Page 29 of Fractured Memories

I pull my gloves from my back pocket, tugging them over my hands. Lochlan does the same. “We could stand to cull them from society.”

He shakes his head as we make our way toward the bridge. “Then you should act without telling Conor or Miles. You know how insufferable they are.”

“It would only have caused more problems for me.”

Lochlan scoffs. “For me.”

I smirk, glancing back at him. The bridge is wide enough for two people to walk side by side, but we are careful to keep some distance between us when we walk—just in case. “Now why would I care about that?”

His dark blue gaze narrows. “Prick.”

That has me chuckling as I step off the bridge, the dirt soft beneath my boots. Lochlan’s steps click as he closes the distance, and I fall into place at his side as we head to his house.

My house sits at the center of our compound, farthest from the road and on the cliff’s edge. It provides the safest position and is slightly larger than the other two. Rohan’s house sits closer to the bridge to the right of mine, and Lochlan’s is on the left, near the start of the road. It makes it easy for us to move between the three, especially with walking paths connecting them.

“Avoiding your house still?”

I shove him, but he only chuckles. I haven’t been home since I last saw Eden, and instead of taking over Rohan’s sitting room again, I’m going for a change of scenery—Lochlan’s. His whiskey collection is nowhere near as extensive, but his kitchen is better stocked. He’s an indulgent man, which includes the treats he keeps stashed at his place that far outweigh what Rohan and I have on hand.

Stepping inside, I am reminded of the other reason I’d rather be here right now. Rohan’s house is all dark warmth and wood. It’s nice and has a lot of privacy, but it started to feel claustrophobic after a few hours.

Lochlan’s house is made almost entirely of glass—bulletproof, of course. He completely renovated it shortly after I came into power, which was difficult to navigate. We couldn’t allow standard contractors up here, so it was mostly an effort of the three of us and Jude along with the guards that are assigned to our homes. Jude personally selected a trio of project managers to design different parts and oversee construction without ever knowing the final result. While it was a pain in the arse—and I’d never want to fucking do it again—we managed to get it done without anyone ever learning the full blueprints of our houses.

It was a risk, but I couldn’t make Lochlan live in a house that haunted him any longer. I knew that he’d slept outside or at Rohan’s more over the years than he did his own home.

Now, he has the best views. The sunrise shines into his bedroom, and the sunset has a mostly unobstructed view through his living room. His kitchen has a connecting outdoor dining area, and there is an observatory off the sitting room so he can still sleep safely under the stars—Jude’s idea.

It provides protection along with the feeling of freedom. It’s always been clear that Lochlan designed it this way to keep the darkness out—he even has skylights in the bathrooms. And right now, I can empathize with needing that.

“I’m raiding your kitchen,” I tell him as I stalk inside. I know I can’t drink myself completely stupid again—at least not until the late hours of the night when I’ll need to force all the thoughts from my brain so I can sleep.

“You have your own!” Lochlan shouts from down the hall, but from the sound of his footsteps, he’s not following me. He’s going to his bedroom.

I tug off my gloves, stuffing them in my back pocket. Pushing the kitchen door open, I twist my head to shout in his direction, “And yours has enough sugar to put me in a coma!”

“Not anymore.”

My head snaps forward, hand already on my gun. But I relax when I find a petite woman on the counter, freckles dotting her face and a wide grin aimed at me as she plucks another of Lochlan’s sweets from the container.

I chuckle as I cross to her, stealing one of my own. “You didn’t leave enough for me?”

Mika shrugs a shoulder. “You know that I’m weak for these.” She leans in, lowering her voice. “I’ve gone to the stores that Lochlan says he gets these from and have never found them. I think he bribes the confectioners in the city to make him special treats.”

“He does.” I pop one in my mouth, thankful for the bitter chocolate cut with the sugary filling. I’m not as bad as Lochlan, but I definitely like chocolate more than most people would expect. He could survive on the sweets alone, and Rohan practically is on a liquid diet of whiskey. I guess I'm a healthy mix of the two—a combination of their vices.

A strand of dark hair falls in her face, and Mika huffs as she shifts, pulling her hair down only to pile it back on top of her head. “You think Jude could get one in our pocket?”

“Lochlan would draw blood over his sweets. You know that.”

Her lower lip sticks out in a pout. “I bet if I asked nicely…”

I chuckle, stealing another piece. “Lochlan might have a pretty smile, but he’s ruthless.” Not that I have to tell her. Mika’s similar in that aspect. “You’ll have to get that husband of yours to threaten someone else.”

She groans. “They won’t be as good.”

I shrug, leaning back against the counter opposite her. Lochlan’s kitchen is massive, surrounded by windows and more seating than he’ll ever use. I think he’s hoping to have a big family one day—not that it’s really an option. Even at this elevation, the toxic fumes on the ground have poisoned us, making it extremely hard to conceive.

“So.” Mika’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “We both know why I’m really here.”