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“Can you draw the symbol?” Liam asks, and Gus nods.
I wait with bated breath while my husband goes to hunt down pen and paper, and when he returns I keep trying to look over Gus’ arm to get a peek at the insignia.
As soon as he’s done, he hands it to Liam, who gulps. “That’s the same symbol the men from Halloween wore,” he says, raking a hand through his tousled dark hair.
I feel like my jaw has come unhinged and might hit the floor as my mind scrambles to catch up with this new… information? Mystery? Whatever it is, I feel like I should know the answer.
We keep discussing the implications and theories until Kai’s property comes into view.
When I walk through the front door, I’m feeling so exhausted it’s like Hypnos—the Greek god of sleep—has sprinkled some of his sleep-powder.
“Can we pick this back up tomorrow?” I say before yawning. “For the rest of what’s left of today, I just want to be with the three of you. No Society business.”
They all agree so quickly I’m pretty sure their minds need a rest as well.
Just as I’m about to ask what they want to do for the rest of the day, Kai gets a call, and I groan in annoyance at the intrusion. However, when I notice the puzzled look on Kai’s face as he barks, “Bring it to the house,” I can’t help but smile. It’s nice to see him so normal, even if it’s a rare occurrence.
A few minutes later, one of Kai’s guards knocks on the door and delivers a box that’s addressed to me. After bowing to all of us, the burly man retreats.
“An early Christmas present?” I muse aloud while inwardly cringing. Shit, I haven’t bought anything for my men. All my thoughts have been on the challenge, leaving me with little brain power to even focus on the fact tomorrow is Christmas.
Liam, Kai, and Gus all swear that it isn’t from them—making me hesitant to open it. Even after Kai promises his team has already ensured there’s nothing dangerous in the white and gold box.
I tear the ribbon off and remove the lid, confused as I look at the contents. “It’s…” I gnaw on my bottom lip as I pull the contents out. “The movie and book version of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, as well as a map.” Maybe map isn’t the right word. I suppose blueprint is more accurate, and if it’s to be trusted, there are underground tunnels beneath the maze in Greece.
“So is it from Alexander?” Gus asks, looking at the items like they’ve personally offended him. “You said he’d mentioned this movie before, right?”
I move behind Gus, and wrap my arms around him, and snake my hands underneath the hoodie he is wearing. The soft skin of his stomach is warmer than my hands, and the touch causes him to hiss in surprise.
“He said I’d find answers by watching the movie,” I agree as I look at the DVD in his hands.
“Unless you can read the book in just a few hours, we should probably watch the movie,” Kai dryly observes.
“Fine,” I reluctantly agree. “I meant it when I said I just want to relax, but if I can do my duty by watching a movie, I’m up for it.”
My reluctance causes Liam to laugh, and he pulls one of my hands from Gus. “Sounds perfect to me,” he chuckles.
Taking point, Kai leads us to his own private cinema room, and I immediately plop down on the bed-sized sofa. “Gods, I could die happy right here,” I dramatically state.
“No death talk,” Gus grumbles as he slides in behind me, and I happily let him pull me against him so I’m resting against his hard chest.
My need to constantly touch and feel him is at the forefront of my mind, so I unashamedly feed it. Having to let go and let him face an opponent alone—even someone as weak as Elena—was beyond hard. Truthfully, it’s given me a new appreciation for what we have, and, of course, what I’ve put them through. I haven’t told them, but I’m feeling extremely ashamed of my selfish behavior.
Kai and Liam join us. My consort lies down so his head is resting in my lap, and my husband pulls my legs on top of his. It’s making my heart brim with happiness and love that we’re all tangled together.
“I thought this would be about airplanes,” Liam gripes.
We’re over an hour into the movie, and his constant barbs make it clear he isn’t into it at all.
“You can’t fly over a cuckoo’s nest,” Kai snorts. When Liam lifts his head and gives him an inquisitive glare, my husband elaborates. “The common cuckoos don’t build nests. Instead, they use that of another bird, making them incubate and care for the young.”
I laugh at the dumbfounded expression on Liam’s face. “That sounds like a pretty good deal,” I absentmindedly say, still wondering what the hell this movie has to do with… anything.
When the movie ends, we don’t get up. My consort is asleep, and my own eyes feel too heavy to stay open.
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Gus asks, and I nod around a yawn.
After waking up a grumbling Liam, we all shuffle around to make it more comfortable for everyone. Not wanting to sleep in my ceremonial dress with the hard gold clasp, I strip out of my clothes. My men do the same, and even though I’m too tired to do anything but sleep, I can’t help licking my parched lips when their over the top fine physique is displayed.
