RUNO
I was five seconds away from getting fucked. IknewI was. We both felt that monster cock against my stomach before he demanded I tell him my plan. And now, we were hanging around the table, full from the chicken cacciatore I had made for the first time in my life. I was mildly surprised it turned out edible but now they were all waiting for me to talk.
Aeron sighed as he laid down his fork and broke the silence. “Has anything come from the murders at the institution a few days ago? Those are still hanging out there, right?”
I tensed and then relaxed, realizing that my plans didn’t cover everything. “I don’t have an alibi for those. Or really a backup plan, which is why this new plan should work. It didn’t really hit the papers at all because Dad absolutely cleaned it up but… ”
Samael leaned back as he threaded his fingers behind his head. “Are you going to share with the class?”
“We have to kill Samael.”
The kitchen went silent as my head erupted into chaos.
Daemon: What the fuck?
Dark: Absolutely not. Why is that the plan?
Finn: I knew something was going to blow up.
Killian: This should be interesting.
I growled at all of them to stay quiet. “Shush. I got this.”
However, I didn’t have this. Aeron and Slash were completely frozen but Samael was pissed, rage billowing behind his dark eyes. “I need you to say that again,slower, and make sure it’s the right words.”
I threw up my hands, my grin faltering for effect. “Not for real! The plan is to make Dad think Samael is dead and then have him work to cover it up. The kicker is that you’re not actually dead, and so he’s just constantly on edge.”
Slash frowned. “At what point do we kill your father?”
“We don’t,” I pushed out. “He doesn’t get the sweet release that death provides. He’ll stay on edge for as long as it takes, and it’ll sic Tyrone in a different direction.”
A cold calculating grin spread across Samael’s face as he held my gaze. “I love how optimistic you are. The real world doesn’t work like that.”
I shrugged. “It works like that if we leave.”
Killian: This is reckless, even for you.
When none of my men spoke, I cleared my throat. “Why aren’t you more excited about this?”
Aeron set his fork down, his sea-green eyes wary of my plan. “Because nothing is ever that easy, and to be honest, your plans are a bit… out there.”
I hadn’t wanted to get into the details at the table because it didn’t matter. All I knew was that it would work. I had everything I needed—well,mostlyeverything—and it would only be a matter of time before Dad’s life began to truly fall apart. “Fine, we’ll get into the details.”
Slash narrowed his gaze at me, swallowing the last bite of his meal before speaking. “First, I’d like to bring up the DMD issue. You keep zoning out. I’ve noticed it two or three times now since you, Runo, got out. Is one of the others fighting to come out?”
I grimaced. “No, I just… I’m eventually going to lose my head, which is why I’m trying to enjoy life as it comes.” I hadn’t wanted to get into the details of this issue either. There was so much the world didn’t know about DMD, me included, but what I did know was that it presented differently than HMDandI wouldn’t be able to enjoy a long, healthy life by just taking some meds.
Aeron’s brows furrowed slightly, his expression softening. “Do you know how long you have?”
I shook my head, my throat tightening as I tried to keep my wits about me. “My mom lived to like 40 something, and while I don’t have the same thing, mine is a bit worse. I just… can we not talk about that?” None of them said anything. “Look, I just want a few more years of normalcy before I can’t hold onto reality anymore. Call me selfish if you like, but…”
Aeron slid into the chair beside me and pulled me into his side, his arm warm against my back. “That’s why your timeline seems like it’s on warp speed. Because it is, isn’t it? You’re trying to make up for lost time.”
I cleared my throat, the heat of his touch stirring a flicker of something softer, clashing with the rage in my chest. “Just bear with me a little longer, alright?” Softness didn’t suit me or my alters, not like this and being vulnerable around my men felt weird.
Slash clicked his tongue and added, “We’re not going anywhere, even if you’re a little terrifying.”
“Slash is right, we’re here until the end. That’s not changing. Now, give us the details.” Samael leaned his elbows on the table, his hands folded neatly under his chin. The position hadthe muscles in his shoulders bulging beneath his shirt, a minor distraction.
