by KC Kean
“Do you really think I wasn’t fucking Veronica? When they convinced her to go through with the artificial insemination, I’d already cum in her cunt more times than you could believe, little moon!” He screams, my blood running cold at his words.
No. Never. A shudder runs down my spine, uncontrollably, and he catches the movement.
“That’s right, I’m your daddy, and you’ll do whatever I fucking tell you to do,” he spits out, as I hear the slightest gasp from Barbette, who’s practically cowering on the spot.
“Rafe is my father before all else, rotten sperm doesn’t determine who my father is,” I reply, holding my ground, not wanting his words to affect me. I can feel the shake in my voice slightly, the distress he’s causing in the revelation is evident.
Ignoring my words, he pushes on with a different tactic. “Little moon, we could rule the entire criminal underworld, not just in the U.S. but across the ocean, infiltrating every continent,” he preaches, arms out wide. “You could be number one, I see a fire in you I’ve never seen in Wren. She could learn a thing or two from you.”
I scoff at his attempt to persuade me, but he does have me slightly intrigued. “Is this the movement I’ve heard so much about?” I ask, remembering what Veronica said.
He claps with excitement, a manic gleam to his wide eyes. “Yes. Exactly! I spent all my time at this damn Academy as a fucking underdog. A Club through and through. I refuse to let anyone else look down at me,” he growls. “Imagine the power we would wield, the destruction we could cause. I’ve worked hard to get us to this point, little moon. I’ve balanced Barbie and Vee, ensuring Wren was raised exactly as I wanted, but now I need your obedience. We have people on our side all over the globe, ready to move when I say go.”
He stares me down, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waits expectantly for my response.
“Thanks for the offer, but it’ll have to be a no from me.”
“Don’t defy me, Luna!” He yells at the top of his voice, raking his fingers through his hair. “You’ll fucking listen to me, or I’ll force you to do as I see fit. It’s your choice.”
“Let me say it slower for you since you don’t seem to be hearing me. I. Said. No,” I drag it out, but I think he’s reached his limit with me.
Storming towards me, I hear the magical words spoken in my ear, “Three, two, one.”
Doors slam open from behind me, and the opposite entryway on the other side of the room as Rafe, Roman, Oscar, and Parker step into the room from all angles. Each covered in mud and splatters of blood, they aim their guns at Totem, who simply raises an eyebrow at me. Rafe and Oscar are in front of me, and Parker stands with Roman at my side.
“I’m going to kill every last one of these fuckers, and after I’m done, you’re going to come with me. I’m not afraid to beat a little obedience into you.” Before I can respond to his words, he pulls a gun from the back of his pants, pointing it straight at Rafe, all while maintaining eye contact with me.
No. The hairs on my arms stand on point as fear rushes through my body, my legs stumbling over themselves as my brain tries to speed up my response.
Bang. A simple fucking sound, so easily changing the course of our lives, holds me captive. As if in slow motion, I watch Totem stumble as a bullet blasts through his knee cap. In shock, he glances down at his leg, a pained cry ripping from his lungs, as he drops his gun to the floor.
“Tony!” Barbette cries, dashing across the floor, but she doesn’t make it to his side as a bullet shoots through her shoulder, the impact throwing her backwards. The second gunshot finally kicks me into action, pushing me to grab my own gun from its holster. I pull the trigger on instinct, raining a succession of bullets at Totem, feeling every inch of my pain release with each click. My eyes unwavering as each one hits its target, his stomach, leg, and face exploding with blood. A sick sense of satisfaction washes over me, as his eyes glass over and he drops to the floor in front of me.
Tearing my gaze from him, Barbette’s wild eyes frantically search around her as rich red blood pours from her wound, seeping into her god awful yellow suit. I aim my gun at her, smiling wide, I go to pull the trigger, but another shot rings out. The bullet hits right between her eyes, and her lifeless body drops to the floor right along with Totem. I glance at the guys, and Rafe for a moment, knowing that some of the gunshots weren’t from any of us, but when I look up to the balcony on the second floor there’s no one visible.
