We push through the trees silently, Daniel and Bobby leading the way. To my right, I can sense Hunter, and behind me, Evelyn and Ghost close the ranks. It doesn’t escape me that I’m protected on all sides. It’s wild, to say the least.
In my ear, I hear a nearly silent click, warning me that someone’s going to speak.
“I’ve got eyes on the sky,” Oliver says quickly. “Infrared drones have cleared the house. There are no bodies inside.”
For some reason, my shoulders drop.
“You’re clear to enter with caution.”
“Roger,” Daniel quietly responds as he turns to face me. “You’re up, E.”
With a steady exhale, I step up to the back door, my fingers trembling as I type in the code. The keypad beeps softly, the green light flashing as the door unlocks. My hand wraps around the handle, the cool metal grounding me for a moment.
Just as I go to pull the door open, a dark shadow moves beside me. Ghost suddenly appears, his massive frame nearly blending into the night. He reaches out and unwraps my hand from the handle, his touch surprisingly gentle. My eyes widen as he leans in, his face mere inches from mine. The only thing visible under his creepy gray and black mask are the whites of his eyes, glowing eerily in the darkness.
“Let me, my queen,” he murmurs, his voice so low it’s almost a growl.
A shiver runs down my spine at the way he says it—so calm, so sure. I open my mouth to argue, to tell him that I can do it, but before I can get a word out, he shoves me into Hunter’s waiting arms, who pulls me away and turns our bodies, blanketing me. Protecting me.
It pisses me off, and I barely resist the urge to stomp on his annoying toes.
We all seem to hold our breath as Ghost slowly pulls the door open. I hear thebeep, beep, beepthat signals the first alarm disengaging. We pause for a beat, then let out a collective sigh.
“Well, that was easy,” Hunter murmurs.
I hear someone scoff, then the sound of fabric and metal shuffling. I wiggle from his arms, none too gently. I may accidently elbow his stomach. He grunts and I spin, shooting him a glare in the dark.
“Don’t ever do that again, Hunter Morris,” I whisper-hiss.
His eyes go wide. “Do what?”
I shove his uninjured shoulder gently. “Protect me with your body. It’s becoming a habit and I hate it.”
Even in the dark, I can see his brows waggle. “But I’m your knight, my queen. That’s my job.”
My mouth falls open, an argument sitting on my tongue. But before I can say anything, a hand on my shoulder has my mouth snapping shut.
“Not that this isn’t adorable,” Bobby murmurs. “But it’s a really fucking bad time to be arguing. Maybe save this for home, yeah?”
I swallow hard at his gentle chiding, but it’s the single word that rocks me to my core.
Home.
The compound is…nice. Family oriented and incredible. But it's not home.
My eyes flick to the tall, modern structure before me. The scent of the gym mats and boxing equipment are strong enough to permeate the still night air around us.
If I close my eyes, I can picture the guys sparring shirtless. Can practically taste the sweat dripping down Gage’s muscular body. I can hear Maddox chasing me around the house, and my laughter as he tickles me. Can picture Stone’s quiet moments where he ties me up, and I finally let go of the anxiety that’s plagued me for years. I can hear Nyx bitching me out while staring at me with eyes so full of love, I don’t know how I ever missed them before.
And now, I can perfectly see Hunter sprawled out on the couch, his guitar in his arms as he sings to me, the feeling of warmth surrounding us for the first time in our lives.
This is home.
It’s unexpected, a surprise in every way. But it’s mine—ours, and I’ll fight for it with everything I have.
As we move forward, slowly and silently, through the storage closet, I turn to Hunter and grab his hand to get his attention.
I blink past the sudden burst of emotion and whisper, “Maybe if we have time, we can grab your guitar.” His brows lift and I shrug, blushing. “It might make you feel more at home.”
