Page 32

Kameron

It broke my heart when Elliott confessed what Samuel stole from her. I had no clue that she was a virgin, and it wasn’t something that ever came up in the conversations we had.

He stole that from her .

Another fucking thing he took from her without her consent. I would make him pay, and I hope Elliott is there to watch this man and his fucking town burn to ash as I do it.

I’m not a man of violence…well, extreme violence. And I don’t usually get my hands dirty like Hunter and Marcus, but for her…I would bathe in the blood of anyone who hurt her. And I would enjoy every sweet moment of it.

She fell asleep shortly after I started to rock her gently. I didn’t want to leave her but I also knew I needed to talk with Marcus and Hunter about…well…ever ything.

I pull my arms reluctantly from underneath her head, making my way off the bed, and adjusting her covers before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

I let it linger, inhaling the smell of my shampoo laced in her golden hair.

I huff out a breath, turning and leaving the room to find them.

It didn’t take much effort when sounds echoed throughout the hallway from the kitchen.

The kitchen has always been the most used part of any of our houses.

We always came to this spot just like when we lived with Hunter’s mom, Mrs Sinclair.

The house was always filled with the scents of her cooking, the three of us hanging out, her slapping us off the counters or pushing us away from the food so we didn’t eat it all before she could offer us our plates.

It was only right that we had that same tradition.

Whether it was this safe house or our main home, the kitchen was the heart of it.

“I’m not being a dick to just be a dick here, Hunter.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” Hunter’s words are soft but casual.

We all know Marcus and his attitude. Even if he wasn’t being an ass for the fuck of it, he was still being just that…an ass.

“I’m just being fucking realistic. You have your head up her ass just as far as Kam does. I’m the only one looking at this through clear eyes.”

“After the sounds I heard from behind Kam’s door, I’d say he is far more gone than I am.”

“I fucking knew it!” Marcus hisses .

Those words stop me in my tracks. This was the second time that Marcus has hinted that Hunter was feeling something for Elliott and he didn’t disagree.

Hell, he basically said Marcus was right.

While the thought of sharing her wasn’t what made me freeze in the hallway, no, that bit got my heart racing.

Having Hunter with her and I, god, that sounded like fucking heaven.

What made me pause was the fact that Marcus wasn’t falling as well. Elliott was a fucking goddess, how could he not see that? Or did he and he was just trying his damndest not to let those feelings creep up because of the result of last time? It would be a very Marcus move to pull.

“And the way your boxers get all in a knot when she’s brought up or around, I’d say she affects you too. Just need to figure out how much…and in what way.”

So he was feeling something. Fuck, I know him so well. I would definitely be having some fun with this information.

“That’s not the priority here!” His voice laced with annoyance.

I take in a breath and make my way into the kitchen, “What’s not a priority?” I send Marcus a sinful grin that suggests I know exactly who he is referring to.

“Nothing. We need to finish this fucking mission.”

“Thanks, captain-obvious, had no clue we had a job to do here.” I look at Hunter who lets out a small chuckle. He is loving fucking with him just as much as I am.

“Well while you were balls deep in your new toy, I’ve been the one trying to get all the information I can to take this community down.”

“Were you listening? You sick fuck, Flores.” I laugh as I tease him further.

“I didn’t hear it.” He snaps back.

“I was the ‘sick fuck’ in this situation, Kam.” Hunter interjects with a grin at the corner of his mouth.

“You kinky bastard you.” I squint my eyes at him with amusement, his expression mimicking mine.

“Ha ha ha. You two are hilarious.” Marcus slaps his knee.

Hunter and I turn to him, the smile plastered on his face is completely fake.

One that doesn’t reach his eyes, but fuck me if it still doesn’t have my dick twitching at the sight of it.

I haven’t even seen a fake smile from him in a long time, and it makes me wish I could have seen a real one right now.

His plastic grin falls and a scowl replaces it, “Now if you two fuckers are done, can we get back to work?” He turns his computer towards the both of us and I come closer, taking the seat next to Hunter at the island.

“I have more than enough backups for all of these files in case they hack us and try to gain access. I made sure to only use this ‘burner’ laptop that has no traces on it. It has another VPN and a cover-up IP address that’ll lead them to an old man in west Florida who is more than deserving to take the fall for all of the crimes he was never found guilty of. ”

“You think they’ll be able to track it back to us? ”

“I don’t think so. Their IT person is fucking good though so I can’t give you a one-hundred percent guarantee, but this will definitely help slow them down and alert my system in time for me to lose their tracking if they do.”

“Good. And what did you find?” Marcus’s eyes snap to Hunter. “What?” They keep eye contact and I grind my teeth together as they stay silent and realization takes over. “What do they have on her?”

“It’s fucked up shit, Kam.”

I ball my fists so hard my knuckles practically turn white.

“Let me get you a drink first.”

Fuck, it’s that bad.

***

It was even worse.

