Page 4

T hat was not that.

Definitely, painfully not.

Because now she was standing with her hands on her hips and staring at the rest of the people sitting in her living room. The same people who were looking up at her for explanations. Ray scoffed at the look Akash shot her and crossed her arms,

“Get up you ass,” she snapped and saw his eyes roll before he flopped back on the ground, “ You’re involved in this too.”

“Whatever,” he muttered, and it was Sorin who decided to speak up in his heed,

“It was you who decided to bring them in.”

Ray scoffed again and was about to respond when she heard Luke Hawthorne clear his throat from across the room, looking exhausted,

“Wait.” He began tiredly and turned to Angel, who was merrily standing in the doorway of the room with his arms crossed, “Wasn’t he the spy?”

“Or the bad guy?” Jack Davis added and rubbed his brows when none of them responded. Ray clicked her tongue but eyed the crowd, the room for what seemed like the first time. The living room of the penthouse was a large place, one that now had a ripped couch and a broken island kitchen. The sun was beginning to set, casting the room with a faint purple hue as Ray looked at the rest of them. Angel was standing to her side, far away as he leaned against the doorway and looked at her discretely .

She didn’t really know what to do with him yet.

Akash was lying on the floor, already asleep with dark bruises on his neck, dangerously close to broken glass. Myra Jelani, who was sitting closest to him, clicked her tongue and pulled him away by his ear, her pink highlights spilling over her shoulder. Irene Sinaga who was also sitting cross-legged beside Myra, eyed Akash in disdain with a straight back and tipped chin. Ray hadn’t seen them all in a while and had no doubt the others would get here soon but till then–

A groan reverberated through the room, attracting all their attention. Ray turned to see Mia Andrews push herself on the non-broken counter on the opposite end of her torn couch. The red head was eyeing them curiously over the top of Christina’s head. Christina Morris was standing right in front of her, with her lower back poised against the same countertop when she shared a glance with Jack. The boy was also standing tall, despite the faint bruises that covered his face. Luke, on the other hand, simply looked exhausted by the entire situation when Irene decided to break their silence,

“You seriously don’t recognize him yet?”

Even Akash stirred from his sleep for long enough to extend his hand in her direction and whack her head gently. Irene gasped in surprise and shot him a dirty look before turning to look at Jack,

“Recognize who?” he shot back, and Ray couldn’t help a muted groan at their exchange. This wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to go.

“ Him,” Irene snapped back and pointed at the boy standing beside the main door. Sorin yawned as their eyes whirled on them and leaned back against the wall. His silver necklace swayed with the movement, but his black eyes shot up to them,

“What? ”

Jack blinked and Ray sighed again.

“Let’s just say all of us aren’t enemies.” She began a bit gently and immediately regretted it as Angel barked a laugh from beside her. Her glare shot to him, and he put his hands up in mock surrender, still grinning that shit-eating grin.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked, not having heard her statement as he stared at Sorin for long enough to make the latter uncomfortable. Ray tapped her foot against the floor impatiently,

“Seriously?” she asked, “There isn’t anything about him that reminds you of someone?”

God, when was he going to get here?

Mia hummed and placed her hands on Christina’s shoulder to lean forward and peer curiously at Sorin, “His eye color is a tad uncanny,” she began and turned to Luke, “Isn’t it?”

Luke nodded in thought, his brows furrowing as his blue eyes scrutinized Sorin, “There’s something off about him.”

Sorin’s eyes widened, and he turned the pleading look in Ray’s direction, “End this.” He said in a faint voice and Ray groaned, putting her face in her hands. She didn’t respond, just fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed the number. It rang as she pressed it to her ear and looked around to find everyone’s eyes on her.

It rang again. And this time, everyone heard a ringtone muffle in the hallway.

Ray’s brow arched, her patience torn to shreds as she waited for him to open the damned doors. But this was him she was talking about. So why would he do anything that wasn’t dramatic? Her phone clicked and Ray forced herself to calm down as he chuckled from the other end ,

“Miss me?”

“ Just get in.” She hissed through gritted teeth and hung up.

“Who–”

But the door lock turned, and the handle dropped before the white, large door opened with a loud whoosh. Ray blinked at the dramatic entrance, almost thought she was imagining smoke when–

Wait. That was smoke…

“Oh my god,” she heard Sorin groan from the doorway as the others coughed at the smoke that filled the doorway.

Angel had crossed their distance when the door opened and was standing next to her with his fingers wrapped around her elbow when she heard his voice echo from the door,

“ Miss me?”

The room silenced. Even Angel’s hand on her elbow froze, his mouth dropping as Ray pursed her lips in distaste.

“ No,” she heard Christina whisper as the smoke cleared.

The first thing she saw was the glint of his silver rings. Then she saw his dark locks peep through the wisps of smoke and couldn’t help a small smile at that atrocious grin on his face. His black eyes glinted with mischief when Angel took a step away from her and let out a sharp breath.

Because how could Noah Hassan be alive?

Ray shook her head again when Luke choked on his saliva and Jack gasped loudly,

“No way,” he was saying when Noah whirled in his direction smoothly,

“ Yes – ”

“Close the door. ”

Myra snapped from the floor before he could continue, and the smoke finally dissipated with the wind. Ray coughed at the smell but still saw Noah glare down at Myra,

“ Hi Noah, it’s so nice to see you, Noah,” he said in a fake pitch as he whirled on his feet to shut the doors loudly. Ray flinched at the sound, but Noah continued, “ Thank you for getting fake shot Noah,”

Myra waved a hand in the air and looked back down at Akash’s sleeping figure. Noah followed her line of sight and snorted,

“And that asshole,” he remarked, back to his original voice, “Did he have to shoot me thrice? That shit hurts you know?”

