Page 15 of Breaking Boston

They still wear their masks, obviously not wanting me to see who they are. But I'm not stupid enough to push the topic. I guess the less I know, the better. I won't be here long, anyway. I'm determined to track down my biological parents, hoping they've been searching for me all along.

"You can bunk in this room," the man in the glowing teal mask tells me as he opens a door to a room, ushering me inside. He flips the light on, the bulb flickering a few times before finally staying on. I notice a single bed near the window, all decked out in black bedding and curtains. The rug is black, matching theblack walls, making me feel like I'm in a fucking black hole or something. But I don't complain. I set my bag on the bed and sit down, kicking off my soaked boots and dropping my drenched socks in a heap on the floor.

"You'll meet Remy in the morning at breakfast; he's the one in charge of us all."

"In charge of us?" I ask, not sure what he means.

"Yeah, nothing in this world is free, little bird. Remy will assign you a job to cover rent and food."

"I hope this room is okay for you. You have a closet—a small one, but you still have one. Your door locks, and you have your own key, so no one can get in unless you allow them to," the man in the white glowing mask sits down beside me, grabbing my hand and lacing his gloved fingers with mine as if it were a normal thing for us. But I didn't pull away. There was something comforting about his hand in mine, his body beside me, and the glowing 'X's' I find myself getting lost in as I stare into his eyes.

"Thanks for all this," I say with a small smile, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected hospitality.

"You're welcome, Little Bird," the man says, squeezing my hand before letting go. "Get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Thank you for everything," I whisper, not knowing what to call them. I push down the fear and ask, hoping they give me something to work with. "What do I call you guys?"

They share a look, their masks casting a soft glow inside my room that's oddly comforting.

"Call me King," the man in the teal glowing mask says, his voice deep and raspy.

"Yeah, call me D," the other man sporting the white glowing mask adds, his voice mischievous and seductive, a stark difference from King's voice…

"Okay, well, thank you, King, D. I appreciate all of this."

With that, they both stand and leave the room, closing the door behind them.

As I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, I couldn't help but wonder about this strange place and its inhabitants. But for now, all I want to do is rest. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, feeling surprisingly safe and at peace in this makeshift home.

But for some reason, I can't get Lux and Donovan off my mind. I can only imagine how pissed they're going to be once they find out I left the house we once shared.

FIVE

THE MASTERPIECE

LUX

This is a fucking mistake, and I know Donovan knows it too.

This is what we've wanted for the last five years. Ever since we left Boston on her own, not a day went by where we didn't regret our decision. But she's here now, and though her staying here might be a bad thing, it's also a good thing. We couldn't get any closer to her if we tried.

But there's only one problem: She has no idea it's me and Donovan behind the masks.

Donovan and I slip into our room, luckily right across the hall from Boston’s. I drop my bag on my bed and collapse, kicking my shoes off. Donovan does the same, pulling out his pipe and his works, obviously ready to get high and forget about everything that happened tonight.

"Fucked up, isn't it?" I ask, not needing to elaborate because the fucker knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"Just a little. I don't want her around the other guys...especiallyRemy." He doesn't even look up from the spoon on his bed as he speaks, focusing on drawing up his shot.

"I know. We'll have a talk with them tomorrow. We can't really do shit about Remy since he runs shit. We just have to actlike she's not the one we've been obsessing over ever since we got here."

"I wish we could just tell her," Donovan says, finally looking up at me with a troubled expression.

"I know, but we have to do it this way for a while. She can't know the truth about us...yet," I reply, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me, crumbling my facade.

As I lay there, feeling the effects of the drugs coursing through me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the situation. Boston being here was both a blessing and a curse. The closer she got, the harder it was to keep our secret. But she was also in danger, especially with Remy around. We have to be careful. Methodical. And being around Remy and the guys all the time, it was definitely going to be challenging.

I didn't want to be here, but D and I had no other choice. Remy was our way out. He made everything soundsofucking good, making it impossible to pass up his offer. Little did we know we'd be selling our souls to the fucking devil.

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