Page 23 of Penance

Driving into the familiar underground carpark of the Swallow family’s tower block is intimidating to say the least. When you’re treated like the enemy that is. Kacey and I lived here for two weeks with Kyla-Rose, coming and going as we pleased, never encountered one issue in or out. Today, however, we’ve been stopped and searched at both security stations before we even hit the down ramp. The car was checked, we were checked, not that they took our weaponry… just logged it. So there must be some sort of trust there. Well, that, or they’re all just super confident in their skills that three, armed, ex-military men don’t even hit their radar.

Now, we’re slowly crawling down the winding tarmac. Nox driving our blacked-out Range Rover cautiously into the basement as though we’re descending into the fiery pits of Hell. It feels ominous. The whole twenty-minute journey did. Silence the entire way, none of us knowing what the fuck to say.

This all feels like the end to something that hasn’t even really started yet. Didn’t have a chance to be watered and nurtured, grow into something fucking beautiful. It could be beautiful, I think. Whether that be as a threesome or a foursome. I don’t mind sharing, we’re all a little bit fucked up in our ways. We can each bear a portion of the weight, hold each other up when one of us is knocked down. Four broken people, each with their own trauma, every single one of us bathed and decorated in blood.

I’ve never been careful with a woman before. Not until I met Kyla-Rose. I never wanted to be soft. My dad’s soft, mum’s a hard arse, she treats him like shit, and he worships the ground she walks on. Not sure why, she’s a fucking arsehole most of the time. Corrupt and knee deep in political filth. Dad’s old money, Mum’s new money, what a fucking joke. My whole family is a fucking mess. That’s why I wanted to create my own.

I couldn’t wait to escape that toxic house and I did just that at eighteen. The army called to me as my escape, I met my two brothers, and the rest is history. I’m just a fake doting son now. I strive for a quiet life with that woman, so I just do the shit I really can’t refuse. Politics is all about appearances, after all.

Nox parks the car, backing into a space as I look out, seeing Eli already waiting for us. Dressed head to toe in black, from his boots and baggy cargo pants to his t-shirt and jacket. His arms folded across his chest, one leg kicked up against the wall beside the lift. The only thing that has him standing out in this dimly lit basement is his stark white hair. Otherwise, he’d have blended perfectly into the shadows, regardless of his six-foot-six height.

Everyone in this family dresses in black.

Kacey and I are out of the car before it’s even fully stopped moving, making our way over to Eli as quickly as we can. Desperate to see our girl. I need to hold her, press my face into her long, silky hair, inhale that beautiful coconut, citrus scent and never let her fucking go. I’m probably the most relaxed when it comes to my relationship with her, I’m chilled, never pushy, there’s things I’d like us to do, just, when she’s ready. I can wait. But the thought of never getting to cuddle her again has me fucking catatonic.

“Where is she?” I boom, my chest shaking with simmering panic.

Fuck.

Eli lazily raises a brow at my outburst, not moving from his casual position against the wall. He smacks his gum, blowing a lime green bubble before it snaps against his lips. He scrapes it off his bottom lip with his teeth, watching me as he does it again. I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath. Nox claps a hand over my shoulder from behind and squeezes.

Relax. You’re the only rational one in the entire group.

“Let us up,” Kacey says calmly.

Trying to keep himself from making demands, he motions with his head to the lift doors beside Eli. Eli swings his gaze to Kacey, running his eyes up his body, feet, torso, head. He glances at Nox, eyes narrowing just the tiniest fraction before schooling his reaction. He finally nods at me, pushing off the wall.

“You’re packing,” he states, turning his back on us as he hits the call button. “Good. I hear it’s a fucking mess up there. Two rules,” he snaps his gum again before continuing. “No one gets out, lads, and whatever she says goes,” he swings his gaze back over his shoulder, idly eyeing each of us individually. “What the queen demands, the queen receives. I wouldn’t deny her if you value any particular parts of yourselves,” he deadpans with a slight smirk as the lift bell dings and the doors open.

What in the fuck are we about to walk into?

The four of us crowd into the lift, Kacey and Nox stand sentry behind Eli and I as we ascend. Eli continues snapping his gum, the nervous energy of the unknown prompting Kacey to start humming a song under his breath. My dark brows pinch together as I glance at the reflection of him in the polished black doors.

“Are you humming the ‘muffin man’?” I ask in disbelief, that irritating tune implanting itself inside my brain, a seed taking root for at least the next week.

“Yup,” he shrugs, his beast sized hands shoved into his overly tight jean pockets.

I pinch the bridge of my nose in exasperation.

“You seem awfully calm all of a sudden,” Nox observes warily, “almost,excited,” he accuses as a large grin splits Kacey’s face.

“I am excited,” he states blandly, clearing his face of his wicked smirk. “I hope there’s something I can cut up.”

Eli snorts, “of course you do,” he chuckles dryly, “match made in fucking Hell,” he shakes his head as the elevator comes to a stop. “Get ready, lads,” he warns, stepping out of the doors into the pitch-black entryway.

I glance back at Nox who shrugs as Kacey barges past me out into the hall.

The entire apartment is in darkness, every window we pass as we follow behind Eli has its blinds, drapes or curtains closed. There’s no light coming from anywhere and if I hadn’t been here before I’d have no fucking clue where I was going. As it stands, I have been here before, lived here for a short while, so whilst everything around me is painted black and shrouded in shadows, I already know we’re headed in the direction of the dining room.

Stopping outside its large, arched, doublewide doors, Eli places both of his hands on the handles I know to be gold.

“Just be,” he pauses.

Rolling his eyes up to the ceiling before he continues, like he was trying to pluck the right words from somewhere.

“Circumspect,” he smirks, pushing both doors open at the same time and stepping in, immediately moving off to one side.

I can’t see shit, but I know my girl’s in here.

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