Alexa pov
What the actual fuck?
The rumbling of Jem's truck grows quieter as we reach the suckenly rich part of the city. As we slow down I watch the giant houses with green gardens roll past. Wondering what the hell we're doing here, because they can't actually live in one of these houses. I scowl at the world. We come to a stop outside of a gate. Behind it sits a beautiful white house. It takes me a moment to realize which house this is and why it seems so familiar. Stipping, we wait as a wolf sitting in a little box houses exchanges a few words with Ryder before pressing a couple of buttons to let us in. The gate slides open and we roll inside.
My heart beats out of rythym as my gaze falls on the entire house. Big black double doors sit above a small half-moon staircase that leads to the front door. Jem, veers the car to the right and a black garage door opens. A narrow road tilts down and leads us underground to a massive garage. Multiple cars and bikes, all expensive as hell, is lined up facing the wall in a neat extremely expensive row.
The engine turns off and Jem hops out pulling my door open with a flourish.
"My lady," he drawls and bows at the waist.
Tentatively I scoot to the edge of the jeeps seat peering out. Ryders jacket is still around my middle I climb out of the jeep and walk along the line of vehicles looking at them all with wide disbelieving eyes.
They're rich. The four boys who used to steal croissants from the small bakery down by the beach for me are fucking rich. My mind can't really wrap itself around them here. I always imagine. It's the same house. The one I wanted to buy and renovate. They bought it. Renovated. Live in it.
Without me.
They took my dream and made it their own.
A fist wraps itself around the organ slamming against my chest protecting it from any further harm.
Four pairs of eyes watch me closely as I move closer to a door at the end of the line. The air is thick with tension and when Jem slips past me to hold the door open, he looks almost nervous. Silently, I move through the basement. Noting the gym on the right and a closed door to the left of a staircase that leads up into the house.
Jem walks ahead of me. He swiftly enters a code on the keypad which blips and opens the door. Jems tall lithe frame blocked my view of the pad keeping me from seeing what numbers he pushed. Mentally cataloguing to find the member combination later, I step into a living room.
To my right, there's floor to ceiling windows looking over a dark wooden deck with a pool, bar and grill. The ocean sits beyond it and I can see the cliff peak to the left from here even in the dark.
Inside to my left is the wide expanse of the living room. White couches sit in front of a flat screen TV with a massive speaker system. On the TVs right side is another door that, if this place is built like I imagined it to be, leads to the office/library.
Ahead of me is the dark brown and white kitchen. Isle, barstools and all. Mouth open and body numb I take in everything from the wooden floor to the large photograph hanging on the wall next to the staircase that leads to the second floor. It's a blown-up polaroid picture.
Of me.
Hunter took it years ago with a stolen instant camera. The body twirling in the blue ocean is blurry. Blonde strands block out the young girls face but a hint of a wide smile can be seen. Worn jean shorts and a white flowy long-sleeved top covers her skin. There's a bandage around her left thigh starting at her knee and disappearing behind the storts.
My fingers skim over faint white line beneath the tattoo. It never faded completely, the wound deep enough to scar.
That photo was taken the day I turned thirteen. We'd been celebrating with a picnic on a cliffside on the other side of the city. The beach there is made up of huge rocks and continues onto a cliff smaller than one here.
Hunter challenged the other boys to jump off it. There weren't many stones jutting up the water so they deemed it safe enough. Asking me to guard their stufg they stepped up to the edge gazing down below gauging the distance. Angry at being left out and because I know they thought it was too dangerous for me to jump I rushed past them and threw myself into the air. Freefalling into the waves. The water gripped me tight and slammed me against a rock before I could breach the surface giving me the scar on my left thigh. That photo was taken shortly after.
"What do you think?" Jem questions a bit hesitantly.
Turning I find all four behind me standing shoulder to shoulder creating a wall of muscle and intense gazes. "What the fuck?" I snap glaring at each and every one them.
They look a bit taken aback by my reaction. All except Hunter who's face remains impassive.
"That's-what?" Jem stutters looking from me yo the others confused.
"You stole my house!" I throw my arms out enveloping the space. "What the fuck!" I shout anger rising in me. They live in the house I created for all five of us and they built it for themselves.
"Stole?" Ryder drawls raising a brow at me. "We bought and built it just the way you always wanted to." His voice is steady and slow as if he's explaining something to a child. It makes me want to stomp my feet. Like a child. My muscles bunch as I resist the urge.
"For you!" I point at him accusingly. "You took my house and built it for you!"
Their brows furrow in confusion. Ryder shakes his head at me. "No," he says calmly, "we built it for you." He clarifies pointing his own finger at my forehead. "This house belongs to you just as much as any of us. More even. It's yours. Your home."
"I don't have a home," I mutter under my breath on instinct.
