Raw- Rebirth

by Belle Aurora

  I listened intently at the response Doctor Prahesh gave. “Well, sometimes, when people have experienced a trauma as Antonio has, the body isn’t the only thing that needs to take time to heal. The mind is delicate. A child’s mind, even more so.” He looked back at our son. “He’s healing. I think your son will wake when he’s good and ready.”

  “I think” wasn’t something I wanted to hear, but I’d take it.

  Doctor Prahesh was a smart man.

  And nine hours later, the little monster opened his eyes and woke from his prolonged slumber like the sleeping beauty he was.

  Chapter

  Forty-Five

  Twitch

  In the days after we got A.J. home, our house was full, for days, for hours on end, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t mind the company. It kept me thinking about the could-haves, the would-haves, the should-haves. It kept me from thinking about the things that might have been, and I was grateful for the reprieve from my thoughts.

  Gifts came by the carload, and although A.J. was having a hard time speaking after the removal of his breathing tube, he was getting better by the minute and damned if he didn’t love being spoiled.

  I couldn’t believe how resilient this child of mine was.

  There he was, smiling and laughing, playing on the floor with Happy and Ana while I fought the urge to cry. I fought that urge so hard, but it hadn’t left me for days.

  Every smile he threw my way shot me in the heart. Every excited look, every happy gasp, every hug he gave as he passed me wrecked me. Wrecked my soul in a way I couldn’t comprehend. Breathing in a full breath hadn’t happened since he was taken from us, and I still couldn’t manage one. Because we might not have been so lucky, and I silently vowed that I would spend the rest of my life being the father he deserved. I would be the kind of father I wished for as a child, the involved, loving kind. The kind of dad who instinctively knew something was wrong with his kid. The kind of father who knew his child that well.

  Something had happened to me over the past week. Something had changed. I felt myself softening in a way that felt unnatural, in a way I wanted to fight it, but I was tired of fighting. Maybe it was time for a change. And as I sat down next to my ailing father, I spoke without a trace of malice. “You’re coming back to visit, right, Pops?”

  Antonio Falco Senior didn’t have a lot of life left in him, but he wanted to spend what little time he had left making up for the mistake he’d made a lifetime ago. And, right now, as I looked over at my recovering son, I could appreciate that. I could respect that.

  His voice was rough. “You want that?”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

  He blinked at me in stunned disbelief. He was waiting for the shoe to drop. But there was no shoe to drop. I said what I said.

  When enough time had passed, I uttered, “So, is that a yes?”

  He spoke cautiously. “Maybe you could bring my grandson to visit me in Vegas?”

  No hesitance. “Okay. I mean, it might not be for a while. Depends on how he recovers and all, but yeah. I think Lexi would be down for that.”

  My father’s lip tilted up at the corner. His lip twitched then stretched as he smiled. That smile pulled into a grin, and when he lifted his shaking hands, I realized he was sicker than I thought. Without warning, he roughly grabbed my cheeks and pulled me in. When he kissed my cheeks as hard as he did, wheezing out a laugh, something I’d never felt flowed through me, slowly. Languidly. It was liquid warmth in my veins.

  It was a father’s love.

  Something I’d never had before.

  And as I fought the emotion I was feeling, I took one of my dad’s trembling hands and kissed his thick, aged knuckles as he continued to smile down at me like I was breathing life into him. With one hand in his and the other on his shoulder, I gently shook him and uttered, “Don’t up and die on me, okay?” My tone was as steady as I could make it. “We got shit to catch up on.”

  That was when my brother stepped in with a sharp clap to my shoulder. “What’s going on? You two need to get a room or some shit?” Zep grinned down at me as I glared up at him. “You gonna miss us, asshole?”

  With a solid frown, I shrugged his hand off me. “Fuck you, bitch.”

  And as Zep laughed openly, he wrapped his arm around my neck, mock-choking me, and pressed a smacking kiss to my head. “It’s okay, fucker.” He dug his knuckles into my hair and rubbed hard enough to make me grit my teeth. Before he walked away to sit beside the growing amount of people surrounding my son, he uttered a straight up, “I’mma miss you too.”

