Huntsman by Cambria Hebert
44
Earth
“Visiting hours are ending.”A nurse dressed in all white standing in the doorway of the room spoke to all the people sitting around.
“Thank you for letting us know,” Ivory said politely, smiling at the woman.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to spend the night as well, Miss White? We could get you into a room—”
Ivory held up her hand. “No, but I truly do appreciate your concern. Your staff has been wonderful. Thank you for taking care of our family.”
The nurse seemed surprised but pleased with Ivory’s kind words. From the bed, I rolled my eyes.
“It’s a pleasure. As I said, visiting hours are over, but a few moments longer will be fine.” She left, and I rolled my eyes again.
“Money talks,” I muttered.
“No. Kindness does,” Ivory argued.
Kindness was overrated. It gave people the idea that they could walk all over you.
Everyone started moving around, getting ready to head out for the night. Neo stepped toward the bed, eyes on V. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
“No!” She gasped, offended. “I’m staying!”
“No,” Neo deadpanned.
“Don’t you pull that overbearing big brother crap on me right now, Neo. Earth was shot! I’m staying.”
His lips thinned. “That bed is not big enough for the both of you. You’ll be full of cramps if you sleep here. And what about all the stuff you need? Don’t you want to change out of that bloody dress?”
Virginia glanced down at herself. “It’s only one night. I’ll be fine.”
I wanted her to stay, but Neo was right. “Go with your brother, sweetheart.”
She gasped again, head whipping around so hard a lost flower tumbled onto my chest. Noticing it, she frowned, picking it up between her fingers. “My poor hair.”
“It’ll grow back,” I told her.
She turned incredulous. “Don’t you even feel bad you hacked it off like this?” Using two fingers, she chose one particularly hacked-up strand to hold it out.
“No.”
She huffed.
“It was your hair or your life. It was hardly even a choice.”
Her entire face softened. “Well, when you say it like that…”
“Maybe you can wear a hat,” Fletcher offered.
Ethan stifled a laugh.
“I’ll call my stylist. He’ll fix it. He has experience fixing Earth’s haircuts,” Ivory informed the entire room.
She is going to be salty about that forever. You’d think she’d be grateful I didn’t kill her.
Women.
I glanced over her head at Neo. “You’re taking her to your place, right? She can’t stay at the Tower anymore.”
He nodded. “They aren’t even letting people back into the building. They have to assess the damage first.”
“Those poor people,” Virginia murmured, thinking of her “roommates.”
“Even then, she can’t stay there anymore. That place is a security joke,” I said, thinking only of her.
Neo nodded. “She has a room at our place already anyway. She can just move in.”
“I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You aren’t,” everyone in the room said in tandem.
“Well, Neo and Ivory are the ones having to live with me.” Virginia practically pouted. It was adorable and endearing, and a wave of want washed over me.
The kiss from earlier still thrummed through my veins, desire coursing through my entire body, and below the blankets, my cock was still half hard.
It was probably better she went with her brother tonight anyway, or else I might try and jump her. Self-control was certainly not something I had much of where she was concerned.
“Well, you can stay with us if you don’t want to stay with Neo,” Fletcher offered.
Ethan nodded immediately. “Of course.” He agreed. “We have plenty of room.”
“Why wouldn’t she want to stay with me?” Neo fumed.
“You’re bossy, and she probably wants to kiss Earth,” Fletcher informed him.
More muffled laughter rang out from behind the curtain. Big brother was still awake.
Ethan glowered at the sound and pulled Fletch into his side. “Come on, puppy. We should go.”
Seeing his jealousy was amusing.
Even though he clearly wanted to get Fletcher away from charming Daeshim, he still turned to V. “Would you like to come with us?”
Neo looked as though his head might explode, but Ivory slipped her hand into his and he moved down to a simmer.
“Thank you so much,” Virginia told them, “but I already have everything I need at Neo and Ivory’s.”
Fletcher came forward and hugged her, his golden mop of hair everywhere. Once he was done, he threw himself at me.
“Oomph.” The sound escaped, and I grimaced. “Watch the bullet hole,” I muttered.
“Bye, Earth. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Forgetting about the pain in my shoulder, I patted his back and grunted. “Sure.”
He pulled back just a little to whisper, “Are you done killing people now?”
Virginia giggled, making me glance at her.
“No,” I declared.
Both Virginia and Fletcher drew back, crestfallen.
“What?” Fletcher said, eyes wide. “But I thought the danger was over.”
“Me too,” Virginia said, eyes concerned.
Goddammit. Both of them were practically in my lap, and both of them looked as if I’d kicked their puppy.
Not even I could withstand that.