"Yeah, you do." Shade snaps back. "You always have."
My head throbs. I can't wrap my mind around this. They're the ones who had me sent away. They wanted me gone so they could take the treasure and split it four ways instead of five. Yet they built this house that I dreamed of saying it's mine. My home. I drag my fingers through my hair turning my gaze to the floor. Trying to piece this together is giving me a headache.
"Come on," Shade always holds a hand out, "today's been a lot. Go get some rest and well talk more tomorrow." He says noticing the growing ache in my head. Always so attentive and turned in to the people around him.
Shaking my head, I take a step back. "I'm not staying here."
My protest falls on deaf ears. Ryder steps forward stalking after me as I back away. My back meets the wall. Caging me in Ryder swoops his arms low and tosses me over his shoulder again. I don't even fight as he carries me up the stairs and down a hall. Four doors face each other and fifth sits right ahead. Ryder opens that one and carefully sets me down on my feet inside.
A large queen-sized bed stands in front of me. The bedsheets white and at least ten pillows are learning against the dark brown wooden headboard. There's a small nightstand on the left and right side of it in the same wooden color. Lamps and vases with fresh flowers standing on them.
A dark wood peeking out where it ends. The right wall one large window. There's even the window seat decorated with plush pillows that I always wanted. A glass door next to it leads out to a balcony. The wall next to the door we stepped through is a built in dark brown bookshelf.
The wall opposite the window is bare except for the two doors sitting far apart.
Ryder points to the one farthest away. "Closet," he states before moving to the door closest to us. "Bathroom."
My head is spinning as I roll my eyes over the space. It's fully decorated in my favorite colors. The bed made and the flowers blooming in the nightstands. It sits untouched but still cared for. Someone must clean it and keep it from becoming dusty as its6 left unused. It's clear no one lives here but still ready for someone to move in.
It's as if they've been waiting for its owner. For me. My eyes burn and my stomach aches as I stand completely frozen by the threshold.
"Get some sleep." Shade repeats leading me over to the bed when my feet don't move. He tosses the covers back and I climb in.
"Holy fuck. This is the most comfortable bed I have ever lain in. It's soft but not too soft. It's like a big hug. The pillows fluffy beneath my head. Like soft clouds.
Sighing deeply, I sink into the mountain of them. Grabbing one to hug as I sleep precisely like I always do. Turning on my right side I draw my legs up, flip the cover up so it wraps under my feet and tucking a piece of it between my thighs. I don't even notice that my bra and makeup is still on. Mind's too scrambled from the day's events. Forgetting my protests about staying in this house I close my eyes and slip into a deep slumber.
I wake up to the smell of pancakes, coffee and croissants. Mouth-watering, I slip out of the cloud and I slept on and stumble into the wardrobe.
Which isn't empty. There's some pyjamas, shorts, shirts and workout gear in the rectangular room. Empty hangars fill both sides intercepted by short shelves where folded clothes lay. Beneath the hangers are rows meant for shoes and on the wall facing the door is a full body mirror.
Finding some clean underwear, I slip out of the stripper ones and into the panties forgoing a bra. I drag an oversized white t-shirt over my head and slip my legs into some chocolate brown track shorts.
The bathroom is white with a built-in bathtub beneath a round window. A shower sits against the far wall, a rack with shampoo and body wash inside. The cabinet over the sink has a toothbrush, toothpaste and a couple of bottles with night and day cream as well as sun lotion.
Leaving the doors it open I take some makeup remover and wash my face. Then add some sun lotion onto my face before heading downstairs. Following the steps to where the smell of delicious food is coming from. My stomach growls loudly and realized I haven't eaten anything since the night before yesterday.
I find Ryder behind the stove flipping pancakes and Jem setting the table whilst the coffee is brewing. They're both bare chested and in sweatpants. One balck the other is grey. I admire their asses from my place on the stairs. It's a nice view.
Ryder's shoulders are broad, his back and arms corded with muscle. Jem's slightly shorter and his muscles learner but just as defined. They grew up to be hot. As in steaming-mounth-watering-panty dropping eyes popping out of my head-hot.
Ryder's tattoos are on display. The viper wrapping itself around his right forearm is detailed and absolutely stunning. I can't see the word I know is tattooed above his right knee. Nor do I see the same word under Jem's collar bone when his back is too me. I absently trace the word on the left side of my ribcage the "A" starting right where my breast ends. My fingers pass over the cursive and four stars spread out around the letters. I was the only one who got the stars the others complaining it was too feminine for them. Huffing out a breath I take the last steps and head to the kitchen isle slipping onto a barstool.
"Goodmorning," Jem greets cheerfully, "sleep we-" his words stop on his tongue as he turn around.
