46. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Hydessa

T he taste of saltwater lingers on my lips as he pulls back, his forehead resting against mine.

"I should have punished you for doing that, I should have edged you until you begged me to stop," he whispers, his tone teasing but his green eyes intense. They are different than Links. His eyes are like a turquoise sea, drawing me into their depths.

"I think you've murdered my pussy enough for one night, don't you? If you did anything else you would have had another body to dispose of, and that wouldn't have been as easy," I counter with a tired grin.

He huffs a chuckle under his breath. "You'd be surprised, the ocean takes two just as easily as one."

I arch a brow as I lean back with a sigh. "I guess having a boat does have its advantages."

He gives a full throaty laugh at that, the sound filling the small space. The moment I saw his face above me, the last of the puzzle seemed to slip into place.

I watch as he steps back, stripping out of his clothes quickly before starting the shower. He checks the temperature before returning to scoop me up and carry me under the warm water as the steam starts to build around us.

Taking a seat on the bench inside the shower, he continues holding me, letting the warm water soothe my tense muscles. "Jonah," I sigh softly, and his hand threads through my hair, gently pulling my head back so he can look into my eyes again.

"Say it again, little shadow," he murmurs, his voice low and intimate, "let me hear my real name on your pretty lips."

A smile spreads across my face, but I remain silent as his eyes narrow on mine. His hands clench in my hair, fisting and pulling at the strands hard enough to have a breathy moan escaping me. "Jonah," I breathe out and his eyes flare with heat and satisfaction. But then quickly turn serious.

"For the longest time I wanted to kill you, little shadow," he says and I frown. I try to shift back but he doesn't let me go. "I wanted to slaughter you, the same way your parents slaughtered our dad."

My stomach drops at his words. What the ever loving fuck is he talking about?

When I try to get up again, he simply tightens his hold on me and growls. I whimper and not the good kind, my frown deepening as confusion and a thread of fear washes over me. "Link never said–"

"He never knew," he interrupts the tension in his voice unmistakable. "I was eight years old when our mother packed me and my newborn brother up and headed to the city to visit our dad. Imagine our surprise when we got there to find out he was dead. Our mother decided then and there that she wouldn't be able to raise me and a newborn baby alone, so she left him at a fire station on our way home."

My breath catches in my throat as I process his words, the revelation hitting me like a punch to the gut. I feel cold, despite the heat of the shower around us. "I had no idea... I didn't know any of this."

The emotions in his eyes make my heart ache. "She hired someone to find out what happened, and she told me who was responsible. For the longest time I hated your family. If they hadn't killed my father, my mother wouldn't have given up my brother and I hated you all for that too. But fate has a funny way of working out," he says, his voice raw with emotion.

He closes his eyes, a look of anguish crossing his face. "I stewed in my hatred, darling girl. It became a black hole inside me," he admits quietly. "I spent a long time learning how to hack into all corners of the internet to try to find my brother. When I couldn't learn any more, I left for the city to learn to hack all corners of the dark web too. But when I finally found my brother all he could remember was the family who saved him from an abusive foster home, and the raven haired girl who owned his heart."

When he opens his eyes again I can see the pain in them, the years of anger and sorrow that have shaped him into the man holding me now. "It wasn't easy to dig deeper and find that family, but what were the odds that it was the same family that put him there to begin with. He also told me about the little things he heard while he was there. That our dad was evil, that he hurt and used women. I did my research then and found out he also led a whole world of corruption and drugs." Jonah's grip on my hair loosens, and he pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine once more. "And that he killed both of your grandmothers."

I reach up, cupping his face with trembling hands. "Jonah, I—" I start, but he shakes his head, silencing me.

"All that time, I thought I knew what I wanted. Revenge, justice, call it what you will. But finding him, learning the truth about everything… learning about you… it changed it all," he continues, his voice breaking slightly.

I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest.

"From that moment on, learning everything about you was all that mattered. My brother's obsession became mine too, to the point where we both needed you in our lives but we weren't entirely sure how to do that."

I shake my head, my voice barely above a whisper. "But, I'm nothing special. Both of you could have anyone you want."

His eyes flash with intensity, and he grips my face gently but firmly. "Don't you ever say that," he growls, his voice filled with emotion. "You're everything, little shadow. You are the missing piece of our dark souls."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them back.

