Page 88 of Six

Sully took my place. They grabbed him because in the past weeks I’ve never been alone. Rague has always been with me. Even when Sully was taken, and I feel so fucking guilt-ridden. I should have protected him better.

I don’t need to know what they did to him. We have the damn video that shows us what happened.

“You’re safe, Sully.” Rague moves to place a big hand on my brother’s shoulder. “I won’t let anything like this happen to you again.”

“You promise?” Sully’s barely-there whisper between the sobs makes my throat ache. I’m trying so hard to keep myself together that I think I’m going to be sick.

“I swear,” Rague replies.

“You’re under our protection now, kiddo,” Rami declares from the doorway. “You, your kiddo brother, and…the gremlin.”

Lori huffs and mumbles, “Like I need protection.”

“And Brad?” Sully hiccups, stretching his arm toward his friend, who promptly comes closer.

“If you vouch for him.” Rami nods.

“I do too,” I say. Not that Brad needs it. He comes from a rich family, and he’s built.

“Me, three. Brad is the best himbo to ever himbo.” Lori’s statement makes Brad blush.

“Then it’s settled,” Rague grunts.

“Here,” Brad pulls a glasses case from his bag and hands it to me. I take out Sully’s extra frames and push them on his nose. “I took them from your locker at school. I thought that maybe you’d need them.”

“You’re the best, Bradley.” Sully’s small smile makes Brad lean forward on the hospital bed and hug him, making my brother jerk in pain.

Brad quickly pulls back. “Fuck, I’m such a doofus.”

“It’s okay,” my brother replies with a pinched expression.

The doctor finally arrives. He asks Sully some questions while checking him over. When he seems satisfied, he lets us know that he’s on his way toward a full recovery and gives him something for the pain. Thirty minutes later, Sully is sleeping again, and my exhausted body decides to follow the example.

When I wake up again, Raph is staring at me from the other side of the room. The hairs on the back of my neck stand. Admittedly, it’s more the empty stare than the psycho vibe that creeps me out.

My brother is sleeping, but he looks better. His nose is still covered with a bandage, and the bruises around his left eye and jaw are purple, but his breath is calm and even.

Michael, Meg, and Lori enter the room, saving me from an awkward as fuck conversation. Meg comes to give me a hug.

“So glad to see you awake and smiling again, kiddo,” she whispers in my ear.

“She likes you,” Michael stage whispers. “She’s never that touchy-feely with the rest of us.”

“It’s because most of you don’t want to.” She sniffs.

“I’m not like Bones here,” Lori points at Michael. “I want a hug.”

Meg waves him closer with an exasperated smile, and he gets a warm one.

“Where’s Rague?” It’s the first thing I ask.

Michael looks at Raph. “He went to the base.”

“Without me?” I ask incredulously. I don’t like it.

“You didn’t look very keen about learning that part of him.” Lori say and ouch. I definitely swept the whole gory family business under the carpet. Since when am I such a coward?

Raph shrugs. “He needs to do what he does best—punish evil.”