I don’t know how to go back to Everton and not burn the place down, starting with the Donovans.

Hunter and Marcus described what they witnessed in Elliott’s files.

They told me they knew it was going to be bad, but nothing prepared them for the contents.

When they asked if I wanted to see the evidence I shook my head, I didn’t want to see the videos or pictures.

No one should be able to see that shit. They didn’t argue or push for me to view them and they looked relieved to not have to witness them again. I don’t blame them.

She should have never been through any of this. Not at any of her foster homes, or with the Donovans. She wasn’t the only one. Every child brought into Everton had a file, even the ones that were lined up in foster homes as ‘future brides’.

“I’ll fucking kill him.” I slammed my fists on the concrete slab of the island, “I will watch the life drain from his eyes with a fucking smile on my goddamn face!” My stool slid back as I shot out of it, needing to move.

“I think we would all highly enjoy watching this whole family perish but…”

“There is no ‘but’!” My hand flies into the air, my brows pinch together in frustration.

“Should I come back another time?” Elliott’s soft voice breaks through the tension in the room and all three of us turn to see her sheepishly standing at the edge of the room in one of my large shirts and her sweatpants, looking like she’s ready to sprint back to my room if need be.

I wiped my hand down my face, “We were just discussing what Marcus found. Come.” I curled my fingers at her.

She looks over at Marcus and Hunter as she takes timid steps towards me. The moment she was within arms reach I pulled her to my side, letting my thumb caress her. I feel her body start to relax as I keep up the small strokes .

“What did you find?” She asks.

I go to answer her but when my focus lands on her, I see she isn’t asking me. Her eyes are fixed on Marcus on the other side of the kitchen. His own dart from her to Hunter and then land on me. I give him a faint nod and he sighs.

“I was able to break past the cyber walls of Everton and the Divine’s community files–”

“Cyber files?”

“Computers. I got past them and uploaded as much as I could before their systems were alerted.”

“Okay? And why couldn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because what I found, included files on you.”

“Me? What about me?” Her words were rushed and her hand gripped the back of my shirt.

Marcus runs his hands through his curls, averting his eyes from Elliott, “Everything. From past foster homes to your every step in Everton. Grades, counseling sessions.” I look at Elliott and watch her face grow expressionless, her skin looking paler than before.

“Elliott, I have to ask…” I shoot him a glare, feeling like he was going to cross a line. It didn’t stop him from continuing, “How much do you remember about your time with your biological parents and the foster homes?”

“Not much, I remember chunks of it. Mostly from the foster homes. My parents, those memories are…fuzzy.” She shifts on her feet next to me and I give her a reassuring squeeze of her waist, “It’s more of remembering feelings, smells, sounds.”

“We found a lot of things from that point in your life. Everton has all of it in their recorded files.”

“Like what?” She shifts out of my arm, taking a step towards Marcus.

“I won’t talk about it again.” His jaw ticks.

“Okay, then show me.” She straightened her posture, “Show me the files.”

“That’s not happening.” Marcus blurts out.

“Excuse me?”

“You need to heal, this isn’t what you need to see.”

“And you think you know what is best for me? HA.”

What the fuck?

It might have started off as a fake laugh, but it had turned real at some point. Elliott was laughing, a full-blown laugh, in Marcus’s face.

“Sorry. Ahem.” She cleared her throat trying to stop the laughter. “You…Marcus Flores, who gives zero shits about me, think you know what’s best for me? Yeah, no. Give me the files.” Her hand shoots out and damn, demanding Elliott was hot.

He straightens up and pushes the laptop across the island towards her and my eyes widen.

He can’t be serious. He can’t let her see all that shit right now.

I jump forward the second I see Elliott’s advance on the computer, “Woah, wait. Let’s back up a moment there, gorgeous.”

“Kameron, don’t.” Her snappy tone turned to me now .

“Yeah, Kameron. Don’t.” Marcus parroted Elliott, “If the princess here thinks she’s up for it, then let her.”

“She can’t look at that shit right now. Not yet.”

“Says who? You?” Elliott lunges for the laptop and before I can grab it out of her hands Hunter has it above his head.

“Now, now.” He stands and rests it on his side, “Elliott is the only one who knows what’s best for her. She is in control of her life.”

“Weren’t you on my side earlier?” I shot at him, confused.

“I was, but I realized I was wrong.” He lowers the laptop back down to Elliott, making eye contact before continuing, “Everyone has controlled you your entire life. What house you lived in, what you could wear, where you could go. We wouldn’t be any better than anyone else if we tried to control you here.

It’s your life, so it's your choice.” He nudged his hand closer to her and she swipes the computer, hugging it to her chest before walking out of the kitchen with it.

I wanted to run after her, follow her and tell her she wasn’t ready to see herself like this. As much as I wanted to protect Elliott from her past, I know Hunter is right. Elliott deserved to have control of her life, make her own decisions. And knowing her past is where it would start.