  My father smiled widely at the exchange, sighing out, “Like real brothers.” He nodded sadly. “You’ve made an old man very happy, my sons.”

  It was nice, and part of me didn’t want it to be because I’d miss it too much.

  We were a world away from them, my family, and I would miss them more than I wanted to admit. So I didn’t.

  As Manda and Zep fought over a truck Molly and Tama had brought the little dude, A.J. laughed rowdily and I smiled. From my place at the table, I watched Julius, Nikki, and Dave sit outside with my woman. She was smiling. She was happy.

  Everything was okay.

  Everything was good.

  So when Luka called, my stomach dropped because I knew what was coming.

  We went not because he was my king and I was his ward.

  We went because he was my friend and I owed him.

  Hopefully, what I owed wouldn’t cost me much because, fuck me, I had nothing left to give.

  ***

  Lexi

  As soon as we sat on the plush white sofa and Luka started to talk, I knew what was happening here.

  “I need you,” was all he said, and it was aimed solely at Twitch.

  Yes. My worst fears were confirmed. He wanted the holy trinity back in the fold.

  I twisted to look at the man by my side and my nose bunched. “No.”

  But Luka was persistent. “My kingdom is falling apart, and in the midst of it crumbling to pieces, I helped you.” The last statement was directed at the both of us, and he made sure I knew this, looking between us. “It might take us a while, but we can rebuild, Twitch. I just need a few good men.”

  Again, “No.”

  Luka glared at me. “Am I talking to you, woman?”

  Oh, no, he did not.

  He was going to understand me, so help me God.

  “Do you see this ring?” I held up my left hand, and the gleaming diamond sparkled in the light. “This ring means his life isn’t his to bargain with anymore. It’s mine, Luka. And I say no.” My expression told him to fight me. I fucking dared him to try. “You may have a throne, Luka.” I stood a second before I sat back down on Twitch’s lap. “But this one’s mine, and I’ll be damned if anyone tries to take it from me.”

  Twitch tried to cut in with, “Baby—”

  But I stopped that shit with a firm, “If you don’t shut your mouth, I will shut it for you, Tony. I swear to God. Do not push me right now.”

  A sigh at my back told me I was being a pain.

  Luckily, I didn’t care.

  A cold silence followed.

  “She’s scary,” uttered Luka quietly.

  “She’s solid,” countered a smug Twitch, squeezing my hip tenderly.

  Yes, I was. But it was more than that. I had a fear in me that never left me. That fear had driven me to do things I never thought myself capable of. That fear was slowly ebbing out of me, but that fear would never be gone completely with Twitch working in a way I never knew if he was coming home.

  I couldn’t live like that.

  I deserved better.

  We deserved better.

  “Six years,” I whispered. “Six years I spent without him.” He couldn’t possibly understand the hell I had gone through in that time. “My son has missed out on so much. I just got him back, Luka. I can’t lose him again. I’m sorry. I’d risk myself before I ever gambled with his life becau
se that bullet hole...” My sigh came out tired, but I fired up again almost immediately. “That goddamn scar at his neck tells me he’s stupid enough to believe he’s invincible. And we all know that’s not true.”

  At that, Twitch sounded offended. “You wanna ease up, angel?”

  No, I did not.

  I spun on his lap to face him, took a deep breath, and spoke carefully, “Do you know that when wolves mate, the female will act afraid just to place herself under him. She acts frightened, Twitch, but she does what she does to protect his throat, his weak spot.” His face softened on me. “You call me a queen, honey, but what kind of queen would I be if I didn’t protect my king?”

  Twitch looked at me and blinked, completely resigned. Lifting his hand, he cupped my cheek tenderly, running his thumb along my jaw. And the action told me all I needed to know.

  He was with me.

  What decisions were made from now on, we made for us. For our pack.

  “That’s disgusting,” stated Luka, and when we both turned to face him, he looked kind of ill. “You guys are fucking disgusting, you know that? Also—” He leveled a glare on Twitch. “—where the fuck do I find one like her?”

