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18

ARCHER

What the fuck just happened?

What the fuck just happened?

Again… What the fuck just happened?

My eyes briefly land on Eli’s bare chest as he attempts to clean the stab wound inflicted by Iris.

With a wince, he carefully applies alcohol to it while Kai restlessly paces around the kitchen island with Bellatrix around his neck.

“I have so many questions,” I sigh, the sound echoing in the quiet kitchen as I fill my glass with water from the tap. I’m not going to risk drinking anything that has been in the fridge; who knows what Iris might have added to it.

“Sit,” Elijah says, pointing to the stool around the central island.

Kai reluctantly drags his feet, unable to tear his eyes away from Bella, as if she might vanish into thin air once again.

I don’t blame him. Iris touched the sensitive spot when she took Bella.

“I knew who she was.” Elijah keeps his gaze fixed on his hand as he meticulously disinfects his wound.

“You knew she was Raven, or you knew she was your stepsister?” Kai lifts his brow.

That’s a legit question.

Why have we never heard of her until now?

“I learned pretty fast she was Raven. She didn’t put much effort into hiding it, anyway.” He exhales. “Iris and I never met officially. When my mom married her dad six years ago, she was already attending a boarding school in Scotland.”

“But you knew she was your stepsister when you met her?” I ask, bringing the water to my lips.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on her for several years now. I knew who she was when we met her at the coffee shop. I knew who she was when she came here, and I knew who she was when she kissed me in front of Melanie.”

I forgot about that.

“So why didn’t you speak up?” Kai accuses.

“I had my reasons, and you should trust me to do what is right.”

“So, wait.” I lift my finger. “You knew she was Raven.” I turn to glance at Kai. “And you knew who she was as well.”

“I followed her when you dropped her off. The moment I saw her effortlessly shatter the guy’s skull with her bat, I quickly grasped her true identity.”

“So you decided to take her into the basement instead of talking to us? Seriously?”

Kai avoids my gaze. “You’re biased when it comes to her.”

“Fuck off.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling the onset of a migraine creeping in. I redirect my gaze to Elijah, who’s now wincing in pain as he tries to bandage his wound. “Just to summarise, she’s your stepsister, someone you never met before, but you still felt compelled to keep a watchful eye on her for some unknown motive. When the fuck were you going to tell us?”

I need something stronger than water.

“That’s about it.” Elijah breathes before continuing. “Theo reached out to me, letting me know she had vanished. That’s how I knew she was in the basement. Actually, I heard her chains against the pipe when I took my shower. It was easy to piece it all together, given Kai’s obvious contempt for her.”

“So Theo was informed of it?” I accuse. “Why the fuck would you let him know and not us?”

“Because nobody is aware of his involvement with The Order.”

How is it possible for something to be nonsensical and yet somehow make sense?

“Do you understand that we just buried your stepsister alive?”

“I know,” he smirks.

“Why are you smiling?“ Kai’s voice trails off as the shrill sound of the ringing bell fills the room, prompting an audible groan of frustration from all of us.

Who the fuck is it?

We all glance at each other, deciding silently not to open the door.

Only one person would ring at this time of the night, and I have no patience for Melanie right now, or she’ll end up in the same place as Iris.

Fuck.

“I’m going to check on the cameras.” I stand up from my stool and glance at both of them. “That’s my first and last warning. I won’t tolerate any more lies or omissions from either of you. I’m 30, not 5.” Without waiting for a response, which I didn’t expect to receive anyway, I quickly exit the kitchen and make my way to my bedroom.

I need to understand how she escaped from the basement and how she managed to deactivate all of the obstacles.

Sitting behind my desk, I turn my monitors on.

How the hell did she escape? The basement is locked with a code. I don’t understand how she did that.

The monitors slowly turn to life when Kai enters my room, his helmet in hand.

“Are you here to apologise?” I raise my brow.

“No.” Typical . “I’m going for a ride.”

I nod and focus back on the screens without another word.

If he expects me to say anything else, he’s mistaken.

I’m pissed off at the both of them for hiding this information. Even Theo was aware of it. And for what reason? Just because she has been my obsession for several weeks doesn’t mean I don’t have any judgement.

“Are you really going to say nothing?”

“Nothing to add. Have fun.”

He lets out a groan and grumbles under his breath, “I knew she would cause problems. Like a venomous snake slithering through your body filled with venom, poisoning our mind.”

Oh, so that’s where the nickname comes from.

Noticing my silence, he quietly exits the room, leaving me alone with the glow of my screens.

That’s… strange.

The screens flicker and glitch multiple times before finally settling. The video’s timestamp reveals it was night when Kai got the initial ripped page.

The night when I checked in Iris cameras.

The night when she was fast asleep behind my screens.