“I’m done,” I muttered beneath my breath.
“What?” Virginia asked, resting a palm on my chest to lean in. Fletcher leaned in too.
“I’m done!” I burst out. “Okay? No more.”
“Promise?” Virginia asked, her voice tentative.
Her wide brown eyes were trusting and slightly vulnerable. I could almost hear her heart telling me that she would love me no matter what but at the same time asking me not to put her in that position.
“Yes, sweetheart,” I said, leaning up to cup her face. “I promise. I won’t put you in danger like this ever again.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Neo barked.
“Could we maybe defer our next battle until I have this IV out of my hand?” I asked, not even looking at him.
Instead, I leaned up and kissed his sister.
He muttered a curse beneath his breath, and I smiled against V’s lips.
Fletcher disappeared from the bed, and the sound of the curtain ripping back made all of us look around. He stomped over to where Daeshim was lying on his back, propped up on several pillows, eyes closed.
“Excuse me,” Fletcher announced, standing beside him.
I saw my brother’s lips twitch before he opened his eyes to look at Fletch.
“What?”
“Are any more antis going to come for my brother?”
“Antis?” he echoed.
“Yeah, you know, people he’s probably gonna have to kill.”
Daeshim chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Fletch scowled.
The smile on my brother’s face grew. Ethan appeared, pulling Fletch into his side, giving a stony, uppity look to Daeshim. “Mine.”
Fletcher patted Ethan on his chest but looked down expectantly. “Well?”
His smile faded. “No. I don’t think anyone else will be coming around.”
Fletcher nodded, satisfied. “Good. So we can put all this behind us and move on,” he said, taking in the entire room.
I didn’t think it would be quite that easy, but I didn’t bother telling him that. Feeling safe was something important to Fletch, and I wouldn’t disrupt that.
Judging from the look Ethan gave me, I could tell he was thinking along the same lines and was grateful I didn’t disagree.
After they left, Beau said his byes and followed behind. Neo went for Virginia again, and she sighed. “I don’t want to go.”
Leaning up, I brushed my nose against hers. “It’s only one night. If you stay here, I’ll just worry about you.”
“I do need to get Zilla under a heat lamp,” she said, eyes going to the gecko sitting in a small plastic carrier on the bedside table.
The thing had been lucky the lid to her habitat didn’t fly off in all the commotion back at the Tower.
“You sure you’ll be okay?” she asked.
I nodded, kissing her quickly. “Call me when you get there.”
She nodded.
When she was in her chair, Neo and I shared a look, but I shook my head. “Later.”
He nodded and headed to the door with V and Ivory.
“Neo?” I called out to him.
He looked back.
“Take care of her.”
“As if I wouldn’t.” He scoffed.
We both smiled.
When they were gone, the silence in the room seemed loud as I adjusted against the pillows and contemplated pulling the IV out of my hand.
“I’m glad you haven’t been alone.” Daeshim’s quiet voice brought my head around.
He was still lying in the bed, bandages covering one half of him and bruises the other. Feeling my stare, he rolled his head on the pillow to look at me.
“What about you, Hyung? Have you been alone?”
“You know the Black Rose is a big organization.”
Something squeezed my chest. I might have been cast out, but I was the lucky one.
“You wanted me to let you die,” I said, still hearing his breathless whisper echo in the recesses of my mind.
“Would be better than going back.”
“You don’t have to go back now. She’s dead.”
“Yeah.”
There were a lot of things I wanted to ask. But instinctively, I knew the answers, and not a single one would be good.
I wondered if Daeshim Hyung was broken or if he’d managed to somehow keep a piece of himself unscathed.
Thick emotion welled up in me, pressing against my chest and then nearly squeezing my throat. The lump it formed was uncomfortable, and it seemed I might choke. I hadn’t seen my brother in over ten years. The last time I did, he’d put a bullet in me.
And tonight, he’d jumped in front of one to keep it out.
“Thank you,” I said, voice kind of hoarse.
I felt his eyes sharpen. The air hung thick between us.
Clearing my throat, I went on. “For getting me out all those years ago and for helping me tonight.”
“I didn’t come here to help you.” He reminded me.
“But you did anyway.” I reminded him too.
The silence was heavy but not uncomfortable.
“You really trust those people?”
Those people were my family, and I did. I trusted them with my life. “Yes,” I said, hoping all those feelings resonated in that simple reply. “And you will too once you get to know them better.”
I heard his intake of breath. “I didn’t come here to stay.”
“But you will,” I told him, and we fell back into companionable silence.
Much later, after I’d spoken to Virginia and wished her good night, I was partially drifting off when I whispered, “Welcome home, Hyung.”