“She’s a whore who will only end you in your sleep one day,” he tells me. “Mark my words. Her darkness is equal to mine.” Suddenly, Lucille appears from behind me, and she grabs one of the pliers which lie on the table and she shoves it into his chest. Blood spurts from the wound, but I no longer care if he dies in our care. Ramirez will have to deal with it.
I will see my brothers again if they’re alive. But right now, we all need this. It’s Hawk who steps up last, taking his place beside Falcon. Both men are livid. Their eyes are wild with violence.
A sleek leather belt is wrapped around Mahoney’s neck, and slowly, Hawk tightens his hold. Veins bulge in the older man’s throat, and I can’t help but smile. Lucille leans into me, and I know she must be exhausted. Hawk’s mouth is right at the man’s ear.
“Did you like it rough?” The question is a whisper, before Falcon takes a blade from the table and he slices into Mahoney’s cheek.
My nostrils burn with the knowledge we’re getting what we always wanted. The vengeance of The Fallen has taken place, and we will be able to sleep easier tonight. It’s only taken a girl coming into our lives to bring this to us.
Lucille may have been part of the plan, but she easily earned her place as part of The Fallen. I wanted so badly to see her cry, to watch her feel the pain we did, but she was never guilty.
Even when I believed she was, it was Falcon who urged me to look through my anger. It’s who I am, when rage fills me, it also fuels me. I act on sight, rather than wait to see what comes from the puzzle as it falls apart.
We watch as Mahoney passes out from the pain. His burnt flesh fills the basement with a vile stench. The blood on the other hand seems to calm me somewhat.
“Ramirez will be back,” I tell them, “Let’s get our girl to bed.” We move to the door, leaving our prisoner hanging by his wrists. It’s time to move on now. We’ve gotten what we needed.
Granted, it would have been better to kill the man. But if keeping him alive means we get to see our siblings again, I’m all for it. We move silently through the house. The door is still broken, but the alarm is set. If anyone sets foot on the property, we’ll know.
We have a few hours before agents once more descend on our home. In the morning, I’m going to make sure to get the damn door fixed. The cold is no joke in the middle of winter. As we step into my bedroom, I realize it’s almost Christmas.
“Undress and get under the covers,” I tell Lucille, releasing her from my hold. Falcon helps her while Hawk and I stand back. Watching him fuss over Lucille makes me smile. He’s always been the more attentive of us but seeing him care for her does things to me. It brings out emotions I don’t want to admit to.
Falcon helps her into bed. The fact she’s in my bed, in her panties and nothing else doesn’t help the raging need to devour her. The moment her head hits the pillow, her lashes flutter. The three of us watch her for a long time. We stand side by side and take in our Goldilocks. She may not have stolen our beds, but she definitely stole our fucking hearts.
EPILOGUE
CROW
He came through. The car is pulling up to the house right now and I don’t know whether I want to laugh or cry. It sounds stupid, but knowing I’m going to see my brothers again, sets me on edge. I don’t know what they’ve been through or where they’ve been living, but at least they’re alive.
When the car doors swing open, I take in the agents who exit first. Last night, I spent most of it awake, wondering if this is truly happening. As two young men step out of the vehicles, I’m speechless.
They’re all grown up. Men. No longer boys. No longer children. They look around, taking in the house before their gazes land on me. Twins. They were always so alike in everything they did. Even their schoolwork was mimicked.
“Joshua? James?” Their names feel foreign on my tongue. As if I’m talking to strangers. As if I’m regarding them for the first time ever. In some ways, I am. In other ways, they’re the same. There’s nothing different except the fact they’re taller. Broader. They have filled out.
“Cordon?”
I don’t know how to respond, but when both of them rush toward me, and slam into me, I can’t stop the tears from falling from my eyes. Emotion. It’s choking me the more they hold onto me as if I’m their lifeline. I’m not, but I’m fucking crying when they look up at me, and smile.