The silence that surrounds me feels odd, as my mind adjusts to the scene. It's rare to see the dead bodies around us, without a single drop of blood on me. My heart pounds in my chest as my mind processes what my eyes are seeing. Totem is dead. Holy shit. The usual pressure, wrapped tight around my neck, is gone.
Parker is quick to spin me around, scanning me from head to toe, making sure I’m okay before bringing his lips to mine. I feel more arms wrap around me, not a word spoken as we bask in each other’s presence.
The door behind me bouncing off the wall breaks the moment, sending us back on high alert, as Maverick splutters before us, covered in ash. Hands braced on his knees, he barely glances at the mess of bodies around us, his eyes finding mine.
“It’s Kai.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
(Luna)
Charging into the Combat building, with the guys close behind me, I head for the door Maverick told me to go through. I barely hear them ricochet off the walls, as my eyes frantically search the people before me. I never knew there was a full medical center on campus. Although, I do remember when I knocked Wren out in our first Combat class, there were medics readily available.
A handful of nurses and doctors stop in their tracks around the reception area, staring me down. I must look like a madwoman, but I am, and I don’t care. All I care about right now is getting to Kai because Maverick said he wasn’t good.
“Luna!” Bryce calls out from the far corner of the room, and I bypass everyone to get to him. His hands instantly wrap around my body, holding me tight. I can feel him sag in relief against me, and it fills me with a strong sense of comfort, just like when Rafe holds me. It still doesn’t quench my need to find Kai, though. Stepping back, he glances over my shoulder at the guys behind me.
“Where is he?” I ask, needing to see him with my own eyes.
“Kai is through there,” he murmurs, pointing at the door to my left. “He’s sleeping right…” I don’t hear the rest, my feet automatically moving towards my handsome.
Pushing the door open, there are two nurses and a doctor checking Kai over. Hearing me enter, the doctor frowns. He doesn’t look much older than me, messy blonde hair swept across his forehead with hazel eyes assessing me. Straightening the collar of his doctor’s coat, he sighs.
“No one should be in here right now, but I have a feeling you’re not going to accept that instruction.” I raise my eyebrow at him, he knows me well already. “Okay, Luna. Take the seat by his bed, but the others are going to have to wait outside.” I start to argue, but he cuts me off. “Don’t push me, Ace boys or not, that’s the rule. Kai needs to sleep right now anyway, maybe the others can get cleaned up, and have someone bring some fresh clothes or something.”
I look over my shoulder, Parker’s eyes trailing over Kai's sleeping form, but he nods reluctantly. Smiling softly at me, he steps out of the room, and I watch as Bryce wraps an arm around his shoulders. Oscar looks helpless, but nods and steps outside, leaving Roman to glare at the doctor.
“The second he wakes up and is truly conscious, you fucking notify me and don’t think one of us won’t be standing at this door at all times. This is our wife, and that is my brother,” he grunts, pointing a finger first at me, then at Kai. “You do what you have to do to help him, and I won’t kill you for trying to order us around.” The doctor looks at me nervously at the thunder in Roman’s voice, nodding gently in agreement.
Always pushing boundaries and rules, Roman steps up to the side of me, lifting my gaze to his and crush
ing his lips to mine. “I love you,” I whisper, and the fire in his eyes calms a little.
“I love you too, Princess,” he murmurs before stepping out.
I don’t miss the nurses checking out my Aceholes as I take the seat beside Kai, but my brain can’t focus on anything beyond his health right now. He’s covered from head to toe in soot, black ash marking him everywhere. I can’t see any physical injuries, but Maverick mentioned it was smoke inhalation.
“How do you know my name?” I ask, unable to pull my gaze from Kai, wondering how he called me Luna a moment ago.
“Because when Kai is briefly alert, he’s calling out for you, then falls unconscious again.” His words hit me with a mixture of emotions. It warms my heart knowing he’s calling for me, but it splits my soul in two, knowing how alone he is right now, lost to the darkness.
