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Orion snorts, shaking his head. “Body clean up is my thing,” he says. This really isn’t great dinner conversation, but no one complains as they continue to eat.
Roark’s food really is amazing.
“I’ve been cleaning up my own messes for a really long time,” Orion says with a shrug. “My dad,” he coughs as he thinks about it. “Okay, to normal people this is really fucked up I guess, but I was really young when I killed for the first time.”
“Orion, there’s more to that story,” Derek admonishes, and my head whips over to him. “Yes, you’re scary, but the goal is not to freak out Len, remember?”
Orion wrinkles his nose as he nods. “Fine, my babysitter and her boyfriend tried to mess with me when I was ten. I heard them bragging about the other people they’d hurt while they were fucking outside of my room,” he explains and I drop my fork in surprise.
He looks pointedly at me and then my food. “I can’t tell you the story if you don’t eat. I’m fine, I killed them before they hurt me, and my father came home and taught me how to clean up after myself. He was surprised, but then there was this odd look that came over his face. I still don’t understand it, if I’m honest with myself,” he says, shaking his head. Orion bangs on the counter and I startle, picking up my fork hurriedly.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Turner drolls, rolling his eyes.
“It was effective,” I mutter, cheeks once more aflame as I realize Orion very much scares me.
“Anyway,” he continues as I take a bite of my food. Instead of the slight fear making me less hungry, it simply heightens it as he watches me chew with a slight smile. “My father took me to a pig farm, and made me watch them destroy all evidence of my babysitter and her boyfriend. I don’t even remember their names anymore.”
I pause for a moment before swallowing. I didn’t want to die from choking at his nonchalant statement.
“That’s a smart choice of cleanup,” I mildly say, and Orion chuckles. I shrug because what else am I supposed to say to that?
“Does nothing faze you?” he asks.
“It does, but the guys and I have rules about stories. Your stories and words matter, as do your emotions. Even when you’re not at your best, they matter,” I tell him confidently.
Orion cocks his head to the side as he stares at me. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he says, changing the subject. “Part of my logic for taking Eric is because of how he touched you, spoke to you. Xav had no issues with it, and made me feel things I never have before. Everything about that hospital made me want to exterminate everyone in that cursed place.”
His voice is guttural, low, deadly, and I shiver for a different reason. “I’m no one to you. In the grand scheme of things,” I tell him, holding my hand up to stop him when he would interrupt, “you don’t know me and I shouldn’t matter. Why did you feel those things?”
Orion squints at me, and I know I’m pushing. Sassily, I take another bite of pasta and he softens.
Win for Lennon.
“You matter. Derek said your name to me in the car one day, and everything inside of me wasinterestedin you. I can’t explain it, and it still doesn’t make sense to me. It only got worse when he told me Xav and Grant’s plans for you, and I was done.” Orion taps the counter as he thinks. “It doesn’t make sense but I’ve been numb to everything but anger my entire life, but my heart screams‘mine’when I even think about you and Derek. And I can’t go there with you—”
I shake my head, lips twisting. I may not understand it completely, but I am drawn to him, and I want to figure out why. “Why not? Making decisions for me already?”
Roark and Turner snicker. “I would not suggest fucking with Lenny,” Roark says, his brogue rough and amused. “Our girl doesn’t like to be told what to do, unless it’s in bed, and even then, sometimes she enjoys being in control.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell all my secrets now,” I tease him and Roark covers his mouth, shoulders shaking.
“You all have such an easy way about being around each other,” Orion mutters. “I’m bad with people.” He punctuates his words as he stabs a piece of chicken and pops it into his mouth.
As he chews, his eyes widen. It’s the first bite he’s taken while we’ve been chatting. “Oh good god, this is amazing,” he groans.
Derek laughs. “Orion, you love food, just admit it. I made lasagna and you’d have thought he’d never eaten before.”
“I don’t cook well,” Orion explains, swallowing. “I can make sure I don’t burn the house down, and I can follow directions, but I can’t make anything like this. Roark, you didn’t even have a recipe, for fuck’s sake.”
Roark pouts. “Don’t insult me, I don’t need recipes. I just know what goes where, and stop seasoning when it feels right.”
“You’ve been hanging out with Tesa and her mother too long,” Turner teases him.
“They spoiled me rotten,” he agrees.
“I’m so glad you were able to spend time with them,” I smile. “I haven’t seen them in way too long.”
“Greg offered us a safe house in Georgetown, once you’re able to travel,” Roark tells me with a smile. “We don’t want to push you, and flying isn’t recommended by the doctor yet, but your sister is also touring in the southern states. It would be a great place to make our home base.”