Jonah's expression softens, and he leans in, his lips brushing against mine in a tender kiss. "You don't simply settle for someone that you may see yourself with in twenty years. You find that someone you simply can't live without because the thought of not being with them in sixty years is still not enough. And when you find that someone, you never let them go."

I melt into him and he holds me close, the water continuing to rain down around us. Eventually he starts to help me get cleaned up, gently washing my body before doing my hair. Once he turns off the shower he tends to my cuts before carrying me back to the now empty bed. I frown as he covers me in the sheet and I look around, wondering where Link is.

"We'll be back, we have a few things to take care of, little shadow. Get some sleep," Jonah whispers softly, his kiss on my cheek leaving a lingering warmth as he quietly slips out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Alone in the quiet aftermath of Jonah's departure, I succumb to exhaustion. My eyelids grow heavy as sleep envelops me, pulling me into its depths despite the questions that linger in the recesses of my mind.

As darkness claims me, I find solace in the knowledge that despite the uncertainties ahead, I'm not alone anymore. Jonah and Link have chosen me, flaws, darkness and all, to be a part of their lives—a realization that brings a sense of belonging that I had only ever hoped to find. Link. My Link. I can hardly believe it.

The doorbell of the house startles me awake the next morning. Blinking sleep from my eyes, I manage to quickly throw on a pair of leggings and a shirt as I make my way downstairs.

To my shock, standing on the doorstep when I open the door is Sheriff Brooks and Deputy Eli.

"Good morning, Taylor," Sheriff Brooks greets me, his tone measured. "We were hoping to chat with you about the report you filed the other day?"

My heart skips a beat as it takes a moment to remember about the report I filed for Beth. I nod, inviting them inside. "Would you like some coffee? I'm just about to put a pot on, I only just woke up."

Sheriff Brooks and Deputy Eli exchange a glance before Sheriff Brooks nods. "Coffee sounds good, thank you, Taylor."

I lead them into the kitchen, starting the brew before turning back to face them. "Please, have a seat," I say, gesturing to the table. As they settle in, I retrieve mugs from the cupboard before pouring them each a cup.

Once we're all situated, Sheriff Brooks clears his throat. "We wanted to follow up on the report you filed regarding Beth."

"Of course," I reply, my mind still groggy from just waking up. "I haven't heard anything further since filing it. Is there any update?"

Sheriff Brooks leans forward, his expression serious. "Actually, Taylor, it's been brought to our attention that a local has gone missing this morning. Did you happen to hear or see anything unusual overnight?"

My heart is suddenly racing in my chest. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary last night," I respond, my whole body filling with unease. "Who is it that's missing?"

Deputy Eli hesitates for a moment, as if considering how much information to disclose. "It's Chester," he finally reveals, his voice low. "According to what we know he was supposed to meet with some friends early this morning, but he never showed up."

I freeze, the name ringing in my ears. Oh yeah, him. Last time I saw him was when he was trying to kill me and one of the men I love was snapping his neck. My breath hitches and my heart skips a beat, but it has nothing to do with Chester, and everything to do with me realizing I'm in love with my men. And they are my men.

"Do you have any leads?" I manage to ask, trying to focus despite the whirlwind of emotions.

Sheriff Brooks' gaze remains steady, his expression unreadable. "We're gathering information and interviewing witnesses," he replies cautiously. "Any details you can provide, no matter how small, could be crucial."

I nod, my thoughts racing. "He mentioned something about an art project he was excited about," I offer, trying to think quickly. "Let me see if I made note of it on my phone. He did tell me about a few different art shows in the city if that helps."

I stand, making my way from the room as Deputy Eli scribbles down notes. I'm not sure where I left my phone but I'm making my way toward the office, turning the corner in the hallway when I hear the Sheriff and Deputy behind me starting to have a heated discussion. I can't make out what they're saying, so I pause, turning back toward the corner in an attempt to listen in.

Suddenly, I hear a shout and the sound of smashing glass from the kitchen. When a loud noise echoes through the house, I peek around the corner to see a body laying in the open doorway to the kitchen, heavy footsteps starting to move toward the hallway. I have to suppress my gasp as I jerk back away from the corner, my heart racing. I can't tell from this distance if he's dead, but it didn't look good.

I keep my back to the wall and start sliding quickly and quietly along it toward the office. My knife is upstairs but my gun is hidden in the desk. The footsteps are getting closer when the wall vanishes from behind me, and before I can react, a strong hand clamps over my mouth and jerks me backwards.