Akash grumbled something incoherent in his sleep in response.

Noah rolled his eyes but looked over his shoulder at Sorin, his eyes softening into something familiar. Ray smiled at the expression as Angel let out a choked sound beside her. I guess he figured it out, Ray thought as Sorin took a few steps forward and pulled Noah into a tight embrace.

It took a moment for the rest of them to piece it together.

“You’re telling me,” Angel started from beside her, “That Ardelean was planted by you?” he asked and Ray rolled her eyes. So, he still hadn’t figured it out.

“I knew you were going to frame someone from the Lions to gain their trust, so I planted one of my men.” she said, her eyes bored, “And his name isn’t Ardelean, you moron.”

His brow rose in question, and she sighed, “It’s Hassan. Sorin Hassan.”

“ Hassan?!” Jack screeched from across the room and looked at them both. The twins grinned back at him, “Like Hassan– ”

“Yes him. Sorin is Noah’s twin,” she said, and Angel looked at her once before looking away. She didn’t know how none of them had figured it out earlier. When you looked at the two together now, standing side by side, their resemblance seemed obvious. They didn’t have the same face structure, because while Sorin’s was round and subtly beautiful, Noah was cut throat and edgy. Their eyes however were the same black that glittered against the purple hues that were now cast on them.

Angel breathed out next to her, attracting her attention. But being this close to him, realizing that what she had done with him…she didn’t know what to do. He must’ve noticed the soft change in her features or her single step away from him because Angel simply rolled his shoulders and slunk closer like a fox.

Ray resisted the urge to shoot him a glare as he deadpanned,

“Shit.”

“Shit is right.”

And things couldn’t probably get worse for them, but this was her. This was her house, her plan. Of course, things were going to get worse.

As if on cue the doorbell rang out of nowhere, the loud ring surprising them all. Ray saw all their postures shift and felt Angel lurk even closer as his hand hovered over her elbow as if he would grab her and run. The sudden image of him jumping in the way slipped into the back of her mind long enough to startle her. Ray flinched and she barely saw Angel’s concerned glance when Noah turned on his heels and opened the door again.

The relief that blew through her lungs was nothing compared to the sheer joy she felt when Ira ran in through the doors and threw her hands around Ray’s shoulders.

Her actions were surprising but not unwanted .

Enough for her to shake once before returning the gesture with enough power. Ira laughed into her shoulder, looking vibrant like she never had before when she pulled back an inch and opened her mouth to say something. But her eyes cut to Ray’s side, widening as she caught Angel standing beside her.

Ray arched a brow as Ira jumped away from her and right into Angel’s arms. Ray saw Angel’s surprise, saw his arms flail around her when his eyes rose to her in question. She crossed her arms and gave him a subtle nod, not knowing if she should be jealous or happy. Angel grinned at her actions though, and simply wrapped both his hands around Ira’s head in a brotherly embrace, crushing her to his chest.

“Good to see you kid,” Angel said with that grin and looked up to Ray when he continued, “Guess you have a family now, huh?”

She gritted her teeth and turned away, unable to hide that sheen in her eyes when she saw the rest of them pour in.

“Oh, come on,” Jack groaned when Cameron and a very uninjured Neera Griffin strode through the doors with the little kid at their back.

Ray let him be, for now, noting how he seemed to blend further in the shadows behind Sorin. He must be afraid of her still because his grey eyes seemed to shutter when he saw her, his frizzy hair ruffling as he shifted to stand behind Sorin. Ray let out a sigh and was about to say something when the change in the atmosphere prickled the back of her neck.

Her head snapped back ahead, noticing how everyone was now standing in a huge circle, all looking at her with the same look in their eyes. Luke and Jack had shifted backward on cue, but Ray didn’t spare them a glance .

Just looked straight ahead at the people she’d managed to gather. People she’d managed to befriend, to convince. People who’d risked their lives for her.

A sudden wave of nostalgia washed over her. Followed by a rush of holy shit.

“Five years,” Came Neera’s soft voice, a tone she hadn’t heard in ages. Ray choked back a sob as Akash extended his hands above his head in a stretch and mumbled,

“Six months,”

Myra shuffled forward, her hand hooked through Irene’s as she shot Ray a bright grin,

“10 days,”

Irene rolled her eyes, but it was Cameron who signed from beside Neera,

“15 hours,”

And finally, Noah looked down at his watch and squinted,

“20 minutes,”

“And 5 seconds,” Sorin whispered, “Four, three, two–”

One.

They all moved so fast that all their movements were a simple, crazy blur.

One that Ray lost herself in as they formed a large huddle, their hands bracing one another, their laughter combining with tears and cries.

Ray had her eyes shut when Akash wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his chest, Myra right behind him. Irene’s soft touch warmed her back as the rest of them shifted together, shifted closer .

Ray let out a wet laugh as she turned and delivered a bone-crushing hug to the girl. Neera and Myra joined their huddle, all four of them sighing and laughing together as the boys embraced one another behind them.

“So much time,” Ray whispered loud of them for all of them to hear. Irene’s hold on her tightened, her hands shaking as Ray burrowed her face in the girl’s shoulder, chuckled,

“But Noah still can’t see shit without his glasses .”

“Wow.”

And began laughing all over again.