  I felt my king’s body shudder under mine in silent laughter. But I kept my eyes on Luka.

  Fate had brought us together time and time again, but I wouldn’t take that for granted. Tomorrow wasn’t promised to us. So I fought to keep us safely together.

  “He’s mine, Luka. Mine and mine alone.” My voice trembled, and I hated how weak I felt then. The words came out slow. “You can’t have him.”

  Luka watched me closely, and the newfound king’s eyes darted over to the fallen royal behind me. A long moment passed before he rolled his eyes and uttered, “You know what?” Luka uttered before slapping his hands down onto his thighs, and then pinned me with a lighthearted stare. “I don’t even want him.”

  Oh, shit.

  And I could breathe again. “Oh, good.”

  Could they see the way my heart was beating out of my chest?

  I hoped not.

  “Well...” As I stood, I licked my lips and feigned my composure. “As nice as this has been, Luka, we need to get home to our son.”

  Twitch took my trembling hand in his and squeezed it in a silent show of support, and when Luka glared down at our entwined hands, he stood with a long sigh. “Whatever.” His lips pulled down. “Take that sappy shit out of my house, a’ight?” He pointed toward the front door. “Bounce.”

  But I smiled. Because I had come to know Luka. And when I released Twitch’s hand and made the short walk over to him, he allowed me to take his face in my hands, pull him down, and plant a long, hard kiss to his cheek. When he finally moved back and I opened my mouth to speak, I couldn’t get out what I needed to say.

  Thank you.

  Luka must have sensed this. I know he did because when I struggled to speak, he blinked down at me hesitantly and muttered a soft, “It’s okay. We’re good.”

  I blinked away the tears that seemed to assault me on the daily, the feeling of overwhelming emotion that hadn’t left me, and nodded through the lump in my throat as I took a step back directly into the arms of a man who literally fought death to be with me in life.

  Talk about commitment.

  I was beginning to see that Twitch never did anything he set his mind to in a half-assed manner. Life, work, love. He was extreme in all ways. Intense. And now that I had lived without him, I came to appreciate what he gave to me.

  He was mine and I was his, unconditionally, and we were finally happy.

  As we left Luka’s, I lost myself in thought as Twitch drove us home. I was only pulled from my thoughts when he reached out for my hand, entwining our fingers, and rested them on the center console. He looked at me a solid moment, searching my face before settling back onto the road. “You good, baby?”

  Was I?

  I thought about it.

  “Yeah,” I breathed out quietly. “We’re good.”

  I know it wasn’t what he asked, but it was the answer he got, and from his slight smile, it was the answer he wanted. When he opened his mouth and out came, “I fucking love you,” it sounded more like a threat than an endearment, and it was so severe, so stark, I couldn’t help it.

  I snorted loudly.

  And Twitch’s smile widened into a grin.

  Goddamn it.

  I loved this man, and I let it be known. Leaning over, I pressed my lips to his cheek, kissing the roughness there warmly, fondly, over and over, and as I moved to pull back, he frowned.

  “Hey. Get back here.”

  When he gripped the front of my shirt and thrust me to him, I let out a little “Eek,” as our lips met harshly. He took my mouth in a way that poems spoke of. Without falter, in complete abandon, and the earth stopped moving for the seconds our lips were joined.

  How could I live without this urgent kind of love?

  The answer came swiftly.

  I couldn’t.

  I wouldn’t.

  And as my eyes fluttered open again, I felt my cheeks warm while the headiness subsided. I stared at the man opposite me a long while, and when he turned back to wink at me, my stomach coiled tight.

  It didn’t take a genius to work out our brand of love was rare.

  So when I opened my mouth again, I spoke softly. “I love you, Twitch.”

  He kept his eyes on the road, but his grip on my hand tightened. The cocky asshole replied, “I know.”

  I wanted to smack him then, but I didn’t.

  Instead, I smiled gently out into the open road. “Good.”

  The utter bliss I felt at that moment felt so consuming, so strong, that my mind just had to go ruin it.

  Yeah. You’re happy now. But how long will it last, Lexi?

  Just like that. Mood ruined.

