7. ~Aurora~

7

~Aurora~

“Real homely,” Jonah commented as he followed me across the threshold of my house.

“Yeah, it’s got that whole cozy vibe going on for sure.”

“To offset the fucked-up world you were stepping into when you moved here and first came at us?”

“Pretty much. Also, it’s out of the way, so if things had gone south, it put some distance between me and you guys and the rest of Hexwood too.”

“Things worked out better than any of us figured, yeah?”

I spun around as he shut the door behind us, and smiled at him. “Absolutely.”

“You made a real intense impression on Asher.”

“I think it was more about the impression my dad made.”

“You being the daughter of Revenant?”

“Well, yeah. He holds him in high esteem.”

“Believe me, of everybody, Asher doesn’t judge people on the reps of their parents. Nah, Princess, it wasn’t about your dad. You’re the one who won him over.” He folded his heavily inked arms across the chest of his white tank. “Me too.”

“Yeah?” I asked, coyly.

“Fuck, yeah. Our first interaction, actually. You had me right there and then.”

“Because I spread my legs for you? That’s guaranteed to elicit a favorable impression,” I jested.

“Not to me.”

“No?”

All sense of amusement went away and he told me, “I’m a serial fucker. When Asher wasn’t available, because us getting it on used to be a once-in-a-blue-moon thing, I was always searching for someone—or someones—who could bring what I needed. A partner who wouldn’t break so fucking easily. And more than that, somebody who loved the down and dirty way I liked to fuck just as much as me. Believe me, that’s hella difficult to come by.” His eyes shone. “But you, you had that in you. Let’s just say your demons played really well with mine. Not just me either. You mesh well with Kill’s and Asher’s too. The whole fucking package, aren’t you, Princess?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” I waved my hand with a chuckle. “And tone it down, you’re making me blush, and that doesn’t look good on me. Makes me look like a clown with the overly rosy cheeks.”

“A clown,” he chuckled. “Nah, the blushing is hot. It means I’m getting a reaction out of you. And I always like that.”

“It’s not one of your kinks, is it? The clown thing?” Off his look, I explained, “Killian mentioned that you have a lot.”

“That I do.” His eyes hooded. “You’ve even seen a couple of them up close.”

My core clenched at his callback. As if the need wasn’t already there with that built-for-sin body of his, all that bulk and hard muscle, those sexy tattoos. And then there was the way he kept looking at me, especially lately, a mixture of adoration and dirty intentions barely held at bay.

I swallowed hard. “I have.”

“Now you’ve mentioned it, I might look into the clown thing, though. Never say never to adding new kinks into the mix. You don’t know what’s gonna get you off until you experiment.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to keep that relegated to Asher. Clowns freak me out.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, ever since I saw one in a horror movie when I was a kid.”

He pushed up against me, all that hard muscle against my softness. My pulse picked up as he slid his hand into my hair, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “Next time we’re out here, I can introduce you to my primal kink.” A low groan escaped him as he looked me up and down, eye-fucking the hell out of me. “I fucking wish we could do it now, but there’s no time with the dinner, and I know how excited you are about it.”

“I’d be up for that.”

“Mmm, music to my ears.”

I looked up into his blazing emerald eyes. “You already knew I’d be into it, didn’t you?”

“Our clash at the Blowout was a pretty good gauge, yeah.”

Oh God. The heat coming off him, the sheer intensity… it was a hell of a heady thing.

His hand in my hair clenched into a fist, making him pull it at the roots.

The bite of pain had a moan slipping from my lips, pushing me into that deviant headspace, the one that set my blood on fire.

He trailed the fingers of his free hand down my throat, brushing over the marks there, trailing down to the tops of my breasts.

“Mmm, Asher marked you real good. His possessiveness is showing.” He fingered a lighter red mark on my shoulder, visible with the way my top fell. “Kill too. Soft and sweet compared to Asher’s deep bites and claw marks though.”

“And you?” I found myself asking, succumbing to the deliciously heated moment.

His eyes flared with erotic promise that had wetness pooling between my thighs.

“Fucking animalistic,” he growled.

He shoved me, knocking me back against the wall with a bone-rattling jar.

