ll suck your cock for some pancakes.” Wesley laughs.

“Don’t lie,” I say. “You’d do it for free.”

He throws his head back laughing, shooting me a wink as Ronan grumbles.

“Can we not talk about sucking my nephew’s cock? I’m still trying to wake up.”

“Don’t be upset, daddy,” Liam teases. “How about I suck you off while Wesley sucks Asher. We’ll trade boyfriends!”

“Wesley and I are NOT together,” Ronan fires back.

“No, but Liam does have a hell of a mouth on him. Might want to take him up on this deal, Ro,” Wesley says, giving Liam a quick wink.

God, we are all so horny and disgusting, and I love every second of it.

Ronan is literally saved by the bell as his phone rings. He doesn’t even look at the screen before he’s standing, moving me off his lap as he walks out of the room to take it. Wesley, though, doesn’t seem to be done with this joke. Or maybe he’s not joking.

As Asher begins pouring the pancake mix, Wesley saunters across the kitchen, leaning his hip against the counter beside Asher.

“What?” Asher asks as he looks at him.

“Just admiring,” Wesley says as his eyes run over Asher’s bare torso.

“Yeah, well, keep your admiring to yourself. I’m set on partners.”

Wesley glances to me and Liam before back to Asher, scooting in a few inches.

“I’m gonna take a page out of Skyla’s book and say, why choose?”

“Hey! That makes me sound like a whore,” I throw out.

“You’re not, little one. You just know what you like, and you go for it.”

I shrug. That I can live with.

“Come on, Ash. You can’t tell me you don’t think about that night in that shack?” Wesley goads as he leans in closer and closer.

Asher watches him, his gaze bouncing from Wesley’s mouth to his eyes. But he doesn’t pull away.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t love my lips on yours, my tongue down your throat. You melted into me like putty.”

“It was a heat of the moment thing,” Asher says tightly.

Surprising me, Wesley reaches down, slipping his hand inside Asher’s boxers and gripping his cock. My mouth drops as Wesley pushes his boxers down, revealing Asher’s hard cock. Wesley drags his hand up and down it slowly as Asher’s eyes shutter close. I can tell he’s trying everything he can to fight it but when Wesley chuckles, his eyes flutter open.

“You remember how good I sucked your cock? Liam’s too? Both of your cocks in my mouth, grinding together.”

“Oh, I remember,” Liam practically moans.

Asher still stays strong in his resolve, but when Wesley’s mouth brushes against his, he loses it. Asher really is the one to initiate the kiss, his hips thrusting, forcing Wesley to stroke him as Wesley stays still, smiling against him like he’s tasting victory. I’m not sure what game he’s playing but I’m all for watching the prize go down right here and now. Screw the pancakes.

“Fuck,” Asher moans into Wesley’s mouth as he reaches for his pants, his hand slipping inside when Ronan steps back into the room.

He looks at Wesley and Asher and freezes. I expect him to be mad. He’s been very clear that he’s quite protective of Wesley, especially with Asher, but I don’t see anger in his eyes.

“Knock it off,” he says in a tone that grabs everyone’s attention.

Wesley and Asher break apart, releasing each other as they tuck themselves away while Ronan’s eyes come to me. They are hardened but also full of sadness. Coming to stand beside me, he crouches down until he’s eye level with me before taking my hands in his.

“Baby…” he lets out a strangled breath as he shakes his head. “There was an incident.”

Instantly, my stomach turns. Worst case scenarios running through my head. Did someone discover my parents? Steph? Oh my God. Is Maggie okay?

“I just got a call. A body was found at one of the Walcott’s old storage warehouses in New York.”

I stare at him, doing my best to hold my anxiety at bay as he fumbles with his words.

“Who?” Asher asks.

Ronan winces, staring at the floor.

“Who was it?” Wesley asks.

Still, Ronan just shakes his head.

“Who Ronan?” I urge, my entire body beginning to shake.

His eyes come to me, so much sympathy, so much pain in them as he delivers five of the most horrible words I have ever, and will ever hear in my life.

“It was Vincent…he’s gone.”

My body goes numb as I stare at him, my brain struggling to make sense of what my ears just heard. He’s gone? Gone where?

“Christ,” Liam chokes as Asher wraps his arm around him and Wesley runs his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

“Where did he go?” I ask, because I must be misunderstanding.

Ronan’s lips flatten as he speaks.

“He’s gone, baby. He died.”

I shake my head, pulling away from Ronan.

“No. No,” I say as I stand up and begin pacing. Ronan raises to his feet as he slowly approaches me.