  My anxiety returned tenfold. My mind wandered. My insides flipped almost painfully.

  We would be fine.

  I mean, what else could go wrong? Everything was as it should be.

  My mind laughed.

  Don’t hold your breath.

  But because I believed in us and wanted this to work so badly, I did.

  I shouldn’t have.

  Chapter

  Forty-Six

  Lexi

  My heart stuttered the moment I saw the familiar police car parked out front.

  “Twitch,” I muttered as I sat up straighter, my lips parting in dread.

  His brows pulled down in confusion, and he spoke softly, obviously sensing I was easy to spook. “It’s probably nothing.”

  He was probably right. But what if it wasn’t?

  I had already undone my seatbelt by the time Twitch pulled into the drive, and when the car came to a stop, I flew out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me, and rushed toward the house with a racing heart and wide eyes. The second I opened the front door, I called out, “A.J!”

  He didn’t respond. My apprehension turned to sheer terror. And when I made it down the hall, I stilled in my steps, meeting Gabe Blanco’s solemn eyes. I held those eyes, and I breathed heavily as I asked an unsteady “Where’s my son, Gabe?”

  My back warmed as Twitch stood protectively at my six.

  I wasn’t expecting the answer I received. “Child Protective Services.”

  My mouth gaped. My stomach dropped.

  From behind me, Twitch uttered in complete disbelief, “Say again?”

  Gabe sat at our dining table, sipping on the coffee he’d helped himself to, and shrugged. “I don’t know what you were expecting, Falco.” He leveled us with a stare that I was sure was used to intimidate the worst of criminals. “You refuse to give a statement. Refuse to let us talk to the boy—”

  Twitch stepped past me, his eyes thunderous, and boomed, “He’s not ready. He’s healing.”

  “We have questions, Twitch. Questions you refuse to answer.” Gabe stood, meeting Twitch move for move as he raised his voice. “And now, a higher power h
as decided they’re done waiting for you to be ready. So, well done.” Gabe spun around, running a hand through his short brown hair. “Fuck!” He twisted back and glowered at Twitch. “You think I wanted this?” He shook his head. “Look at me like that all you want, asshole.” He pressed his pointed finger into Twitch’s chest. “You caused this, not me.”

  I was listening, but it was hard to comprehend.

  What did this mean?

  The silence was thick enough to carve with a knife, and when Twitch slapped away Gabe’s hand from his person, I felt the blood roaring in my ears.

  My query came out monotone. “You’re taking our son from us?”

  It was my worst fear come to life.

  Gabe looked heavenward and placed his hands on his hips. When he lowered his head, he refused to look at me. “I’m not doing anything, Alexa.” His lips thinned. “I told you, this is out of my hands.” He took in a deep breath and talked through the slow exhale. “If it’s any consolation, Molly is with him.”

  Tony’s cheek ticked. “I swear to God, you piece of shit, if anything happens to him—” Twitch took a menacing step forward, but I took a handful of the back of his shirt, holding him back.

  “Stop, baby.” My voice was barely audible.

  We had to be smart here.

  To my surprise, he stalled in his tracks, breathing heavily through his nose, his body vibrating with pent-up anger.

  I was a qualified social worker. I knew the system. I knew it inside out.

  They couldn’t do this.

  They couldn’t.

  They could.

  No. Not with my son they couldn’t.

  Sure. Tell yourself that, Lexi.

  Feeling a stinging ache in my chest, I pondered this new development. We weren’t dealing with just anyone here. We were dealing with a system higher up than the Australian Federal Police. That only meant one thing.

  We were now dealing with ASIO.

  Jesus freaking Christ.

  This was not good.

  The Australian Security Intelligence Organization. And an organization like that got shit done. An organization like that had no rules.

  I swallowed hard, gaining my bearings, and wrapped my hands around Tony’s arm to stop him from taking an unsuspecting lunge at an Australian Federal Police officer. “What do we need to do here, Gabe?” When he didn’t respond, I pled through my grief. “Please,” I uttered. “Don’t do it for us. Do it for A.J. He’s probably terrified.” The thought made my stomach dip.