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37

WOLF

Out.

We’re out.

I had to be the first one to get out so that I could lend support to Kai, who was lifting Arch onto his shoulder.

The window was narrow, but with some adjustments, we were able to make it work.

Iris trailed behind Kai, and Eli was the final one to emerge.

The building is encircled by fire trucks and police cars, forcing us to detour our path.

With every movement towards the car, my muscles scream in protest, the pain radiating throughout my body. Outside, there’s a tape that encloses the area; a crowd of people stand, their screams and cries piercing the air.

“You good?” I bring Iris closer to me, feeling her warm body against mine.

That was a stupid move on her part.

She could’ve died inside.

But I didn’t expect less from her.

There is no way she would have left us trapped inside. Not when she knew all the entrances were blocked.

“Let’s get home,” she sighs, the fatigue evident in her voice. “I just want to cuddle with my boys.”

“Cuddle sounds good.”

We squeeze into the car, feeling the tightness of the space, making sure Arch is comfortably positioned in the back, his head resting on Kai’s legs, before jumping in the front with Iris on my lap.

The car is filled with silence, broken only by the sound of our breathing.

“Is he…?” Iris struggles to form her words, her voice coming out in hesitant stutters.

“He will be fine,” Elijah reassures her, placing his hand gently on her knee. “I called Dr Morrow. He’s on his way.”

When the hell did he have time to do that?

“Can we trust him?”

“Dr Morrow has been taking care of us for years,” I explain to her. “He is a trustworthy guy.”

I hold her tightly, feeling the warmth of her body against mine as her heart thumps loudly against my chest.

If something were to happen to Arch… He’s my sweet boy. I cannot lose him.

We hold on tight as Elijah drives recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic to get us home in less than fifteen minutes. As we park in front of the house, Dr Morrow is already waiting for us.

“Mother of God,” he breathes as he sees Kai lifting Arch.

“He was stuck under a beam,” explains Eli. “In a building on fire.”

Dr Morrow nods in agreement as Kai hurries inside, but I grab Iris before she can follow them.

“Let’s get you cleaned up first. Dr Morrow is good at his job. Have faith in him to take care of Arch, and you’ll have your Angel back in the blink of an eye.”

She nods reluctantly, but I take her hand and guide her inside, leading her straight to my room.

She pauses at the entrance, her body tense as she steals a quick glance in my direction.

“I’ve never been inside your room.”

“Never?” I raise my brow. “You never sneak around here?”

That’s surprising.

“No, otherwise I would have known that your bedroom is the kinkiest one.”

Her eyes quickly dart to the swing hanging from the ceiling, reminiscent of the one in my flat, then to the assortment of ropes and chains attached to the walls, and finally to the various toys neatly displayed in the glass drawer next to an assortment of knives.

The room is dimly lit, with fairy lights twinkling around the ceiling.

As her eyes wander to my bed, she immediately spots the specific restraints fastened tightly at the top and end of the mattress.

“Why didn’t we use your bedroom before?”

“Umm, because you’ve been targeting Eli and me with your vendetta?” I raise my brow.

“Yeah,” she absentmindedly twirls a strand of her T-shirt. “I did that.”

A chuckle escapes me. “Let’s get you cleaned up, Starling.” I kiss the top of her head. “And I promise you, I’ll use each of my tools on you.”

I walk to the bathroom, feeling the cool tiles beneath my bare feet. As I turn on the bath, the sound of rushing water fills the room, creating a calming ambiance. I reach for the bottle of essential oil and carefully add a few drops, watching as the water transforms into a fragrant oasis. The bubbles slowly form, creating a frothy layer on the surface. With a contented sigh, I turn off the bath and pivot to see Iris leaning against the door.

Without uttering a single word, I lean in closer and clutch the edge of her T-shirt, swiftly pulling it outwards. Continuing my actions, I drop to my knees and carefully remove the remaining fragments of her fishnet tights. Finally, I proceed to remove her underwear, leaving her entirely exposed.

My fingers gently trace the fresh burns and cuts on her thighs, feeling the heat radiating from the wounds.

Dried blood stains her body, and I carefully attempt to remove the shards of glass embedded in her knees.

“I don’t feel the pain,” she whispers, her voice barely audible as I stand up and press my lips against hers softly.

“I love you. If something were to happen to you or any of you…”

“I’m fine. Angel is the one…” she swallows her tears.

“I know.”

I guide her towards the bath, and as soon as her foot touches the warm water, she lets out a blissful sigh.

“How is it? Not too warm?”

I made sure to temper the water so it was warm enough to be soothing without aggravating her burn.

“It’s perfect.”

She shuts her eyes, and her body gradually submerges itself in the water.

I grab the body wash and let the fragrant scent fill the air as I pour a generous amount onto my hands, being careful to avoid any friction on her wound from the cloth.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you?”

