Page 55 of The Omega Verse

“Don’t worry about it,” Kobi tells me in his gentle rumble. “We just want to go home with you, darlin’.”

Have sweeter words ever been spoken? That’s a hill I’d be ready to die on.

When Tom comes in just before midnight, there’s such hurt in his eyes – pain for me and what I’ve lost – that it makes my heart ache. But when I catch Silva rubbing his chest, I try to rein it in. All day I’ve been getting little flashes of my trashed apartment, but along with the heartburn, there’s a lightness there, too. Because a problem shared really is a problem halved. Or in this case, a problem split three ways. And for the first time in forever, I don’t have to face the hard stuff on my own.

“You’ll need to make a statement for Logan, but he’s happy to do it over the phone,” Tom says as he places his work bag on the bench and comes over to give me a hug. Silva immediately gravitates towards us and Tom’s arms open wide enough to fit him in, too. I breathe in their combined lemon and cherry scents, and it’s enough to make my aching heart skip with happiness.

But I can still smell the tension in Tom, and I’m not surprised when he leans back with a sigh. “Logan thinks it’s probably just a random attack. There’s evidence the perp was looking for something to sell, but we’ll have a better idea once we catalogue things to see what’s missing.”

I nod, well aware that crimes like this happen in small towns. It’s rare, but people get desperate here, same as anywhere. Although, with the influx of tourists for the surf competition, it’s just as likely it’s an outsider who saw an opportunity and took it. “Okay, but I didn’t have much of value. The TV was probably the most expensive thing, and they smashed it to pieces.”

Tom’s arm tightens around me, like he wants to shield me from that hurt. “Either way, I want to beef up the security at the apartment. My shitty locks did nothing to keep them out.” He flushes red, his shoulders tight as he looks at Silva. “I’ll get a couple of my army buddies to put a new system in, but I might need a loan to pay for the hardware.”

Oh, hell. I can almost taste how much he hates admitting that, and I can’t believe I’ve put my beautiful, proud mate in this position. “Tom, you don’t need to…”

“Fuck this!” Silva is suddenly pushing away from us, his hands fisting his silver locks in frustration. “You realise I’m all in, right? I’ve been walking around all day with a goddamn tornado in my chest. You never need to ask me for a loan, for fuck’s sake. I’ve already called my lawyer and he’ll be putting you guys on all my accounts.” I stare at Tom, who looks as shocked as I feel, but Silva’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “And before you both start telling me you’re happy with your shitty phones and broke down cars and all that other humble people crap, know that I get it, but I don’t care. I’m going to give you guys so much shit, maybe one day I’ll start feeling like I’m pulling my weight in this pack.”

I reach for Silva, but Tom is already hauling him back against his chest. To my delight, after he’s slapped his back a couple of times, he tilts up his chin and presses a hard kiss to his lips. It’s the most beautiful sight in the world, watching my two prickly, perfect men prove just how deep their bond runs. And when Silva pulls away, he’s blushing to the roots of his silver hair. “Damn, making impassioned speeches is my new favourite thing,” he jokes, looking almost shy.

We give each other loopy grins, lost in our happy little bubble, until I smell peach sorbet and River touches my back. “And if it’s okay, I’d like you to think of me the same way, sweetheart.” I turn to look at him, which is maybe the second most beautiful sight in the world. “Steven was the love of my life. If I can make things easier for you, it would make me really happy.”

“Same,” Jett draws from the couch, pointing to his chest. “Best friend card. What’s mine is yours, and all that.”

Kobi walks over from where he’s been leaning against the kitchen counter and drops a kiss on my head. “And you know I’m just waitin’ for an excuse to pamper the hell out of you, darlin’.”

“Thanks.” I smile around at all of them, and even though I’m still raw from seeing my place so messed up, it can’t touch that warm spot in my chest. My bond, for sure, but also the kindness and support from the other men in this room.

The other men in my life?

I ponder that for a moment, thinking of the mural in the studio. There was no better feeling as a kid than flying through the world with my brother at my back. But did he ever imagine this scene in front of me?

Tom heads off to shower while the other guys start to clean up the pizza boxes on the counter. I was too exhausted to cook, but every time one of the guys gravitated towards the oven, I popped off my chair like a jack-in-the-box. So, we settled for some overpriced pizza from one of the local resorts.

“Now dinner’s done, we’re going to watch movies in the theatre room,” River tells me.

“We have a theatre room?”

“There’s a big screen down in the studio. We can make it work.”

I look at the time on my fancy new phone. “And we’re watching movies now?”

“Haven’t you heard of the midnight movie?” Jett scoffs, then holds a hand out to me. “We thought we’d drag some beanbags and pillows down there and have a sleepover. Ever been in a rockstar puppy pile, Cassie?”

“No, but…” I look around at their expectant faces. “Woof.”

Cass

The next morning, I get up at dawn and sneak upstairs, my heart lighter and happier than it’s been for a while. Not only did we spend the night watching movies in the studio, but we fell asleep in our promised puppy pile. It was probably the tamest sleepover the guys have ever had, but waking up to find them all snoring into their beanbags felt more intimate to me than a full-blown orgy.

Okay, the orgy would have been a memorable experience, but a girl shouldn’t dream too big.

I’m whistling a Grace Lands tune under my breath as I pull some batter out of the fridge and whip up a batch of crepes with strawberry crème filling. When they’re done, I put a jar of Nutella and some chopped banana and strawberries on the counter. I hear the scratch of bare feet on the floorboards right as I’m writing a note to ‘eat me’ and sticking it next to the crepes.

“Hey, babe.” Tom wraps me in his arms from behind, nuzzling his mating bite.

I lean back to smile up into his brown eyes. “You’re first up for breakfast, so you get the best crepe.”

“Perfect.” He eyes the platter hungrily, then tugs the collar of my work shirt. “You going into the bakery?”

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