Well, apparently, she wasn’t because the video clearly shows her peacefully sleeping in her bed before the scene transitions to her leisurely walking towards the camera. With her purple hair styled in a space buns and a large black T-shirt that accentuates her legs, she confidently raises a paper towards the camera.

I KNOW YOU’RE WATCHING, ANGEL.

ENJOY THE SHOW.

SEE YOU SOON.

That would explain everything.

As I go from video to video, the repetitive cycle remains unchanged—each one capturing her frozen in one pose before transitioning to another image where she either assumes a different position or disappears entirely.

Among all the cameras, she intentionally refrained from touching the one positioned in the bathroom. However, she did leave a message on the shower glass using what appeared to be black lipstick.

ANGEL, YOUR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. A REAL SHAME WHEN WE KNOW YOU OWN A SECURITY COMPANY.

My focus shifts to the camera footage taken in the basement yesterday.

I increase the video speed until I witness Kai carrying Iris and placing her on the bed at the centre of the room, proceeding to secure the chains around her wrists and then fastening them to the wall.

Her face bore the marks of a brutal hit, swollen and red, while her clothes hung in tatters.

Fucking hell, Kai. What did you do?

I speed up the video again until she finds herself alone.

She doesn’t attempt anything during the night until she bursts out laughing.

“I knew you’d have a good night, Kale.” She leans back and sighs. “You’re welcome. I love to please people.”

How did she hear him?

I speed up again until she reaches for the brooch in her hair as much as she can with her hand bound and removes a small knife.

A chuckle escapes me. She’s smart. That’s the least I can say. Kai didn’t think for one minute to see if she had things on her.

She grits her teeth and bends her wrist at an awkward angle, desperately trying to manipulate the knife to unlock the chains. A sharp pop resonates in the room as one wrist breaks free, and she repeats the motion to liberate the other.

She takes a few seconds to release her wrists, but once she does, she takes a moment to massage them, easing the discomfort. Then, she gathers herself and strides towards the camera set up in front of the door.

The fact that she knows exactly where each of them is located is truly remarkable.

“Kale, I hope you enjoyed my little gift. I’m sure you had a lovely night. Angel, I should probably teach you a thing or two about your security system. It’s a good one,” she checks her nails unbothered. “But I could still breach it.” She turns her head, signalling with a finger to her ear, before delicately removing a tiny black piece. “I heard you were ill. I hope you’re fine now,” she chuckles. “Oh, and brother…” she pauses. “It’s nothing personal. You must have pissed off someone really bad for them to want you dead.” She kisses the camera and whispers. “You know where to find me.”

Kai might be right after all. She sounds like a complete lunatic, but fuck if it doesn’t make her more attractive.

We might have found Kai’s perfect match.

A match that we fucking buried alive.

She grabs her phone and does something on it before I hear the door opening.

“Next time, make sure I have nothing on me. Oh, and Angel… I wasn’t lying when I said you were a better fuck than him.” She winks at the camera before leaving the room.

I lean on my chair and sigh.

What the hell do we do now?

“Can I come in?” I pivot, and my eyes meet Elijah, leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and a mischievous glint in his eyes. He’s still shirtless, the blood of his wound seeping through his bandage. Even hurt, he still looks like a fucking God with his abs and tattoos.

“Never stopped you before.”

He lets out a sigh and quietly moves behind me, placing his hand gently on my shoulders. The moment his hands begin to work their magic on my tired muscles, a soft groan slips out. I’m well aware that he’s trying to coax me, and I can’t deny that his tactics are having an effect on me.

“Did I ever deceive you?” His voice is barely a whisper.

“No,” I almost moan as he touches a tender spot.

“So when I say to trust my judgement, you should do it unquestioningly.”

“That’s not how we work, and you know that.”

“I do agree.”

“You don’t trust me enough to share that with me?”

He hears my voice breaking because, in an instant, he pivots the chair, positioning us face to face, his face mere inches away as he bends down.

“Don’t ever say that again.” He grabs my chin with a firm hand. “I trust you with my life. I trust you both with my life.” He breathes through his nose. “Iris… everything that I did was for a reason. I’m asking you to trust me on that.”

I trust him, but I also need to punch something.

Just when I try to stand up, he catches me off guard and plants a fierce kiss on my lips.

I yield to his every touch, feeling his teeth forcefully nip at my lips as our tongues entwine, surrendering to his desire without resistance.

I’ve waited patiently for him to finally take charge, and now all I can think about is him bending me over right now. But I’m still pissed at him, so I shove him.

We’re both out of breath, and he leans his forehead against mine.

“My sweet boy,” he whispers against my lips. “I know you’re still mad, and that’s fine.” He stands straight and winks at me. “Go. I know you’re itching to throw a punch.”