Her body relaxes beneath my touch, and a sigh escapes her lips as my hands move across her.

“Wolf?”

“Hmm?”

“I saw Oliver not far from Jolie’s.”

“Before the fire?”

She shakes her head. “After. He messaged me several times regarding the kills.”

“Do you think he would’ve started the fire because The Order is still alive, and you haven’t killed them yet?”

“Maybe?” I feel her gaze on me as she turns her head, her eyes locking onto mine with intensity. “Does he know you’re Theo, the fourth member of The Order?”

I’ve taken great care to be cautious over the course of these years. It’s highly unlikely that he knows who I am.

“He doesn’t. However, we gain insight into his character.”

“Oh.”

Just as she’s about to speak, her phone rings, its jarring ringtone echoing through the room before abruptly ceasing.

A few seconds later, Elijah enters the bathroom, his phone pressed against his ear.

“Give me a minute. I’ll put you on speaker.”

“Iris? It’s Blakely.”

“Hi, Blake.”

“Thank god you’re all okay. Listen, I won’t be long. I just wanted to let you know that we breached their system.” I can hear the rustle behind her. “It’s even worse than we anticipated. We found a file with your name printed on it, along with a corresponding number.”

“A number?” That’s my turn to ask as I see Eli’s jaw tightening.

“A number.” She sighs. “He possesses a multitude of files documenting the boys’ actions, complete with photographs capturing moments of their lethal activities. Although their faces remain hidden, there is no doubt that they can be identified. In addition, he fabricated accusations and bribed individuals to act as false victims.”

“What else?”

“He killed Iris’s mother because he believed she had been unfaithful to him, but not only that. Your mother discovered concrete evidence that he had intentions of selling you off.”

“Excuse me?” Iris sits in the bath, her eyes widening with astonishment. “What do you mean?”

“From the letters we found, and because he thought you were not his, he’s been in contact with people looking for young women.”

“Spill it.” Elijah is starting to lose patience.

Blakely sighs on the other side. “Human trafficking. He was going to sell you off. The number written on the file is the amount he was going to receive from the buyer.”

“What was the number?” Iris asks.

“1.2 million.”

“At least I’m worth the price,” she tries to joke, but I see the hurt in her eyes. “Continue, please.”

“All individuals in his district seem to be connected to the scandal, using their positions as law enforcement officers to hide their participation. I possess statements from several of their daughters detailing instances of rape, yet those testimonies have been intentionally suppressed.”

“What the fuck?” I shout, feeling the rage taking over me. “How did you get all this information?”

Blakely clears her throat. “Miss Rose brought us a lot of crucial information. She’s been working on Stephen’s case for years.”

“Wait a minute.” Iris mentioned a woman named Miss Rose who came to her rescue when she lost her mother, but I didn’t pay much heed to her story. I’ve been working with Oliver for years, and they have never mentioned this name. “Miss Rose, as in the one that introduced you to Oliver?”

Iris nods, but I can sense her discomfort.

“It’s up to you,” Blakely continues. “You have the power to end his life, or we can reveal everything and bring them all to their knees. And if you choose the latter, I can immediately release the incriminating evidence and have the NCA bring them into custody.”

Iris stays frozen, her mouth hanging open in shock at Blakely’s words.

“Do we know people in prison?” Iris asks us.

“We do. Why?” Eli lifts his brow.

“Blakely? Release everything. I want the world to witness the downfall of these pieces of shit. Whether they remain alive or not will depend on our little friends already locked up and their determination to eliminate them after knowing what they did.”

“Do you want me to take care of that immediately, or do you want to offer a quick hello to him beforehand?”

“I had my mum on the phone. She’s on her way, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll be right beside her when she arrives.”

“Perfect then. Is Dr Morrow still there?” Iris asks, her body shivering from the cold.

Shit, she’s been in this bath for too long.

“No.” We turn our heads to see Kai entering the bathroom. “He just left. Arch’s stable for now, but we need to keep a watchful eye on him.”

“Blakely, release everything and bring the police here. It’s only fair that he sees my face before being locked up.”

She delicately brings her hands to her eyes, carefully removing her contact lenses.

Iris turns her head to look at us. “And you guys should shower. I have a sense that there is much yet to be revealed.”

“Consider it done,” says Blakely. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Thank you.”

Blakely hangs up, leaving us all crammed together in the small confines of my bathroom.

“Well, unless you all want to join me in this bath, which I highly doubt can accommodate your massive bodies, go take a shower.”

Kai leans in first, his lips brushing against hers gently, followed by Eli, who kisses her with a sense of urgency, leaving me standing there.

“What are you waiting for?” she asks me when the guys leave.

“You’re in my shower.”

“Smartass. Go to the main one. C’mon. Chop chop.”

I groan as I kiss her and make my way to the main one.

“Byyyyye,” I hear her chuckle.

When is this day going to end?