I intertwine my fingers with Kai’s, stroking my thumb against his soft skin. An oxygen mask sits on his face, trying to pump pure oxygen into his lungs. His long eyelashes brush against his cheeks as he sleeps, and my heart aches. I want to do something, anything to make him wake-up.
“What has been done so far?” I ask, glancing at one of the nurses, who offers a soft smile in comfort.
“He’s already had a chest x-ray, we’re just waiting on the results back from that. We’ve drawn blood so we can run a few different tests, including an ABG, uhh sorry, an arterial blood gas test.” She comes to stand on the other side of him, pointing down at his left hand, where a small device sits on his finger. “We also have a pulse oximetry on him, so we can see how well oxygen is getting to his tissues. The oxygen mask is the most important part, if we feel it’s not working as well, we may move it to a tube down his throat, but that’ll be the last resort.”
I nod along to her words, but a lot of it goes straight over my head. The details she offers though, show me they’re working hard on him, and that’s what matters.
“We haven’t had to do a bronchoscopy so far, and his vitals are slowly starting to return to normal. All the signs are looking positive for him,” the doctor adds, scribbling on the clipboard in his hands. “We’ll leave you to sit with him. If he wakes, just press the button on the wall to your left, and someone will be here.”
The room dips into silence as they leave the room, only the sound of the machines working surround me. I squeeze Kai’s hand tighter, my mind needing to make sure he’s still there. A lot has fucking happened in the past few months, but tonight was life-changing.
Totem is dead. Barbette Dietrichson and her father too. Maverick mentioned Travis Fuse was the one to find Mia and pulled her from the burning building. Then, he ran straight back in to save his son. I’m seeing him in a completely different light. There is a lot to discuss now, like what all this means for us, but my sole focus right now is Kai.
I just need my quiet and observant Acehole to wake the fuck up.
*****
(Parker)
Glancing through the glass in the window, I watch as Kai sleeps in the bed, his chest rising slowly with each intake of breath. My beautiful angel sits beside him, her hand wrapped around his as she sleeps, sitting up. It doesn’t look the most comfortable, but no one dares to move her.
We’ve been here for hours, they’re even offering to set cots up for us, but we won’t sleep while they are. Taking turns, we have all showered in the Combat side of the building, changing into the fresh sweatpants and hoodies that Jess arranged for us, and had Maverick bring over. Kai’s father, Travis, is resting in the room next to him, Mia, by his side. Risking his life for his son means a lot to everyone, so I’m glad he isn’t alone right now.
Rafe walks through the main doors, freshly showered too, and with a serene look on his face. He took charge of the major clean-up needed up at the Main Hall, but he was more than happy to do it. Bryce jumps to his feet, throwing his arms around Rafe's waist, and they hold each other tight. Whispering in their own little bubble, I have no clue what they are saying, but happy tears streak their faces.
“Hey, old man, talk to us,” Oscar says loudly from the seat beside me. He’s slouched down in his chair, legs spread wide as he bounces his knee, like he owns the place.
Rafe glares at him for the nickname, but at least he knew Oscar was talking to him. Walking over, he claps hands with me, patting me on the back, doing the same with Oscar and Roman as they stand too. While Luna was inside with Totem, as a team, we stormed the perimeter of the Main Hall, taking down every person in our way. John Dietrichson and all the damn muscle they had circling the place are now dead, and I don’t feel bad, not even a little bit. That’s what they fucking deserve for playing their part in the shit show Totem started.
“Has everything been taken care of with the bodies?” Roman asks, and Rafe nods.
“Yes, just like I said it would be. So, don’t stress,” Rafe says, clapping him on the shoulder. “How is your father?” He asks, looking to Oscar for a response.
“He’s good. They’ve set him up across the hall,” he responds, pointing at the door at the opposite end of the room. “My mother and sister are in there with him at the moment.”
Oscar’s relationship with his father is beyond complicated, but I can see the relief in his eyes knowing his father will be okay.
“Has anyone figured out how Totem got in Ace block yet?” Roman grunts, asking the question on all of our lips, but Rafe shakes his head.
“Honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever know. Unless, we get any answers from interrogating the staff. I feel like he had help on the inside, and even though the roof door was open, it just doesn’t add up.” He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hopefully, we can try and recover some of the blocked footage, and get some answers.”
Movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention as Rafe continues to speak, but I cut him off. “He’s awake,” I whisper, my feet moving on their own accord, seeing Kai’s eyes frantically search around him.
Pushing the door open, I don’t look behind me. “Hey, it’s alright, Kai. It’s okay,” I murmur, stopping his hand from clawing at his face, in an effort to get rid of the face mask. His breathing increases as he frowns at me, trying to speak, but the sounds of the monitors going crazy distracts us all.
“Kai,” Luna says from across the bed, sleep and emotion thick in her voice. “Hey, handsome.” She leans over him, stroking his hair from his face as tears well in her eyes.
Kai’s gaze settles on Luna, a calmness washing over him. Raising his hand to her lips, she kisses his knuckles, soot marking her lips as she does.
“Luna,” he muffles from behind the face mask, pulling his hand from my grasp to lift it away from his face. “I love you…” he rasps before he starts to cough uncontrollably. Luna surprises me, instantly slamming the button at the side of his bed, as she forces the mask back over his mouth. The rest of us stand frozen in place, watching him try to catch his breath.
She murmurs sweet encouraging words, as she brings her face close to his. She always has the magic to take care of us, aiding, and guiding us when we need her. I feel a hand squeeze my shoulder, looking behind me to see Roman smile comfortingly at me.
The doctor enters the room, a nurse behind him, staring at us with a raised eyebrow. We all step back from the bed, all except Luna, and the doctor shakes his head, but doesn’t utter a single word. We can be compliant when we want to be.
“Mr. Steele-Fuse, nice of you to join us,” the doctor says, and Kai glares at him. “Much more responsive too.” He taps away on the tablet in his hands, and Kai starts to growl. I think he’s the worst patient out of all of us. “Okay, how about I check you over, and we can see how quickly we can get you out of here?” The doctor asks, and Kai nods furiously.
Luna chuckles from beside him, making him look up at her. The love and admiration in his eyes, even touches me, the power of our feelings for our wife, affects us all. Slowly, he lifts the masks from his face, and nobody dares to stop him again.
“I didn’
t say it in the room before we left,” he breathes, trying to not agitate his throat again like earlier. “I love you, Sakura. With all that I am, I love you.”
“Oh, you say that now, but wait until I get you home. You are in some serious shit for scaring me like this,” she warns, but the smile on her face overrules the stress in her voice. “I love you, too.” She looks around at all of us, touching us with her fierce love.
This is where I want to be forever. Everybody has an addiction, mine just happens to be love.
*****
(Wren)
I rush from the medical center waiting room, not wanting anyone to see me. My heart beats rapidly in my chest as the fresh morning breeze wraps around me, making me shiver. I’m in no state to be seen right now, covered in filth with my hair a mess, my mother would kill me for looking like this.
Leaning against the side of the Combat building, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I did it. I can’t believe I actually fucking did it. My hands shake before me, as my mind replays the bullets hitting my father, then my mother, my trigger finger repeating the motion. She can’t break me down, and he can’t ruin me anymore.
I need to leave, and I need to do it now. I should have left straight away, but I wanted to make sure no one else died at the hands of that monster. I refuse to be a product of his making, a puppet on his damn string.
“I’m surprised you haven’t run already,” a deep voice rumbles beside me, and my fight or flight instincts kick in. But when I open my eyes, Rafe Gibbs stands before me with his hands raised slightly in surrender.
I don’t dare move, staring him down as he slowly slips his hand into the front of his jeans, quickly retrieving an object. My confusion must show on my face, but he says nothing.
“I saw you,” he murmurs, and my breath catches in my throat. “What you did, back in that Main Hall...This is me saying thank you.” He stretches out his hand, offering me the key and a slip of paper I hadn’t noticed earlier.
“What’s this for?”