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I lifted my eyebrow in jest, wanting to see how she’d react.
Raven’s jaw dropped as she sputtered, at a loss for words. “But… um… privacy,” she finally said, crossing her arms.
Chuckling, I stood from the couch we’d been snuggling on and deposited her at the bathroom door. I pushed her in, making sure to latch the door behind her. Her bodily functions wouldn’t bother me, but I could let her have this if she needed it.
While she did her thing, I wandered back to the kitchen and spotted Phoenix standing at the stove with his arm in a sling. Our doctor had cleared him, stating that the “EMT” had performed perfect care and execution and should become a surgeon. We’d opted to leave Raven’s name out of it, hoping it would be easier to dismiss an EMT. Raven’s reaction to the comment had been adorable, her cheeks blushing so hard I momentarily thought she wasn’t breathing.
“Morning,” I grunted, walking to the coffee maker. Phoenix lifted the spatula in greeting, humming to himself as he danced to some song on his phone.
“What should we do today?” he asked after placing the French toast onto a plate. Outside of the sling, you’d never guess he’d been shot. The normally reserved and gloomy Phoenix had been replaced with a version that was more similar to his twin—upbeat, optimistic, and smiles for days. Though, I couldn’t deny my own personality hadn’t changed either since a little bird had swooped into our lives.
The Raven effect was a powerful thing.
Leaning back against the counter, I sipped my coffee as I thought about his question. The only thing I truly wanted to do was spend the day with Raven, naked in my bed. I’d been holding back, waiting until she had her time with the others, knowing she needed to be stretched a little, or I’d hurt her. Hearing her moans as the others pleasured her and spending countless days with her body pressed against mine as I kissed her had driven me to a state of profound need.
“Alone time,” I muttered, my eyes meeting his. A knowing grin spread across his face, and he nodded.
“Okay, Rueb. I’ll make it happen.” I nodded in thanks, appreciating that he’d understood what I meant.
Raven skipped into the kitchen, now dressed in a black skirt and Spiderman shirt, which made my cock twitch at the sight of her bare legs. I couldn’t wait to have them wrapped around my head. My eyes zoned in on her, the rest of the room disappearing as I watched her. Raven jumped up on the island, her height closer to Phoenix’s now. They flirted back and forth, making one another laugh. I loved hearing the sound. It was my second favorite sound—the first being her moans.
Otto and Porter trailed into the kitchen, rubbing their eyes a few moments later. Porter immediately plastered himself to Raven’s other side while Otto grabbed a mug of coffee and joined me against the counter.
“Have you?” he asked, lifting his eyebrows. I shook my head no, then took another sip.
“Today,” I whispered, his nod letting me know he understood. He clapped my shoulder before walking over to grab a plate of food.
“Porter and Phoenix, I need your help today,” Otto said, shoving the fluffy French toast into his mouth. Porter opened his mouth to protest, but Phoenix cut him off, motioning with his eyes toward me.
“Sounds good, boss man,” Phoenix chirped, kissing Raven’s lips before taking his plate to sit down.
Porter grumbled but took his own food, snagging Raven to sit in his lap in the process. He’d been the clingiest since we’d arrived home; the gunshot affected him the hardest. While the four of us were as close as brothers, Phoenix was his twin, and their bond was inseparable. I didn’t know who the twins would be without one another.
Picking up the last plate, I joined my family at the island and listened to their conversation. The sound was pleasant, their teasing laughter a soothing background to the noise in my head. Once everyone had eaten, I eyed Raven as she pretended to wash the dishes. I didn’t think the girl had ever done one in her life.
“Angel,” I said, stepping up behind her. “Spend the day with me?” I asked, my voice soft. The disuse of it over the years made it hard to speak for long periods. My brothers never demanded anything of me, so I quit trying, only speaking a few words most days. Raven made me want to try, though. To share more of my voice with her. Some things were still too hard to say, but I had another way in mind.
My hands captured hers in the water, stopping her from scrubbing. She peeked at me from behind her, resting her head on my chest.
“Of course. I just want to do… this.” Smiling, I shook my head, drying her hands and picking her up off the step stool she used to reach the cabinets. “But…” she turned, frowning at the dishes.
“Leave it, Little Bird. We’ll finish it later. Have fun with Rueben.” Otto kissed her lips, leaving her slightly breathless as he walked away. The twins took turns next, making Raven a swooning mess as they departed.
Phoenix winked at me, and I shook my head. I didn’t need their help getting her aroused, but I’d take it for now. Directing her down the hall, I led her to my bedroom. Her small hand fit in mine perfectly, and I grew excited at sharing this part of myself with her.
My bedroom wasn’t much to look at. The walls were dark and calming as I entered, helping to ease some of my tension. The carpet beneath our feet was soft to the touch, soothing me more with each step. My room was smaller than the other guys, my big bed taking up most of the space, with a simple bucket chair and dresser off to the side. I had nothing on my walls or any personal effects in here. I found them too distracting when I needed to sleep, preferring the simple luxury of silence.
“I have to be honest. This isn’t what I expected your room to be like. It’s nice and comforting, so I get that part, but it doesn’t screamyouat all,” Raven said, her head swiveling around to take in everything like she thought it was an optical illusion and I was hiding something in plain sight.
Smiling, I shook my head and led her to a door most people assumed was my closet. It wasn’t. Wearing only black clothing made my wardrobe easy, and it all fit into the one dresser.
The main reason my bedroom was smaller was because we’d converted the room next to mine and a good portion of my original room into my sanctuary. Opening the door, I sucked in a breath as I prepared to show her the room that was more me.
I didn’t have a red room of pain or anything like that. No, what I’d discovered due to my past abuse was I needed a gentle approach. It wasn’t about control for me in the bedroom but submission in every sense of the word.
Submitting to my past and letting go of the screams that echoed in my head on a constant loop.
Relinquishing my body to the experience and using my other senses to keep me out of my head.
