by J Bree
“What the fuck happened?” he snarls, and I frantically start searching Illi for exactly where he’s been stabbed.
He barely has the energy to reply to Ash, and his voice is thready when he says, “Let the record show, I can take on fourteen of Matteo’s best men and walk out alive. That psycho fuck needs to train his people better. It was like fighting drunk toddlers. One of them got lucky, it was a cheap shot that somehow managed to land.”
I scoff at him, and rip my shirt off to pack into his wound. I speak without thinking, “What the fuck did they stab you with, a fucking sword? It looks like they twisted it.”
Avery bursts through the door. She gets one look at Illi and chokes on her gag reflex, but her voice is strong down the phone as she calls for a doctor. I’m so fucking glad she’s here; I need someone who’s got contacts and a clear head because all I can think about is the fact I can see Illi’s intestines. Fuck.
“Why didn’t you go to Doc? I could’ve come down and had your back, fuck school,” I croak and when he chuckles it’s all gurgling and wet sounding.
“Doc’s dead kid. The Jackal is cleaning house. Everyone who likes you is out, and Doc fucking loved you. There aren’t gonna be friendly faces left in the Bay for us soon.”
Tears start but I ignore them. They won’t help hold Illi’s guts in.
“It’s not that bad, babe,” I startle, and Harley’s big hands gently pry mine away, taking their place. “Go wash up, Avery’s doctor isn’t too far away. We’ll get him fixed.”
I stare at him for a second and then nod. It’s going to be fine.
It fucking has to be.
Avery’s doctor arrives before I leave to wash the blood away from my hands. I only go because Ash and Harley insist, and Blaise comes with me to force me back into the shower. The sports bra and yoga pants are ruined, I had no idea I was so completely covered in Illi’s blood.
Fuck.
It must have been fucking close to hitting something life threatening. I try not to panic as I scrub. Everything is fine. Maybe if I keep saying it to myself, it’ll come true.
Six hours and one very competent but nervous doctor later, Illi is tucked into the roll out bed and snarling about taking the pain meds. He’d refused to be knocked out while he’d been sewn back together, but thankfully he’d passed out a few times. It made the whole thing much more bearable for me.
Once the doctor has been paid, from my pocket much to Avery and Ash’s annoyance, and escorted out, Illi tries to get out of the bed and I prepare myself for a fight. I don’t want to have to fight him while he’s injured like that but I will.
“Odie’s at a safe house but I’m not fucking leaving her there after Matteo’s shown just how far he’s willing to go to take us out,” he snarls at me, and I plant my feet, hands on my hips, and stare the fucker down. He’s not fucking moving.
Ash snaps at him, clearly pissy at the tone Illi’s using, “Where is she? I’ll bring her here. No one will get past us all.”
Illi grunts and seals his mouth shut until I think about upper-cutting him. Stubborn dick. Finally, after they’ve glared at each other for a good minute, Illi grunts an address at him then snaps, “If you let anything fucking touch her—”
Ash cuts him off. “I’m not going to promise you anything, I’m going to state a fucking fact. She will be here in under an hour, untouched and only worrying about you. While I’m gone, refrain from speaking to Lips like you just did or I’ll choke the fucking life out of you.”
Then he grabs his car keys, jerks his head at Blaise, and they walk out together. I’m kind of a puddle but I manage to contain my swooning. Illi’s eyes stay glued to the door for a second then he grunts at me, “He’s a good kid. Make sure you keep that one.”
Harley grunts at him from where he’s helping Avery mop up the gore from the floor and walls. “She’s keeping us all, this isn’t a fucking competition. It’s not a trial to see which one of us is the best fit.”
I scoff at them both and say, “They’re all a good fit. I’ll have them until they’re sick of me.”
Illi grunts and grinds his teeth as he settles back in the bed to get comfortable. “I look forward to being the joint best man at your weird-ass wedding.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
A blood-soaked crime scene makes the news.
