Page 49 of Darkness

“But…”

“But here, there are hermanos. Compañeros.” She points to the shirt of Nycto’s I’m wearing. “People who will literally give you the shirt off their back. They’re not just a biker club, Eva. They’re a family. We could have that again.”

Emotion overwhelms me. “I miss Mamá and Papá more than anything, Ivy, but replacing them with a biker club isn’t going to fill the hole their deaths left behind.”

“No, it isn’t, but maybe having a whole other family by our sides will help us move on.”

I swallow heavily as I ponder her thoughts.

She wants to stay.

For days now, I’ve been grappling with the same feelings.

The thought of having a connection with Nycto but having to leave him to find Ivy was always there. Now, I have Ivy. The thought of figuring this thing out with Nycto is even scarier.

His bulky arms fold over his chest, an expression on his face telling me he’s desperate to hear what I have to say—and maybe what we said when he couldn’t understand—but he isn’t making a move. Whatever I say next affects everyone here in so many ways. For once, I hold all the cards, and this power is not something I want to have.

I direct my next question to Nycto. “If we stay, are you going to keep me locked in your room?”

His nostrils flare as he exhales. Finally, showing some kind of emotion, he steps toward us. “Are you going to try to leave the compound?”

I glance at Ivy, who shakes her head. “Not unless you tell us we can.”

The corner of his lips turns up. “Then, no, I won’t lock you in my room. You’ll be free to roam around like Ivy.”

Excitement bubbles inside of me. “Where’s Ivy sleeping?”

Her eyes widen and dart back to the cell-like room.

“We have a spare room upstairs she can use—”

“I want to stay down here.” Ivy’s adamant tone cuts through Nycto’s words. We both raise our brows as she says, “Please?”

Nycto rolls his shoulders. “Are you sure about that? This is not built for living, more for… people in transit.”

“I know, but I like it. It’s my own little bubble for now. I can come up and see everyone when I’m tired of my bubble.”

My stomach knots suddenly. If I’m able to come and go as I please, does that mean I’m going to be in a different room? Is my time in Nycto’s space over? “And… where’s my room going to be?”

Nycto frowns, worry lines creasing his brow. “You’re staying in my room, chiquita. Don’t think for a second you’re sleeping anywhere else.”

His firm attitude should anger me, but all it does is ignite a fire inside my soul. My entire body throbs and my stomach clenches as I stare at him. His eyes bore into mine, the color of strong hot chocolate during a snowstorm, wrapping around me like the tightest embrace. The heat? It’s like it’s one-hundred-and-fifteen degrees down here, just from his intense gaze. The way Nycto demands what he wants only makes me want to stay more. His harsh tone and glare turns me into a puddle in a matter of seconds. No one has ever been able to do that before.

Ivy drops her hands from mine, causing me to snap out of my Nycto delirium. She shifts her gaze from Nycto to me, then back to Nycto. “Maybe it’s a good thing we’re staying, Eva.”

Clearing my throat, I tilt my head. “You really think that?”

“I do.” She turns, heading for her cell. “Now, c’mon… come check out my digs.”

My eyes meet Nycto’s quickly before I turn and follow her into the strange room. It’s like a little hotel suite, but I don’t miss the stripper pole in the middle of the room with a chain attached. What the hell is that about? I choose not to ask. If I don’t ask, I can’t be told an answer I don’t like.

Ivy makes her way over to the bed and sits down. I follow, moving in beside her.

Nycto signals to Void. “We’ll let you girls get reacquainted. We will be upstairs when you’re ready to come back out, and I’ll send Pepper and Freya out to buy you both a new wardrobe.”

“You’re buying us clothes?” I ask.

“Can’t have you wearing my underwear forever, woman.”

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