AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The bedroom door flew open, and a disoriented, half-naked Zane stood on the threshold rubbing his eyes. “What the fuck happened?”
Jorik was behind him, also rubbing his eyes. “Everyone okay?”
I could feel Haina’s cheeks getting warm from how close we were sitting. “I … I just don’t like thunder or lightning. Especially lightning,” she said, sounding sheepish and embarrassed.
Zane rubbed the back of his neck and nodded, wandering into the living room and taking a seat on the couch beside us. “What did Moord do?”
I glanced at Zane, then pivoted my head to look at Haina. “How does he know Moord did something to you to make you hate lightning?”
“Because commanders are sick fucks,” Zane said blandly.
Haina simply nodded. “He left me outside in a storm overnight when I was three. The lightning cast terrifying shadows from the trees and buildings. He also deliberately tried to frighten me by having himself and other guards appear out of nowhere during each lightning flash. They wore creepy masks and held weapons. But then I couldn’t hear or see them when it was dark. If they weren’t wearing masks, they had creepy, murderous looks on their faces. Like they were getting ready to kill me.” She swallowed. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. It was punishment for asking for something else to eat because I was still hungry after dinner.”
“Fucking hell,” Jorik growled, scratching his bare chest absentmindedly and sitting beside us on the other side of the couch. He leaned in, cupped Haina’s cheek and brought his mouth to hers. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Angel.”
Haina shrugged. “We’ve all been through more than any child or person ever should. But I’ve disliked lightning ever since. The way it makes everything visible just for a second, then you’re thrown into pure blackness again. But you can see so much in that single second, and yet, you don’t always see what’s really there, and it just plays mind games with you. You know?”
We all nodded.
“Commander Unte did something similar to me when I was six,” Zane murmured.
His words struck ice into my spine.
Jorik and I stared at him with our mouths open and eyes wide. Zane had never mentioned this to us before. He could tell we were shocked and also pissed from his eye roll of response, then he let his gaze settle on me. “You’d gotten in trouble over something. I can’t remember what. But you were only three and Unte was going to put you in a box—basically a coffin—for two days as punishment. No food, no water, no bathroom. One small airhole. Complete darkness for forty-eight hours. So I told him to punish me instead, and he did. I spent four nights outside in nothing but a T-shirt and pants, and there was a storm. It rained for the entire four days, didn’t let up once. There was thunder, lightning, and I was gagged so that I couldn’t even drink the rainwater. I had to tilt my head to the sky until the fabric gag got wet, and then I sucked the water out of the rag.”
If my jaw could drop any farther, it would. “I … I had no idea,” I stammered.
Zane nodded. “Of course not. You were three. You’re my little brother and it is my job to protect you. There was no point in telling you and making you feel bad. I just made sure that I kept a closer eye on you and stopped you from doing stupid shit before you got caught.”
My throat was tight, and unshed tears stung the backs of my eyes. I had no idea what to say.Thank youseemed inadequate, and it was over twenty years ago. Would a thank-you even carry any weight now?
Zane’s left shoulder lifted. “I’m not telling you to upset you or have you thank me. I’m telling you … andHainaso that she knows I understand what she went through and how she feels now. I’m not a huge fan of storms myself. And it’s for a similar reason.”
A plump tear slid down Haina’s cheek as she clambered off my lap and into Zane’s, straddling him and hugging him tight until his tense muscles relaxed and he hugged her back. For all their rough, animalistic fucking, I bet this was the first time they’d ever hugged.
“You’re a good big brother,” she murmured against Zane’s neck. “You’re a good man. And you should never have had to go through that.”
Zane’s eyes shifted to mine, and I twisted my lips. “She’s right. I would’ve survived the box. But you are a good man and brother. Thank you.”
“Is Unte still alive?” she asked, sitting up and wiping beneath her eyes. “We can make a detour before we go assassinate the president, his family and tear down the government.” Her words held a hint of sarcasm that made us all huff a laugh. “I’m down for a little necessary killing. We can make it long and painful.” Her eyes glittered with bloodlust and mischief, which was just the tension break we needed.
Jorik, Zane and I laughed and Zane twirled a strand of her blonde hair around his fingers, tugging gently. “Unte’s dead, Kitten. Why do you think Moord was brought in as a replacement, and you with him?”
Once again, Jorik’s and my mouths dropped nearly to our knees.
“Dude, what is with the secrets?” I said, hitting my oldest brother on the shoulder. “I thought Unte was moved to another compound. Promoted or some shit?”
Zane shook his head. “That’s what we were told in order to keep us in line. But I killed him. It was years in the making, the perfect plan. I killed him and his Kappa—our last source—which was why Kitten and Moord were brought in.”
Jorik blew out a breath and scratched his bare chest absentmindedly. “Jesus, just dropping bombs left, right and center, aren’t you?”
Zane exhaled a humorless chuckle. “Had I known Moord was a more sadistic fucker than Unte, maybe I wouldn’t have gone through with it—”
“But then we wouldn’t have met Wildcat,” I said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.
Haina smiled at me sweetly and blew a kiss. “I’d have found you some other way, handsome.” She winked.
“The last Hellcat we had at the compound who was our source was psycho as fuck. We all knew that. We heard the murmurs of all her kills from the guards. Unte bragged about them. But he kept her close. She was his bodyguard. So I had to wait until she was on a mission and he was vulnerable.” Zane’s eyes formed thin slits. “I had no idea that Unte and his Kappa were also fucking. Whether it was consensual or not, we’ll never know and at this point is irrelevant. Though I’d be hard-pressed to assume that a lot of commanders didn’t engage in that shit with their Hellcats.”