Then he descended on me, his mouth crashing down on mine, taking me in a brutally hard kiss that stole my breath.

He swiped his tongue along my bottom lip and I took the cue, opening my mouth so he could thrust inside with a groan. Stroking, swirling. It was wild and unhinged. Utterly demanding. He was laying claim to me.

And I gave it right back to him, matching the savagery and rising right to it, giving myself over to it, to him. I tugged at the strands of his neon-blue and black hair and a sexy growl rumbled from him that almost had me combusting right there up against the wall he had me pinned to with his hips.

His hands shifted to my arms, his fingers digging in to the point of pain, really making me feel it. It was definitely going to leave marks and that just skyrocketed my arousal to a whole other level.

The next thing I knew, my hands were sliding down from his hair, across his shoulders, down either arm, then his back. I slid them underneath his tank, feeling up those rigid muscles, before sliding around to his abs, his heat infusing me, his need bleeding into me.

“Fuck,” he groaned as I raked my nails over every sculpted ridge, making my own claim.

Marking him as mine.

It was insanely empowering.

Just as giving myself over to my darker desires was.

And not just sexually, as I’d come to realize after that basement thing.

Where that was concerned, though, there was another fucked-up side to it, one being held back from me accessing it more often by a tidal wave of guilt that threatened to drown me in the flood if I gave myself over to that part.

Jonah’s hot breath at my throat pulled me back from going too far down that thought path.

And then he had me screaming out into the living room as he sank his teeth into my flesh.

The raw pain shot straight through my body, sparking every fucking nerve-ending to life in the most incredible way, reaching depths and intensity I’d only ever felt since I’d come to know the three of them.

I was undulating my hips in the next moment and I moaned as I felt his thick erection against me.

He eased his mouth from me and I watched as, with a long, slow lick, he cleaned his lips of my blood.

“God,” I choked out.

He smirked devilishly, then grabbed my hips roughly and forced me harder against him, moving with me, but positioning me just right as he lifted me off the floor like it was nothing, his muscles flexing, but not showing much real strain. I felt his dick sliding through my folds through our clothes.

“Yes,” I breathed. “More. Fucking more.”

“Hell, yeah, baby.”

He lapped at the blood dripping from my neck.

And then he shoved the right cup of my bralette down that was exposed with my off-the-shoulder top, and twisted my nipple, while suckling on my neck.

The contrasting dual sensations had me beside myself.

I was dripping, sure my panties were soaked.

We were rutting and grinding against one another like animals.

He was devouring me, marking me, and claiming me all over again.

And I needed more… so much more.

I ran my fingers over his belt, across to the prominent silver belt buckle of a raven’s head.

I was two quick moves away from opening it and releasing his cock.

And then my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I stilled as it pulled me out of the moment.

Another bite from Jonah, this time right beside my breast, had me sinking back into it.

Another erotic lick soothing the sting held me there.

But then it buzzed again.

And again.

I groaned.

Jonah grunted and eased back. “You’d better get it.”

“Yeah,” I panted, my hands shaking from the overstimulation. It had me fumbling for a little bit, enough that it sparked amusement in Jonah’s eyes.

I managed to pull my phone out and I swiped it open to see what was going on.

Killian: I’m at Fusion.

Killian: Got the Grey Goose Ducasse.

Killian: Miss you, darlin’.

I smiled to myself. Of course it was him.

Aurora: Excellent. Thank you.

I stowed my phone away, then told Jonah, “It was Killian checking in.”

“Fucking Kill,” he groused. “And he calls Asher the ultimate cock block when it comes to you.” He drew back with obvious effort. “Jesus fuck,” he said, adjusting his hard dick in his jeans.

“If it’s any consolation, he’s picking up something on my behalf, something for your treat during dinner tonight.”

He looked more than a little surprised. “My treat?”

“Of course. I’m doing something special for Killian and Asher, did you really think I’d leave you out?”

“No, I mean… I guess I figured my thing was spending time with you doing what I love… cooking up a storm.”

I reached up and cupped his face. “They call you Savage, but you’re actually a real sweetheart. With me. With Killian, always making sure he’s okay. With Asher, your attentiveness to him.”

He grasped my hand on his. “That’s as far as the sweetheart part goes, though. Just to you three.”