Ryder
"Sleep we-" Jem cuts himself off. The unfinished sentence grates on my nerves and I whirl toward him about to smack him over the head with my spatula when I see the look on his face. His expression is frozen somewhere between rage and shock. The usually smiling and cheerful Jem gone. Which doesn't happen often. It freaks people out when Jem smiles as he beats them up, because it makes him look a bit crazed, but his mood is simply always bright, but it's when his smile falls away you should be scared.
Following his line of sight, my eyes fall on Alex's face. My blood turns to ice the spatula freezing in the air. A dark blue and purple bruise surrounds her left eye. That side of her face slightly swollen. She must have hidden it beneath makeup yesterday. My gaze trails down to her neck where a bruise that looks a hell of a lot like a big handprint sits as a necklace on the fair skin.
Jem whirls and slams his hands down on the counter the muscles in his back bunching with contained anger. Closing his eyes, Jem inhales through his nose and slowly releases the air through his mouth containing his rage.
"Who did this to you?" my voice is low and calm. Far more collected than I feel. A swirling storm of fury, fear and guilt tears through my insides nauseating me. The storm spreads through my body making my muscles tense as if preparing for a fight.
"Who did wha-" she breaks off, her hand flying to her face as if only now remembering the bruise marring the skin there.
Stepping up to the kitchen isle I brace my hands on the stone counter staring her down.
"Who?" voice taking on the tone I use when a pack member doesn't give me the answer I want. I'm not backing down on this. One way or another I'll find out who dared lay a hand on my girl and tear them limb from limb.
Unless she'd like to do that herself. Then I'll drag them to her feet in offering before watching Alex destroy whoever hurt her.
The door to the garage opens Shade and Hunter stepping through, both sweaty from their workout. Their voices die down as they feel the air thick with tension. My eyes don't leave Alex but I hear my brothers coming closer.
"What's going on?" Hunter questions eyes bouncing between Jem and me searching for an answer.
Shade always so fucking observant halts by the corner of the kitchen isle his eyes landing on the girl in front of us, sucking in a sharp breath his body goes stiff.
Hunter follows our eyes. Cursing vividly, he stalks to where Alex sits, spins her chair around and grips her chin between his thumb and index finger. He turns her head to the side and inspects her eye before tilting her head up and checking her neck. Hunter brushes back her hair tracing the handprint with his fingers.
"Who?" I press when Hunter steps back releasing her. She looks between all of us noting the murderous expressions we all wear.
"It doesn't matter." She mutters turning her attention to the pancake becoming burnt on the pan behind me. "Can we eat? I'm starving." She deflects her gaze moving to the coffee hot and ready in the pot.
"You don't eat until you've given me a name." I snap levelling the spatula at her.
She leans back in her seat crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine, then I guess I'll starve." The set of her mouth tells me she really will. She can be so fucking stubborn. I suppose that hasn't changed.
Sighing I turn and toss a pancake onto a plate before placing it down in front of her. The idea of her starving not one I can stand. Jem places bowls of strawberries, blueberries, cream and Nutella down on the isle before handing out plates to the rest of us.
Silently, I hand out pancakes tossing away the burnt one and finishing the rest of the batch. We all watch Alex wolf it down. She moans as she chews and it makes my cock stand at attention. The noise far to sensual to be brought on by a pancake. Discreetly I rearrange my hardening cock and turn the stove off grabbing a pancake for myself pouring some berries over it.
Alex snatches a croissant of a plate. She rips off a piece and places it in her mouth. Exactly like she used to do. Her eyes close as she chews slowly savouring the taste.
"When's the last time you ate?" I ask watching her every movement. Searching for anything and everything familiar and drinking it in. Savouring the small pieces of the Alex I used to know like she's savouring that croissant. I have never wished I was a croissant before but in this moment I do. Fucking hell, I'm jealous of a pastry. But that pastry is currently being put in Alex's mouth.
"Dinner the day before yesterday." She answers through a mouthful of food her voice muffled. My heart clenches and I toss another pancake onto her plate. A silent order for her to keep eating. Why the hell hasn't she eaten in that long? I wonder if that happens a lot. Wonder how many times she's starved in the last ten years.
Why haven't you eaten since then?" I question keeping my tone innocently curious. Changing my tactic and hoping that the food is distracting her enough to slip up.
Alex shrugs placing another piece of buttery flaky pastry on her tongue. "Shit happens." Her gaze flicks up, meeting mine, a knowing glint in her ice blue irises. She knows what I'm trying to do. It'll be harder than that to get answers out of her, but I'll get them.
Jem opens his mouth to say something but she stops him with a raised finger. "I'm fine.
You don't look fine." Hunter snaps. His breakfast sits untouched on the plate in front of him. His arms crossed as he stands like a watchdog prepared to bite.