Avery pulls faces the entire way through but watches the coverage with eagle eyes, scouring it for clues and tip-offs. I watch just enough to know that Illi isn’t going to be hauled in for questioning and then I get my focus back on my old friend. He’s a grumpy fuck when he’s injured and worried about Odie.
My phone rings while I’m trying to talk him into taking the drugs Avery’s doctor left behind.
“Is it possible for your deranged friend to keep a low profile? We already have enough work on our hands now the Jackal and Senior have made this a media play-off.”
I grit my teeth at the Crow’s tone. “Why are you trying to get on my shit list, Atticus?”
Avery’s head snaps around and her eyes flare as they catch mine.
“His DNA was everywhere. The Coyote will be up for days wiping it all from the police files.”
I roll my eyes. “Tell Jackson I’ll triple his fee as an apology. Tell him I’ll use one of my favors.”
I hear his teeth grind. “Wolf, there’s a protocol—”
I cut him the fuck off. “No, there’s no fucking protocol left because the Twelve is in a fucking mess. You should have killed him when you had the chance! Now he’s just had Illi gutted. Yep, I just had to help hold my brother’s fucking guts in until the doctor got here! Oh, and we had to call someone new because our usual doc is dead, killed by the Jackal for being my friend. No. No, I’m done with the protocol of the Twelve. Either you’re my family or you’re not. That’s the fucking line.”
I hang up on him.
My hands have a fine tremble to them, I mean, I’ve just cussed out our biggest ally and someone who is probably in the top ten most powerful men in the country but fuck, I’m so fucking done.
Avery gives me a tiny smile, full of worry and respect, and my phone buzzes again. I take a deep breath before I look down.
Ignore the cold-hearted asshole. You’re right. Can me and Vi be part of your fambam?
Lord help me.
I’ll take it to the vote. You might want to quit calling Avery the hottie though, Ash will beat the life right out of you.
I tuck the phone back into my pocket as Harley walks over to me with a coffee, catching my fingers in his and tugging me over to the couch. I take the coffee, gulping it down to get me through this all-nighter. Harley slumps down next to me, tucking me under his arm and kissing the top of my head.
“Did you just tell Atticus to go fuck himself?” he murmurs into my hair, and I nod.
“Jackson and Viola want in, too. We need to vote about it once the others are back and Illi is… conscious,” I say, and the stubborn dick himself scoffs at me.
“I’m not fucking sleeping until Odie is here,” he rasps, and I wince. He sounds fucking awful.
Then, thank the fucking universe, the sound of the door unlocking is as loud as a gunshot through the silence of the room. Odie bursts in, frantic and terrified, and the stream of French pouring out of her is almost too rapid for me to pick up, and I’ve been fluent for years. The grimace on Illi’s face is a sure sign she’s tearing him a new asshole for getting hurt. Good. I don’t want to think about how badly he was injured, I’ll never freaking sleep again.
“I’m fine, baby girl, I’m fine,” he says, holding a hand out to her and the glare she gives him would melt skin off of most men.
“You are very fucking clearly not fine, mon monstre! Ash said you needed surgery, that’s not fine!” Her voice gets higher and higher as she goes on, pouring salt on all of his wounds.
Blaise slumps down on the cushions on the floor and Ash sits with Avery, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Did you have to tell her abo
ut the surgery?” Illi grunts out, talking over Odie who is cussing him out something fierce as she looks at his bandages.
Ash’s hand drops and he gives Illi a savage, poisonous smile. “Payback. Don’t ever be a dick to Lips again. You’re lucky you’ve lost too much blood or I’d wipe the floor with you.”
Illi huffs and tries to coax Odie onto the pullout with him but she’s pissed, all the fear and terror solidifying into pure rage at her husband for daring to be stabbed.
It’s fairly amusing.
“I’m glad you didn’t cuss me out like that for nearly dying.” Harley says, his eyes on the spectacle.
I snort. “I would’ve if you’d been awake when I got to you. Your extended nap saved your ass.”