I hold out my hand, keeping him back as I continue furiously shaking my head.

“No! NO! No, no, no,” I scream before my shouts turn to sobs.

Ronan wraps his arms around me, and I fight against him. Beating on his chest, I attempt to push him away, but he only holds me closer.

“NO! You don’t say that to me! You don’t tell me this kind of shit! No!” I sob, my gut wrenching as I scream.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry,” Ronan says, his voice breaking as he speaks into my ear.

“NOO! No, not Vincent. No. He can’t be gone. He can’t. He—” my voice breaks off into wails of despair as my fight gives out along with my legs.

I collapse to the floor, curling myself into a ball and Ronan follows me, dragging me into his lap as I feel my heart physically breaking. Pain like this, so deep, so visceral…it’s consuming me whole.

“No,” I whisper.

I stand there numbly. The rain is pouring down on us, almost turning to snow, but I don’t feel it. I don’t feel anything as I stand in the cemetery on campus, staring at the gravestone beside his parents.

Vincent Griggs

March 26 th, 2003 – February 1 st, 2025

A faithful servant to a holy cause

Yeah, a real holy cause. He went out on a job for the Brethren and ended up losing his life instead. For what? The Brethren is fucking nothing but a group of murderers. A group of bullies. A group of vindictive self-serving piece of shits.

I’ve seen Christopher smirk seven times now, I’ve counted. I know he was behind it. I can feel it in my bones. I don’t know what I can do about it, but I know that I want him gone. Decimated. Buried beneath the dirt like my Vincent.

My heart breaks at just that thought. There is no way this is actually real. No way he’s buried beneath my feet right now. There is no way I’ll never see those silver eyes again. That I’ll never hear him call me siren. That I’ll never…

A sob rips through me as Asher holds me closer, hushing me softly.

“I know you’re hurting, princess, but people are staring. We have to keep it together. Can you be my brave girl?” he whispers.

“What’s the point?” I choke out, attempting to keep my voice soft. “He’s gone. Nothing more can happen to him!”

“But it can to you. He lived and breathed you. If he knew that his death caused yours, he’d never forgive himself.”

I want to tell him it doesn’t matter. That he’d never know because he’s not here, he’s not anywhere. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. I obviously grew up religious, but I don’t feel so religious right now. I begged God to bring him back to me. For five days, I’ve begged and pleaded and bartered, yet here we are, standing over the grave of one of the loves of my life. A piece of me is forever gone, my heart forever shattered.

Once the priest is done talking about the afterlife and a whole bunch of other shit that doesn’t matter, everyone disperses as Andrew Hutchinson approaches me. He gives me a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry for your loss. I know you were close to him.”

I don’t respond and Andrew gives a quick sideways look before pulling me in for a hug. Asher goes to rip him away as he hastily whispers into my ear.

“Sweep your house. They planted more bugs.”

“Get the fuck off my wife!” Asher snaps, and I push him off Andrew as I lean in closer.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

He shakes his head, making eye contact with his dad as he begins walking away.

“Sweep the place,” he says before he’s gone with the rest of the crowd.

“What did he say?” Ronan asks.

“He said to sweep the house. That they planted more bugs.”

Wesley screws up his face. “Impossible. If anyone were going to do it, it would have been me.”

“Unless Christopher doesn’t trust you anymore,” Asher points out.

Wesley frowns at that as Ronan nods.

“Let’s go check.”

Sure enough. Five new cameras and thirteen more listening devices were scattered around the house. Wesley and Ronan found and destroyed each of them as Asher began raging while I sat in Liam’s arms numbly on the couch.

“WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS?” Asher fumes. “He thinks that he can just bug my goddamn house whenever he feels like it? What the fuck is he hoping to find?”

“Anything he can use against you and Skyla. Just like he does with everyone.”

“I don’t give a fuck! I’m done. Maybe you had it right in the first place, Ronan. Let’s just go in there, guns blazing. His security can’t stop us all. One of us is bound to shoot the son of a bitch.”

“So that Skyla can lose two boyfriends in one week? Maybe all of them? Use your fucking head, Ash,” Liam scolds.

He flips around to face Liam, ready to give him hell when he looks at me. I feel my face frozen in place, a blank look, but I also feel silent streams of tears pouring down my face. It’s an odd thing, to feel so much pain yet be so numb to it all.

Silently, I stand up and make my way to my room. No one asks me where I’m going, no one tries to follow me. I just climb the stairs, push inside my room and collapse on the bed.

God, if you’re there, if you’re listening. please wake me up from this nightmare.