“For now. But once we’re done with our mission, things will be different. You won’t have to be shoehorned into anything. You can be whatever. Or stay the way you are if that’s your thing. The point is, there will be no more restrictions.”

He frowned at that.

Not what I’d expected.

Of all three of them, he was the one who could look on the bright and positive side of things the most often, the most consistently.

“Are you worried? About the change I mentioned?” I asked, tentatively. “I’m sorry that I brought it—”

“No,” he said, stroking my cheek. “Just imagining how it could play out. I mean, not so much for me. I can roll with it, with whatever. But Asher, you know, he’s very regimented, set in his ways. Sure, he can adapt to a situation, especially to a threat, but beyond that… he made himself into who he is now. Purposely. It was a reaction to the threat the Head Infidels posed to us, a way to hold back their control, to tame it. If that all went away—the threat—I just wonder who he’d be. If he could even relax and tone it down. If he could actually—”

“Love?”

Our gazes clashed.

He swallowed. “Yeah.”

“It’s more than even him being a brother-in-arms to you, isn’t it?” I breathed, the full force of the realization taking me aback. “More than what he can give you during your crazy intense fuck sessions.” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it sooner. But then again, a hell of a lot had been happening since I’d moved to Hexwood. “You love him, don’t you?”

He looked away, then stepped back.

Okay, he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Perhaps, not even to actually acknowledge it.

Thankfully, my phone buzzing again was actually a welcome interruption to the awkwardness that was about to descend on us thanks to me bringing that up.

I swiped my phone open and took in another message from Killian.

Killian: Does Ronan have a thing for you?

Where was that coming from?

Aurora: What? No.

Killian: You sure? The way he was talking you up begs to differ. He even had the balls to lay down the law to me about treating you right.

Aurora: Good thing he wasn’t on shift the night of that charade Jonah and I had to put on.

Killian: Don’t remind me of those fucked-up times. Jonah didn’t react well to it either, so it’s not just me who flipped their shit. For the record, you know.

Aurora: What do you mean he didn’t react well?

Killian: I’ll let him tell you. He’s with you right now, good time while you’re alone together.

He meant while Asher wasn’t here.

Aurora: He’s not gonna do that.

Jonah wasn’t as secretive as Asher, but he was still up there when it came to certain things, namely anything related to Infidels business.

Killian: He almost killed Hollis instead of just sending a message. I had to stop him.

I looked out at Jonah, then swallowed hard and responded to Killian.

Aurora: Because of me?

Killian: He was upset about having to put you through that shit with the show at Fusion and Hollis was a big reason for that, him taking photographic evidence and sending it along to Carson.

Aurora: Fuck me.

Killian: Anytime, anywhere, darlin’.

Aurora: Killian!

Killian: My bad, couldn’t resist. You threw it to me. So, what about Ronan, huh?

Aurora: He’s just a sweetheart.

Killian: Not making it better.

Aurora: He’s taken it upon himself to look after the girls who work there. He feels protective. He had my back when Asher set up that attack by Andrew Hollis and his buddies.

Killian: That fucking attack.

Aurora: It’s water under the bridge. So much has happened since then.

Killian: Some even good lol.

Aurora: There’s no denying that.

Killian: Glad to hear it.

Aurora: I need to go now. See you at home soon.

Killian: Looking forward to it.

I stowed my phone away, then shoved a hand through my hair.

“What’s wrong?” Jonah asked. I looked to see him eyeing me worriedly. “You seem aggravated. Is Kill being a shit?”

“Just being a little jealous.”

“Jealous? Why? What’s happened?”

“Uh uh, don’t you start. It’s completely unfounded and I just explained as much to him.”

I stowed my phone away—again—then told Jonah, “Hang out down here, make yourself at home for a moment. That thing I came here for is just upstairs. I’ll just be a few moments.”

“Right, the special surprise,” he said, shifting back to his upbeat self. “Can’t wait, Princess.”

I smiled, then took off upstairs, making my way to my bedroom.

I’d just opened the door and stepped inside when my phone buzzed again.

Seriously?

I pulled it out, expecting another message from Killian.

But, as I took in the notification, it was no such thing.

Uncle Drew: Been a while since I’ve heard from you. Everything good?

