“I brought some food with me,” he says. “I was hoping I could explain the information on the drive, instead of you reading it.”
“What happens if I eat the food you bought? Will I wake up on the other side of the country, all alone again?” I smart, not holding back the sting of accusation.
He drops his eyes, and I feel his regret. But I also don’t feel bad for saying what I say.
“Drugging you was completely messed up,” he admits.
“Did youjustfigure that out?” I scoff.
He closes his eyes and shakes his hands in front of him, like he wants me to not to make a thing about it, but he doesn’t shut me down either. I can feel how sorry he is. His presence is pushing down on me and it is infused with regret and apology.
I don’t know why it’s harder to even contemplate forgiveness with Ramses. I can’t figure out why my anger is super charged with him. I’m furious with Kai and Darius, don’t get me wrong, but from him I can barely think of what he did without a flood of hurt.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to you,” he says, still not looking at him despite his eyes being open now.
“Something did happen, Ramses, you snapped my heart in half,” I say quietly. And I’m pretty sure my voice should be full of the rage I feel inside, maybe I left part of it back in the storm simulator or maybe I’m just done.
Even after Kai’s love laden reminders, and Darius’s own, I’m still left feeling completely gutted and so bloody tired of everything.
“Come on, then, let’s hear this story of yours.” I walk past him, the black kitten racing ahead while the sweet girl waits for the stupid Alpha.
I need to talk to her about being more protective of herself. One of us being trampled by Ramses is enough. I twist around before walking through the door to the sitting room and witness him picking her up and talking to her. Sweetly too. Goddamn him and his tender heart.
And then I stumble into Ramses’ own version of an apology. I guess that’s what it is.
He’s set up the boardroom like you would a board meeting. Complete with an agenda and a pad of paper.
“Let me get changed, and then I need to feed the kittens before we get started.” I dash into the room I’m staying in, coming face to face with an enormous bouquet of flowers that have been placed on the floor near my bed.
Every part of me freezes in terror. Which is completely fucking stupid considering it’s only a bunch of flowers but at the same time, it’s not the flowers, it’s the message.
The Phoenix Group—a faceless group of vigilantes who right a lot of the wrongs in our world use them as a calling card. A sign to let them know they’ve got you, or they’re about to get you.
I’m so caught up in my freak-out that when Ramses touches my shoulder, I scream and burst into tears.
“Jesus, Heidi, it’s me,” he says as he pulls me to his chest and wraps me up in his arms and his scent. His head falls to my shoulder. “The flowers are from me, Heidi. I keep trying to find a way to tell you but then I messed everything. Since the first time you walked in my room I wanted to tell you that Kai, Dare, and I are The Phoenix Group.”
I shake my head, not sure if I’m trying to stop him talking or berating myself for taking so long to see what’s been in front of me the whole time. All the warning signs are there: they’re triplets; they have to fake pack; there’s nothing online about them; they own that house but it’s not full of them or their memories; they know everything about me; they’ve got insight into things that are not normal like security and…
“Your brain’s ticking loud,” he says softly.
He hasn’t let me go yet. His arms are probably the only thing keeping me from falling apart. And his scent, god I’ve missed it, the way he and only he can pull me back into alignment scares me as much as his reveal does.
“I was hoping you’d read the files. Everything is in there, Heidi, everything. And I’m not saying you’re stubborn, but by God you’re stubborn, you beautiful woman. I nearly dropped all the information on Verdune letterhead so you’d read it.”
I wipe my face over his shirt. Payback, and just to get a little closer to him.
“Can I please tell you our story?” He whispers.
And it’s a weird thing when he kisses the shell of my ear. Part of me freezes up even more, while another part of me melts. I guess I nod, because the next second he’s pulling a Darius, sweeping me off my feet and carrying me the short distance to my bed.
“You know, besides the biggest fuck-up any of us have ever made, we really never would hurt you. So don’t misread the flowers. I was getting desperate. And that’s on me for getting it wrong again,” he says.
Ramses kicks back the comforter on my bed making space for the both of us, plonking me in the middle. Before I know it, he’s wrapped me up again, in his arms and a new blanket. A beautiful vibrant red cashmere blanket, that is soft like butter and ingrained with his scent. My senses fill with his comforting orange scent, and I feel myself relax.
And then he disappears. I hear him back in the other room talking softly to the kittens and getting their dinner ready. But he also spends the time getting some food for us too.
Without talking, he makes a couple of trips, bringing sealed bottles of water and a couple of containers packed to overflowing with his cooking. Then it’s the printed-out documents that were on the table, and lastly it’s my furless babies.