I wait until the next afternoon, after we all survive our classes without sleep, before I pull Odie aside and tell her they should stay until Illi has healed up enough to pee standing without passing out. She agrees completely and then spends the rest of the night arguing with Illi over it.
We all eat dinner together and watch it unfold.
“They must have the best angry, hate sex,” Avery says, and Ash cuts her a dirty look.
Blaise roars with laughter, as much as he can when he looks so fucking exhausted that he might drop dead at any second. The poor little rich kid. “She’s a fucking badass for climbing into bed with the Butcher as it is, throwing hate sex in there means she’s got balls of steel.”
Harley scoffs and knocks back a beer. “I wouldn’t be talking about her balls within Illi’s earshot. He’s not going to be an invalid for long.”
After dinner, we all split up between the rooms for the night and I sleep like the dead tucked between Harley and Blaise in the boy’s room, lulled to a dreamless sleep by the sounds of my family surrounding me.
I wake to Avery next door in our room making French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, piles of bacon and eggs, enough food to feed an army of teenage boys, not just the three we have taking up space around us. I flick the coffee machine on and fix us both a cup each without saying a word. If Avery needs to cook out her feelings, then who am I to judge?
“You’re right, none of this would have happened if we’d have killed the Jackal when he came to Hannaford last year,” she murmurs, and I shrug.
“We didn’t have enough people on our side at that point. I was just saying that to him because I’m angry about it all and I hate how much shit Illi gets. He’s a good guy.”
Avery nods and sips her coffee, stirring at a mountain of eggs like this is all completely normal. “He’s the best. I don’t need to know the whole story to agree with you, your word is enough for me. Plus, he’s done everything for our family. I’m glad you told Atticus to fuck off.”
She still looks conflicted, so I start moving the food to the table for her. “So what’s eating you? He’s alive, we’re all safe enough here, we’re… closer to having a plan for the Jackal.”
She chews her lip and fusses with the plates as I grab them. Her eyes flit over to Ash’s sleeping form, tucked up in my bed alone, and she says, “I’m just having an off day.”
Fucking Atticus Crawford.
After a raucous and filling breakfast Harley and I help Odie force some painkillers into Illi and he passes out again. His wound looks good, not inflamed or weeping, so I start to think maybe we’re out of danger with it. The thought of how many infections he could have caught between the alleyway in the Bay and the boys’ room here at Hannaford is fucking mind-numbingly terrifying. Obviously, the antibiotics Avery’s doctor has mainlined into him is doing wonders.
It’s a Saturday morning, so Harley and Ash head out to their extracurriculars and Blaise skips out on boxing so he can sprawl out in front of the TV with his lyric book and guitar. I stay at the dining room table to help Avery with her homework because I don’t need Odie seeing me turn into a puddle over his music.
Odie joins us, flicking through the textbooks and murmuring in French about the shortcomings of the education system here. I smile at her, used to her ramblings and grumpy attitude. There’s never a time where she’s mellow about shit when her husband is injured.
“I’m bored,” she says with a sigh.
Avery’s eyes flick up from her phone and she shrugs. “How are you at planning world domination? That’s what Lips and I usually do when we’re bored. I’m sure you’ll have some insight, what with your upbringing and your life with the Butcher.”
I flinch. Odie hates Illi’s nickname just as much as I do, we both see the man behind the reputation, and when we’re not around other people she refuses to acknowledge that name for him. I sigh in relief when she doesn’t react to it at all.
Instead, Odie smiles sweetly, always a sign of her devious mind at work.
“World domination should always start by taking out the weak men and finding a strong one to stand by your side. Or three if you are le Loup.”
Avery smirks, then her eyes flick to where Blaise is sprawled out in front of the TV. He’s messing around on his guitar, not taking notice of us at all, but Avery doesn’t ever talk about guys in front of… the guys.
Odie’s eyes follow Avery’s and she switches to French. "Are you in love with this man, the Crow?”
Blaise glances up at us with a frown, but I just smile sweetly at him. He frowns harder because, seriously, when do I ever smile sweetly?
