35. Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Four

Asher

I hear the echoed shouts from Skyla all the way downstairs. I thought maybe it was her, Ronan, and Vincent up there. But Vincent came downstairs a few minutes after he carried her up, letting us know he was going back to his place for the night. He didn't give any explanation, just left.

Glancing to my left, I see Liam isn't watching the show in front of him but rather looking the ceiling above him. The area that has the room with Skyla in it.

"You okay?" I finally ask.

Liam turns to me, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm glad she's okay, but I'm fucking pissed, dude."

I nod as he continues.

"I mean, I get where she's coming from. I get that she was trying to look out for us, but c'mon. That is not how you handle that! You don't break four people's hearts over a fucking text. You don't disappear, running off to god knows where with god knows who. She needs to trust that we will always keep her safe, that we will do our best to keep ourselves safe, and if that isn't good enough for her then—"

"Then what?" I interject. "You going to break up with her?"

Liam scoffs like the very suggestion is absurd.

"Of course not. I love her more than anything in the world, I'm just saying…I'm pissed and I think I have a right to be."

I nod, staring at my hands as I speak.

"I'm sad," I admit quietly.

"Really?"

Nodding again, I look up at him.

"I'm sad she felt she had no other choice. Sad she doesn't think we're capable of keeping her safe, keeping all of us safe. Though, I'm mostly sad because she's right to feel that way. I mean, look at you," I say with a wave of my hand.

"It was a freak thing," Liam brushed off.

"But it wasn't. It was planned, methodical. That sick fuck tried to kill you man, and I just…"

I trail off for a moment, not sure how to explain in words what I'm feeling before I shrug.

"It was scary as fuck, man. I thought we lost you for a minute."

Liam hesitates for a moment before he reaches a hand out, cupping my shoulder and squeezing empathetically. My eyes move to his, something shifting inside me that I don't know how to name, nor do I want to try. In the chaos of things, Liam and I haven't really had time to talk about…everything that went down the other day. Then again, there isn't much to say. Skyla asked us to kiss, we did, and everyone got off. Yeah, the next morning there was a little more to it, but chalk it up to curiosity. Trying to discern if it was hot in the moment because Skyla requested it, or if it was just hot period.

I'll definitely be keeping my findings to myself.

A few minutes go by before Skyla pads downstairs wearing a black silk nightgown, her hair wet and combed as she gives us small smiles. When we don't return it, her smile falls, and she gestures to the end of the bed.

"Can I sit down?"

We both nod and she does so quietly before staring at us.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"We know," Liam responds coldly.

She frowns, lowering her head as she nods.

"You're mad," she states.

"Yes, and we're sad," Liam corrects.

I look over to him. He squeezes my shoulder once more before returning his hand to his side.

"I'm sure you've gotten this lecture from the other two, but now you're gonna get it from us," he says. "You will absolutely never run off like that again. You will never pull some hero bullshit to ‘save us'. You will never ever try to break up with us again because try as you might, babygirl, I can promise you won't win that fight."

Skyla's brows furrow as she tilts her head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"He means that if you try to break up with us, we will simply decline," I finish for my friend.

"Exactly," Liam agrees.

A laugh bubbles out of Skyla as she shakes her head.

"I'm not sure that's how that works."

"Sure it is," Liam says. "It takes all parties to willingly enter the arrangement. Therefore, it should take all parties to willingly exit."

"So I just don't get a say?" she asks in mock offense.

"Pretty much," I say, causing Liam to crack a barely there smile before Skyla does the same.

"C'mere, babygirl. I need to hold you," Liam says, patting the space between us.

She crawls in between us, wiggling under the covers, before resting her head on his upper chest. I waste no time in plastering myself against her back, wrapping my arms around her waist, a sense of peace I didn't know I was desperate for settling over me as I do.

I'm not sure who is the first to fall asleep. All I know is that my eyes get heavy almost immediately and I slowly drift off with my two favorite people.

Dreading this conversation but knowing that it needs to be had, I click on that familiar contact. The phone rings for several seconds before he answers.

"What?"

"Hello, father. How are you?"

"As well as can be expected, considering one of my eliminators is currently wanted for the assault of several cruise ship staff members and the kidnapping of a passenger. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" he asks, his voice stony and unforgiving.

Keeping my tone even, the story I've practiced over and over again until it's polished to perfection, I put him at ease.

"Yes, that's why I'm calling. He needed to fetch her for me."

"Who?"

"Skyla. She threw a tantrum and tried to get on a cruise ship without me. Said she needed a vacation from my ego," I scoff.

My father does a matching one that tells me he's buying it so far.

"Fucking typical woman."

I grunt my agreement before continuing.

So, I sent Griggs to retrieve her."

"Why send an eliminator?" he pushes.

"With my bond brother being injured, I figured he was the only one unstable enough to do whatever it took to bring her back to me."

He makes a noise. I can't quite tell if it's in agreement or argument, but he stays quiet for several more seconds before he speaks again.

"I'll take care of it. Next time, I expect you to handle the aftermath on your own. I'm not your fucking babysitter," he says, before the call drops off.

No, you're not my babysitter, you're my fucking dad.

Pocketing my phone, I shake my head as I make my way upstairs to jump in the shower and start my day.