I started at the message.

It seemed so surreal with the existence I was living now, what I was caught up in.

So much had happened lately that I’d been moving rapidly from one situation to another, fighting to adjust from this to that with basically no reprieve. It had been all go-go-go.

And because of that, I hadn’t even checked in with him.

He was the type who wouldn’t bother me, thinking that he’d be interfering in a young adult’s life if he did that, or something. So, for him to reach out first like this meant he was really worried.

Shit.

Maybe being so busy and caught up in this crazy whirlwind here hadn’t exactly been the only reason that I’d stopped myself from reaching out.

Uncle Drew was a source of comfort for me. A soothing familial tie and a root to my past, to the person I had been before I’d embarked on this mission three years ago, before I’d begun my training to be able to step into a dark, twisted, and brutal world. I’d been worried that connecting with that old, innocent, and naïve part of me—what I considered the weaker version of me before I’d evolved and strengthened—could hamper my efforts here, could have that weakness seeping into me and infecting me in ways that would make it dangerous for me to continue operating here in Hexwood and holding my own with the guys.

Aurora: So sorry for the radio silence. Things are good. Busy, but keeping my head above water. Approaching the finish line of a particularly tough Econ assignment, proud of how it’s turning out.

Uncle Drew: Glad to hear it.

Aurora: How are things with you?

Uncle Drew: Not bad. A little lonely.

Aurora: Are you all right?

Uncle Drew: Yeah, it’s just on my mind lately. I guess, with Christmas coming up. Been thinking about your dad. Missing him, you know?

I stilled.

He never mentioned my dad.

I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d thought it would hurt me, if it was too difficult for him to go there, or if had been more than even that.

Aurora: Me too. I miss him a lot. All the time.

Uncle Drew: He was a hero, you know. The real deal.

Aurora: I know. A good man.

Uncle Drew: Maybe you come home for Christmas and we do a little tribute for him?

I slumped down on the edge of my bed.

What was happening?

First bringing my dad up and now offering to do some sort of tribute in his memory?

To say it was unprecedented didn’t really cover it.

Was he drinking again?

Shit.

After my dad had first been declared dead—back when I’d actually believed it too—he’d slipped into a very dark space, drinking heavily, not showing up to the garage because of it and putting his livelihood at risk. Fortunately, over a few months, I’d helped him to come out of it.

Aurora: You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?

Uncle Drew: Would you?

I started.

What did that mean?

Did he know about Hexwood? What I was really doing here? Had he somehow found out?

No, the chance of that was next to none. I’d covered my tracks very well.

I was just being paranoid.

With the attack by an unknown enemy in the Heretics, what we were planning against the Head Infidels, combined with the feathers we’d ruffled around town, I guess it was just on my mind, starting to get to me.

A little.

Just a little.

But nothing I couldn’t handle.

It was all part and parcel of living with so much subterfuge.

Aurora: If I thought I couldn’t handle it.

Uncle Drew: You’ve always been very capable. That doesn’t mean going it alone all the time. It’s no shame to ask for help, or to walk away when the going gets too rough.

What the—I decided to test the waters a little more directly.

Just in case.

Aurora: I’m taking classes and working a part-time job. What’s rough about that?

Uncle Drew: All sounds pretty normal to me.

Aurora: Yeah.

Uncle Drew: Made any friends?

I had made one, but that had just proven to be a charade.

Aurora: You know me. Loner and all.

Uncle Drew: Nobody then? No one special?

Shit. I tensed. Did he actually know? These questions seemed pointed.

Or maybe it was just that paranoia casting things in a suspicious light.

Could be some guilt on my end too that I was keeping all of this from him.

But I had to.

If he knew, he’d come down here and throw himself right into the middle of it. He’d get hurt—or worse. On top of that, beyond wanting to protect me, once he found out his little brother was actually alive, he wouldn’t stop until he found him, crossing any line he needed to, going up against any obstacle in his path, in order to bring my dad home. Drew Carlyle had spent a big portion of his adult life being a hero and putting himself in seriously dangerous situations through his years in the military. He was done now. He deserved the peace, deserved to be safe and secure.

And so, I did what was needed to keep it that way for him, and lied.