He knows me too well. There’s this place where they do underground fights, and that’s where I usually go when I’m mad or need to hit something other than their faces.

He takes a peek at the screens behind me. “Did you find something?”

“Yeah.” I stand up to make room for him to sit. “Check for yourself.” He takes my place and starts to play the video while I get ready to leave.

“Arch. No bruises on your pretty face.”

“Will try my best. Byeee!” I leave him engrossed in the videos and make my way to my car.

The moment I step into the underground, the pungent smell of sweat assaults my nostrils, and the piercing screams reverberate through the air.

This place is packed.

I look around me and spot Havoc, who has been managing these fights for years now. He took me under his wings years ago, when anger consumed me, and taught me how to find solace in other ways.

He has become the paternal figure that mine never could be, offering guidance and support.

“Kiddo. How’re you doing?”

“Good. Do you have any spots for me?” I adjust my mask, ensuring it fits snugly over my face.

I’m not crazy enough for people to recognise me.

“Sure thing.” His eyes quickly scan me from head to toe. “You’re not going to cause any trouble, are you?”

I scoff. “Me?” I bring my hand to my heart. “Always. You know me.”

He bursts out laughing. “Good. That’s what I like to hear. Get ready. The next fight is in 5.”

He walks away and approaches the man in charge of tonight’s session while I quietly observe the intense fight. I don’t need to get ready.

I was born for it.

Both fighters throw powerful punches, but their technique is sloppy, resulting in the larger one being knocked to the floor with a swift blow to the jaw.

“And the winner is Reptilllllllll!” The ring announcer shouts amidst the deafening roar of the crowd, which goes wild, screaming and hurling objects into the ring. I crack my neck when he continues. “The next fighter is well known in this ring. He’s back after a few weeks. Please, make some noise for Striiiiiiiiikkkkkeeeeee!”

The crowd goes feral at my name.

The fact that I fight in anonymity probably turns them on.

It’s not the smartest decision on my part to be labelled as such here, but it’s the initial thought that crossed my mind when I began. Unfortunately, it was too late.

Popping my knuckles to ease the tension, I leap into the ring, my eyes fixed on my opponent’s every twitch.

He may be smaller than me, but in this field, I’ve learned that size or height is irrelevant.

“Ready?” asks the ring announcer, and we both nod. “May the fight begin.”

Once he drops the flag, I quickly manoeuvre around my opponent, my fist raised in front of my face, aiming to distract and unsettle him before striking. The sound of my fist hitting his jaw echoes through the air, followed by a sharp pain in my knuckles. Meanwhile, my leg digs into his rib, causing him to wince in pain.

Fuck, that feels good.

He doesn’t waste a second, standing upright and charging ahead without a second thought.

Hell, is this going to be that easy ?

I dodge his attack and deliver a powerful blow to his jaw, followed by a swift strike to his stomach.

He bends over while I glance at Havoc.

Seriously? Couldn’t he give me something… more tonight?

With my attention fully consumed by Havoc, I’m caught off guard by a sudden punch to my face and a swift kick to my leg.

Fuck. Eli won’t be happy if my face is bruised.

“Not the face,” I groan.

“Afraid your people won’t recognise you?” he spits out. “I’m sure your Dada and Mama will recognise their own flesh. After all, we don’t care about looks when we love someone.”

My parents, like with Kai, are touchy subjects. Especially if the word love is mentioned afterward.

He doesn’t know that. Which is a shame because he just ignited a fire inside me.

Black is the only thing I see when I unleash myself upon him.

My fists fly. My feet kick.

I don’t notice when he falls on the ring.

My parents, trying to get rid of me and sending me to the other side of England.

I don’t notice when he stops fighting back.

Elijah and Kai’s exclusion, making me feel like an outsider, as if I didn’t belong with them.

I don’t notice when my hands are covered in blood.

Iris, trying to kill us even though my obsession with her doesn’t falter.

I don’t notice when my hand grips his throat while the other one keeps hitting his face.

Us, burying alive the only woman that might be a match for all of us.

Until someone grabs me by the back and pushes me out of the way.

“I gotcha, son.”

The world around me turns into a hazy blur as I struggle to make out the person speaking to me.

“I gotcha.”

My breath begins to steady, and the world around me gradually comes into focus. I turn my head and see Havoc standing behind me.

“Well, that was something,” he chuckles.

My head swivels to witness a gruesome scene unfolding before me. Several people are frantically attempting to lift my opponent, his body drenched in blood from our intense fight.

Standing amidst the chaos, the ring announcer’s voice cuts through the air as he lifts my arm in victory, declaring, “And the winner is Striiiiiiiiikeeeee!”

I nod, my heart pounding, as I swiftly retreat from the ring before Havoc catches up to me.

“Your cash, son.”

I take it without another word and leave this place.

What the fuck is happening to me?