Alex flicks her gaze to him lazily. Swirling the chair and putting her feet up on the barstool next to it. "Then don't look." She drawls narrowing her eyes on him. Hunter grinds his teeth frustrated with this whole situation. I watch as his eyes dip to her bare legs and his shoulders tense even further. Hunter's gaze goes to me and he dips his chin in silent conformation. More bruises.
"Alex." I start getting her attention back on me. "Let us help you. Tell us who hurt you. We can't protect you from them if you don't.
Her eyes harden turning into two blocks of ice freezing me out. "I can protect myself." She snaps stuffing the last piece of the croissant into her mouth.
Chewing, she swings her legs off the stool and hops off her chair before turning. Heading for the front door. The four of us move as one blocking Alex's way and caging her between us. We only just got her back no way in hell are we letting her go.
Not again. Never again. Sighing, she places her hands on her hips giving us an exasperated look. "Seriously? You're keeping me prisoner?"
"You can't be a prisoner in your own home." Jem notes making her roll her eyes and tilt her head to look over at him.
True, only this isn't my home." That makes us all bristle. This is her home. Has always been her home. Will always be her home. Here, with us. "So, I'm not allowed to leave. Am I allowed to go outside?" she turns to me. "Let me guess, I'm allowed one hour of outdoor exercise a day." Her glare's burning full of rage. I don't know what has her so angry at us when she's the one who up and left ten years ago.
We're the ones who should be pissed. But we're too happy to see her to feel anything other than relief. This really isn't the reunion I had imagined but I'll take it.
"You're allowed to go wherever you want." She starts to make some snarky retort and I interrupt her. "You want to go into town let one of us know and we'll drive you.
She scoffs shaking her head. "So, I'm allowed out on a leash. So, long as I have a guard with me, I can do what I want, is that it?" At my nod she goes on. "A gilded cage is still a cage, Ryder. I'm not a pet to be kept. I'm a grown woman who can do whatever the fuck she wants.
I've made it this far on my own I can make it a bit further." She steps right into my face spitting the words at me. "Look at you." I snap back eyes roving over her battered body. "As long as whoever hurt you is out there, we're not letting you out of our sight.".
Huffing out an irritated breath she pushes past me and stomps up the stairs. Seconds later the sound of her door slamming closed echoes through the house. My brothers and I exchange equally angry, frustrated and slightly amused glances.
Alex has been in this house for less than twenty-four hours, out of which she's spent most of them sleeping, and yet it already feels that much more alive. That room has been sitting empty for far too long. Waiting for her to come home.
Where's Lexie?" the woman turns and her eyes fall to her friends' stuff in our hands. "Uhm, I don't think she'd appreciate you going through her things." she scolds half-heartedly afraid to piss us off but also wanting to stand up for her friend. Alex can keep this one. She'll need some girl friends to do girl stuff with and rant about how much we piss her off too. Or gush about how handsome we are. Either way she'll need people who have her back apart from us.
Alex!" Jem shouts making the young woman jump in fright. "You have a visitor!" Rolling my eyes at him I move to put the dishes away. Shade immediately goes to help while the other two hooligans eye our guest. "What's your name?" Jem wonders giving her that smile that always makes the one it's pointed at weak in their knees. Her lashes flutter and a soft smile tug at the corners of her mouth as pink spreads on her round cheeks. "Maddie." She murmurs ducking her head at Jem's wide smile.
We want to sweet talk someone he's the one taking the lead. Shade looks like death incarnate without even trying and Hunter's scowl usually makes people run the other way. If that isn't enough to make them scatter my nearly black eyes and sharp features should do it. The only people who are drawn to us are women in search of a bit of danger or a bad boy to turn good only for them. Which never works. Jem sticks to the good girls drawn to his charm insisting that they tend not to go all psycho on him.
We're all experienced in our own way. Don't have any girlfriends, we never have. There's only one girl we've ever wanted and while she's been gone all we've done is search for pieces of her in others. Though that's never enough it sates the need in the others for a while, I think. I don't fuck just anyone. My needs are... specific. I've been with two women who've handled what I need. I've tried with others but they've been too submissive so I break it off before things go too far. But sleeping with other women only deepen that empty space in me. Makes me miss her more. Makes it feel as if I cheated. It makes my gut twist and tears my heart in two.
Maddie?" Alex comes bounding down the stairs her lips splitting into a wide smile as she sees the red head. Seeing her smile like that both pleases and pains me. The two mixing beneath my skin. I'm happy she's smiling but wish I was the one to bring that light into her eyes. "What're you doing here?" my girl asks pulling out of the woman's arms.
"Bringing you your check and things." The woman nods toward the table. Alex's eyes darken as she notices her few possessions spread out in front of us. The smile fading away as her eyes fall on her father's diary lying in front of Shade.
