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The sun peeked over the horizon, climbing its way into the dreary gray sky. It flooded the kitchen with its murky light, casting her little world of worry in shades of soot and ash as she laid out dish after dish on the table and counters. When she had nothing left to cook, she began to clean. Scouring every pot and pan by hand, scrubbing away at the counters until they gleamed.
When the front door unlocked, Devin had a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. She couldn’t say how they’d gotten there or why she thought to bring either with her as she crept towards the long hall leading her forward.
Seeing Beau come through the door first, Devin’s breath hitched. A wail began building in her chest, a sob grinding through her throat before she saw the disheveled locks of inky black behind him. She sprinted down the hall, the clatter of metal ringing out behind her as she dropped the weapons before she flung herself into Rey’s chest.
All words were lost beneath the shuddering cries, but she still told him never to do that to her again. As if he understood every wretched syllable, Rey purred deep in his chest, arms closing around her and lifting her up until Devin’s limbs wrapped around him. He carried her that way back through the house, slowing as he came to the kitchen.
“Dibs on the lasagna.” Beau sidled past the pair, falling into a chair that groaned beneath his sudden weight. Tugging the steaming pan closer, he snatched a fork from the drawer and began digging in.
Rey grunted and continued towards the bedroom. He didn’t let go of her there, either. Letting Devin cry against his neck, he shuffled their clothes free as best he could before settling them on the bed. Tucking the covers high over Devin’s head, he sifted his fingers through her hair and waited for her to calm.
“Don’t ever leave me, Daniel,” Devin mumbled as her eyes began to drift shut. Swollen and gritty, she allowed them to remain that way as she snuggled closer against his warmth.
“Not even death could keep me from you, my love,” he whispered back with a tender kiss to her forehead. “Rest now.”
Devin tried to nod, but everything felt so heavy. A leaden fear still wound through her even as Rey’s steady heartbeat filled her ears.
* * *
“Are you going to tell me what happened,” Devin asked in a hushed murmur as she eased closer to Rey. Though she’d woken not long after he’d taken her to bed to build a heavy burrow around them, blocking out the outside world and the many horrors awaiting them, Devin couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Too many questions tumbled around her head, making further sleep impossible despite Rey’s best efforts to make her forget. Not even his quiet, rumbling call could steal those worries away.
“You need to rest, sweetheart.”
“I’m not tired. Why did he want to see the claiming marks?”
“A few reasons, none of which are important to us right now.”
“That’s not an answer,” Devin hissed, yanking on her hair as she raked a hand through it. The prickle of pain held back the frustrated tears trembling on her lashes. For now.
“The more you know, the more dangerous it is for you,” Rey growled as he tumbled their bodies, pinning Devin beneath him. Cupping her cheek in his warm palm, he set his forehead against hers. “Can’t you understand I want to protect you?”
“So that I can be blindsided like I was last night, you mean? You have no idea how terrifying that was for me. Him demanding that-that I show him…” Devin swallowed hard, jerking away from the soft kiss he tried to quiet her with.
“I would never have let him hurt you.”
“He did hurt me, Daniel!”
“Your pride, maybe, but not you.”
“For Gods’ sake, how do you not understand they’re one and the same with me?” Devin snarled, wriggling her way out from under his bulk. Once free, she launched from the bed, grabbing the first thing her hands fell on to pull over her head as she stormed from the room.
“Devin, get back here.”
“No!”
She knew it was childish, but she’d had enough. Always kept in the dark, constantly held prisoner within the house, she couldn’t stand it anymore. The very moment she’d not felt powerless, the entire world sought to grind that precious spark under its heel. Stomping her way into the kitchen, her lip curled at the dark clothed bodies at the table bent over half eaten dishes.
“Are you all heathens,” she shouted. Yanking the cabinet door open, she tugged out a stack of plates. The ceramic threatened to shatter as she shoved the dishes across the table, shaking her head at the wide-eyed faces turned towards her.
“They’re soon to be dead men,” Rey said as he came into the kitchen, snagging Devin around the waist to pull her back against his front.
“It was just going to go to waste, boss,” one man mumbled as they all rose with heads bowed.
“I don’t give a shit,” Rey roared. “You have one job, and I very much doubt you can keep watch over my mate while eating in my fucking kitchen.”
“No, they can’t,” Beau drawled as he came into the room, shrugging his way into a suit jacket. “Which is why the second shift is doing the rounds while these guys get something to eat and a couple hours sleep.”