Avery pulls a face. "I was in love with a man who doesn't exist, I was in love with the idea of who I thought Atticus Crawford was. Lips and I have gone through this so many times. I think I should just stay away from men."
I sit back in my chair to watch them both go through this. I feel like I'm about to get a master class at girl talk, because Odie and Avery are so much better at this than I will ever be.
Odie shrugs. “What are the differences between the man you thought he was and the man that he is, are they so different that you do not love him anymore?”
Avery sighs and flicks the page in her own copy of Vogue. "The Crow is much better suited to me. It's the lying I can't get past. It doesn't matter that he was doing it for me, it matters that he was doing it in the first place."
Odie nods. "I get that. How do you know he's not going to lie again?"
"Exactly. If he was willing to do this and tell himself it was for my own good what's to stop him from doing worse? The world we live in is never going to be safe. I can't be questioning whether or not he's lying to me every time something happens."
Ouch. Sucks to be the Crow today. I ask, “So you're voting no? Because I was only voting yes for you.”
Avery rolls her eyes. "Why do we have to vote right now? Can't we leave it open until I figure out what the hell I'm going to do?"
Odie leans back in her chair. "So there's a chance that you'll change your mind? There's a chance he can prove himself to you?"
Avery groans and covers her face with her hands. "I hate how pathetic he makes me feel. I would skin any other man for treating me like this and making me feel like some pathetic little girl. I fucking hate it."
Even in French the swearing sounds weird coming out of her mouth. "We don't have to decide now. We do need to vote about Jackson and Viola though."
Odie points out an outfit to Avery and I watch as they giggle over it together. "We need to get you out and about on dates as soon as this war is over. Johnny has quite a few friends I could set you up with."
I shake my head vehemently. "I've met his friends and there is no fucking chance she is dating any of them."
Odie giggles. "Now now le Loup, you can't judge a man by the worst thing he's done."
I pull a face at her. “Yes, I can.”
She giggles and shrugs, and we all fall silent again for a few minutes. I get back to critiquing Avery’s history assignment while they flip through their magazines.
“I love him,” Avery whispers, Odie nods with a little smile.
“I know. Let’s get it out and in the air. Talk it out so we can figure out how to get him under your
thumb. Men can be stupid sometimes.”
I blink. Avery just let it out there without any extra prodding, Odie is a freaking wizard. Fuck, maybe I should take notes?
“I don’t take failure well. I don’t like things being out of place.” Avery stops and takes a deep breath, her eyes catching mine before she continues, “My father used to beat Ash if I failed at things. I get the sense of death in the air when things don’t follow my plan. Atticus has always followed his own path, but I always thought I could trust him. Him lying to me about being the Crow… it was too much. I’ve always trusted him and told him everything. He’s lied to me from the very beginning. I can’t help but be angry at him.”
Odie shrugs. “That’s fair. He deserves some hell for that. Do you understand why he’s doing it though?”
Avery rolls her eyes. “I have eyes, I know he’s doing it to protect me. The problem is… this is our world. This is how we live, and that is never going to change. Even after we kill the Jackal and Senior, someone else will take their place. Either he trusts me to be strong enough to deal with this or he doesn’t. We’re doomed.”
My chest aches at the tone she’s using. She sounds so fucking… resigned. Bleak. Unlike herself, that I want to change my fucking vote.
She’s right though, there’s never going to be a time in our lives where we’re not being stalked by monsters. I’m always going to be the Wolf, he’ll always be the Crow, and she will always be a Beaumont.
We can’t change that.
“Maybe you need to take a step back. Let le Loup take care of the Crow, let her take the weight of his anger and misguided care.”
I nod. “I can do that, Aves. We can do that. Just give yourself some time to figure out how you’re going to get him on his knees for you.”
A week later, Illi finally wins the argument and they both pack up to leave. I secured a safe house for them that was picked out by Avery, security set up and monitored by the Coyote, and only members of our family know where it is.