Chapter Thirteen

Kai

Bathed in blood she looks even more enrapturing than when I first laid eyes on her. Her body trembles, not cold, shock most likely. Crouched down to her, I brush a strand of messy brown hair, now soaked in blood, behind her ears, caressing her face, but she barely even registers me.

I vaguely recall being the same, my first time, but she shouldn’t be here. Not while the others remove his body. Her eyes are unfocused, but even she must understand what the rustle of tarp is for as my brothers begin cleaning up.

“Little mouse,”

I coo softly at her. “We need to get you cleaned up; you don’t need to see this.”

“I killed someone.”

A hiccupped sob comes before the tears do. I plop to the floor and pull her onto my lap, uncaring when blood soaks into me. It doesn’t matter. My clothes can be burned along with hers. We will probably burn as much as we can from this room. She doesn’t need to know.

Sergio moves in front of us, shielding any view from the red stained chaos behind. His lips tug down in a frown as he strokes her hair. We look at one another knowing we have to move her, but not wanting to rush her as she breaks.

It hurts me to see Lexi so shattered, as her sobs vibrate through my body and tears soak into my skin, but I know she needs to let this out. Let the violence and emotion out of her body or be left to feel numb. I could not do that to her. Each stitch on my body, every scar, a reminder, a fight against the numbness I battle daily.

Stitches I will soon need to share with her.

As her sobs begin to ease, I nod to Sergio, pushing her from me slightly and passing her to him. With ease, he raises her into his arms, cradling her to his chest as she instinctively wraps her legs around his waist and settles her face in his neck. I try not to see the similarities, but they are there of a time years ago he did this with me.

One fateful Halloween.

In a daze, I follow them, memories surfacing of the cruel men who came before us. As much as I try to shake them off, they raise their heads and scream to be acknowledged. That night had blood and death too, and Sergio had carried me.

To a freedom of our own making, to our playground of dark horrors.

Sergio finally puts her on her feet outside the caravan we use as our bathroom. The shower is a small thing, and it’s barely suitable for Abel, but it’s plenty big enough for her. As the three of us enter, I begin to strip off my own blood-soaked clothes. Lexi just blinks at me, so I move over and start to help her undress.

It’s not a sexual moment, this is a necessity. As I guide her into the shower, I take the washcloth, lathering it up, guiding it over her blood-soaked skin. I see nothing but what must be done. Red swirls down the drain and I know that we will need to bleach the place later, but for now, I concentrate on her.

A fluffy towel sits outside the shower, and I silently thank Sergio for his thoughtfulness as I had forgotten to bring one when I led her in. I wrap it around her, ignoring my own dripping body as I lead her to the bedroom only used as a wardrobe to scrounge up some clothes.

Without question, she raises her arms for the oversized tee and steps into a pair of shorts that are roughly her size. Red seeps through the tee, I tug it down, the cuts are bleeding once more and need to have stitches. I swallow, I already knew this.

“I need to stitch this, will you let me?”

Lexi nods, it is her only response. Quickly, I dress myself, then guide her to the living area and sit her on the couch.

“Here.”

Sergio hands over my kit. My hands shake as I take it, he looks at me, and the smile he has is reassuring. “You’ve got this.”

He places a kiss on the top of my head before moving back. Giving me room to work.

As the needle goes in, she doesn’t even flinch, doesn’t move, and I bite my lip. One by one, I gently add stitches to her skin. Ignoring when Rowe and Abel enter. It is too silent as everyone seems to watch my every move.

“All done.”

I say at last.

“Thank you.”

A breath I didn’t know I was holding releases. Her eyes water, shining grey irises staring at me. I smile a small sad smile.

“You can stay, you know? Here with us”

I try to keep the hopefulness out of my voice; I know it’s useless. As I look at the others, I know they all feel it too. A bond of blood and chaos with our little mouse.

“You’ll be treated like a queen.”

Abel adds. Rowe and Sergio remain silent, it’s there though, the want shining in their eyes. She is like the piece of a puzzle none of us knew had been missing.

“I want to go home.”

Her words stab at my heart, but none of us argue. It is her choice, and after tonight, none of us will take that away from her. It doesn’t mean we have to like it.

“Come then, let's get going.”

Rowe speaks, leading us outside into the night.

“Are my friends here? I came with them; I don’t have my car here.”

Her voice cracks, worry shining in her eyes as she searches the deserted field. Even our performers have taken themselves back to their tents and caravans with not a campfire in sight.

“They were told you had a fall, twisting your ankle and that you were sent to medical, then sent home. That you had passed on a message not to worry and not to use you as an excuse to wuss out.”

Abel explains to her, looking a little sheepish.

She blinks once, then again, before bursting into laughter. It isn’t funny, so I am unsurprised when her tears turn to sobs, I pull her into my arms once again. She feels alone and vulnerable, but doesn't she understand she has us?

I will take care of her; we will take care of her.

But that is her decision.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you home.”

I say the words, swallowing around the lump in my throat. Abel always says I get attached too easily. He’s not wrong, but Lexi is special.

It feels like she is already home.

Epilogue

Lexi

One Month Later

“I’m coming with you.”

My bags are packed, my mind is made up. It had been a difficult month, my mind never straying far from what I had done. Constantly waiting for police to come banging on my door, to arrest me for it. Murder. I could hardly even admit it to myself. But they had protected me.

These four men have stirred up my mind and opened my eyes to a world I never knew could exist, one I feel needs to be explored. They have been on my mind constantly since I left them, swirled up in blood, chaos and pleasure.

When I realised that they were leaving, that they would be moving on to another town, another place, I knew I couldn’t let them go. They knew what had happened that night, knew that I had killed a man, and they wouldn’t blanche at that fact. They understood me, understood the darkness that had crept within me. Would understand the nightmares, like my friends just couldn’t.

When they had offered for me to stay, I had refused, and I have regretted the decision ever since. As my stitches went black, healed and turned to delicate pink scars, I slowly came to realise that they would always be a part of me. Even if I let them go, they would always be there.

But I don’t have to let them go.

Abel steps forward like I knew he would. His face is free from the makeup, showing off sharper cheekbones than I expected, but I can’t help but smile when he gives me the leering grin, licking his lips as he looks me up and down. His footsteps are as silent as before when he walks around me, sliding his thick arms around my waist and inhaling the skin of my neck.

“Do you remember all the rules, little Lexi? You’ll have to play, we’ll push you to your limits, hunt you, fuck you, maybe even hurt you.”

I moan, leaning back into his body. Oh, I certainly do remember. I feel his cock twitch into my back through our clothes and know the needy whine I make only makes him harder. Abel’s body shifts, placing a kiss on my head before resting his head on my own.

“You’ll need to obey my every command, brat.”

As Rowe’s lips whisper against my neck, I smile, his approach is so quiet, but his demand is loud and clear. His teeth graze against my throat, and I shudder as he bites gently into the skin.

“If you come with us, little mouse, I’m afraid I’m not letting you go.”

Kai winks before taking my lips in a searing kiss. It feels like an eternity, but it is only seconds. My eyes close in bliss before Sergio licks up my neck, surrounding me with them. Nibbling at my ear he asks;

“Do you remember your safe word?”

Happily Forever Now…