Aurora: Enjoying the single life as usual.

Uncle Drew: We should really do Christmas together then. Don’t want you out there alone for such a family-oriented holiday.

Aurora: I’m really okay. But if you need me back there, I’ll find a way.

Christmas had been my dad’s favorite time of year. It reminded me and my uncle of him more than any other occasion.

Uncle Drew: Let me know, yeah?

Aurora: I will.

Uncle Drew: I love you, cupcake. Stay safe.

Aurora: I love you too.

Uncle Drew: Watch your six.

Aurora: Always.

I frowned, staring at his last message.

Something was up.

There were just too many odd comments for it to be natural and off the cuff, just coincidences.

“Everything okay up there?”

Jonah’s shout jolted me and I hurriedly stuffed my phone into my pocket and called back, “Yeah, fine! Just got distracted! Sorry, I’ll be one moment!”

“No worries.”

I smiled to myself. He was being a sweetheart again, because we were kind of on a time crunch to get the dinner done in time, and we hadn’t even started yet. Now here I was eating up more time.

Dammit. That text conversation had just caught me by surprise.

Hell, it had really unsettled me.

I pushed off the bed and rushed to my nightstand safe.

Hurriedly unlocking it, I pulled out what I’d come in here for, and then I hurried back down the stairs to find Jonah waiting patiently exactly where I’d left him.

He brightened when I came into view.

And then he grinned as he saw I was holding one hand behind my back.

“Come on now, give it up,” he teased.

I brought my hand in front of me and he took in the silver baton I was holding.

I shifted my grip to the middle, and then I snapped it down hard against the meat of my thigh.

It activated the release and it shot out, extending either side to double the length of its collapsed state.

“A retractable, collapsible bo staff,” Jonah breathed in awe.

I held it out to him. “All yours now.”

“Mine?” he asked, hesitant to take it.

“Yeah, this is my surprise, my gift to you.” I eased it into his hands.

“This is a sweet piece of weaponry,” he said, as he took it and studied it carefully.

“And it’s in good hands now.”

“What about you?”

I shrugged. “I’m not really good with it. But I’ve seen you fight and this seems right up your alley. You could do a lot of damage with this. I was actually thinking about it during our battle with those Heretics. You could’ve put down many more in quick succession if you’d had something like this.”

He spun it in his hand, performing a parrying move and some fluid attacks. “You’re right about that.” He collapsed it, then wrapped his arm around me. “Thanks, Princess.”

“You gave me that awesome Taser and the blade, just acting in kind.”

He pulled back. “Hold up… your texts with Kill… are there two surprises?”

I chuckled. “You’re really perceptive.”

He squeezed me to him. “And you thought it was just Asher, huh?”

“He’s a whole lot of something.”

He laughed. “He is that, yeah.” Releasing me, he headed for the door. “Let’s head out.”

“Yeah, we’re running behind now. Asher’s not gonna be pleased having things off schedule.”

“He’s actually out right now.”

“In town?”

“No. Off-territory.”

“Why? Has something happened?”

“No. He would’ve brought me along as backup otherwise.” He muttered with a noticeable edge, “Instead of Bryce who’s there with him now.”

“That’s true. So you don’t think it has anything to do with the mission then? Or the Heretics?”

“He promised transparency.”

Well, promising was one thing. Actually living up to that was another. Especially with Asher.

“Right,” I murmured.

“He’s probably just doing what we are, picking up a surprise for this dinner.”

I could see how much Jonah wanted to believe that.

To believe that’s all it was, that it really was that simple. That honest and pure.

So, I just smiled and nodded as he led me out of the house and back to his muscle car parked in the driveway.

But inside, I wasn’t so sure that was the case.

The timing was suspect, for one thing.

We were right at the end of our chillingtime, wherein we’d get down to business after clearing our heads, and Asher healing up a bit more.

“We’re in this together.”

Those were his words.

His vow to us.

They’d marked a change in the dictatorial way he’d approached things before.

They’d made us a team.

Actually, they’d made us more than that, the marker of us really joining together as one.

They’d meant a lot to all of us.

I really hoped he wasn’t about to go back on that promise.

I really hoped he could live up to it.

We needed him to.

Ineeded him to.