Page 18 of The Homecoming: The Island

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Dunstan gave a soft smile to Ardan, who had a confused look on his face. “Tarrin and Ira, the sweetest, cutest couple,” the man spoke affectionately, making his cousin’s eyes shine with adoration and paternal affection.

“Indeed.” Ardan nodded, his voice thick with emotion. “From the moment Pater brought my son to his mansion, Ira was always around, calming his fears and making him feel safe and comfortable. My sweet Tarrin’s prince in shining armor.”

“Thank you for your cooperation, gentlemen.” Christine discreetly wiped at her teary eyes with the corner of a napkin. “This party is a surprise, so please be careful what you say when the kids are around. They are very smart, in case you hadn’t realized, and will pick up the smallest, most insignificant clues. Oh, and I almost forgot: you and your soulmates are also invited to the party.”

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Elias opened his eyes and looked around the room, greeted by the familiar sight of the pristine white walls and the multitude of monitors he was hooked up to. The boy shut his eyes tightly, letting the tears run down his pale cheeks.Nothing changed from the last time I was awake,he thought, heart heavy with sadness. We are still in the hands of dad’s enemies.

The sound of calm breathing drew Elias’s attention, his heart aching when he saw Abernathy curled on another hospital bed, his fragile form covered with a thick blanket. Memories from the island invaded his mind, and he heard his younger brother’s voice desperately calling his name and begging him not to go away.

The image faded, replaced by that of a long line of men waiting their turn to use Elias’s body. A solidly-built, human-faced beast was on top of the boy, crushing him under his weight and grunting in delight every time he thrusted in his tight ass, tearing the tender flesh. From afar, his father was helplessly watching the scene, restrained by his business rivals, like he was a rabid dog. The teen called him a few times, but got no answer, to his abusers’ evil satisfaction.

They will hurt Abernathy, too,Elias thought, trying to get free from under his rapist, his feeble attempts doomed to fail. The image disappeared again, and now the boy found himself surrounded by an agitated sea, the shore just a line at the horizon. With renewed hope, Elias started to swim to the safety of the land, but the currents sucked him in and pulled him under, darkness descending over his mind.

Abernathy opened his eyes, casting a cautious look in his older brother’s direction. Relieved that the boy fell asleep again, he left the bed and sat on the little armchair next to Elias’s bed, taking the inert, cold hand of the other kid between his own. He was awake earlier; witnessed his brother thrashing his head on the pillow and calling their father for help, but didn’t intervened, afraid that Elias could become even more agitated.

Abernathy had conflicted feelings about his father ending up in the hands of his enemies. On one hand, the kid worried about the future; the man provided his two sons shelter, clothing, food, and education, the best that money could buy. On the other hand, the kid was afraid his father would hold Elias accountable for what happened on the island.

He would call his older son irresponsible, would blame him for not taking care of Abernathy, would yell at the boy and call him names, maybe even slap him; it wouldn’t be the first time Alexander did that. All this time, Elias would stand in front of the man, gaze lowered, overwhelmed by guilt and shame. He worshipped the one who gave life to him, and the thought of disappointing his father would crush him.

Alexander showed much more lenience to Abernathy, but that didn’t stop the kid from fearing him. Somehow, the kid suspected the affection their father had for them was only a façade, that, in the last couple of years, started to crack. Elias worshipped the ground his father walked on, convinced he was a good man who, sometimes, couldn’t deal very well with the pressure everyone, from his employees and business associates to his own sons, put on his shoulders.

Abernathy disagreed, considering that a loving parent wouldn’t humiliate and mistreat his children the way their father did Elias. The man made his older son give up on everything he loved, bending him to his will and clipping his wings. Abernathy’s heart bled for his older brother, but he didn’t voice his thoughts, afraid they may sadden Elias.

“Hello, I’ve been told you are feeling much better today,” a man’s gentle voice pulled the boy out of his thoughts. “Sorry if I scared you, I could come back later, or whenever you’re ready,” the man continued, seeing the kid’s imperceptible flinch.

“There is no need for you to leave, this is your turf,” Abernathy replied acidly, but the pain in the man’s turquoise eyes, hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses, made him regret using that tone.

“I built this place from scratch, with my own two hands,” the man said in a voice heavy with melancholy. “But this doesn’t mean I own those who live or work here.” He extended a hand in the boy’s direction. “My name is…”

“I know who you are,” Abernathy interrupted the man again, in a much softer voice than before. “You are dad’s business rival, who took everything from him.” The boy waved dismissively. “I don’t care. What’s done, is done, because you are also the ones who saved my brother’s life. The red-haired doctor fought for him.”

“He’s my husband.” The man tenderly smiled, “And goddamn good at what he does. Your father sinned a lot, against many people,” he continued after a very short break, “but the two of you are innocent. Mere teens who were put through the most terrible ordeal. I came to talk to you about the future.”

“Well, except we are alive and relatively safe, Elias and I have no future. Sure, we were well taken care of here, in the hospital, but once my brother is healed…” Abernathy shrugged. “Whatever, we don’t want to be a burden to anyone.”

“No one here sees the two of you as a burden. You’ll be given a house just for the two of you, and all your expenses will be covered. For a while, you’ll attend the school here, for your own safety. When the time comes for your brother to go to college, no one will dictate his choices, and it will be the same with you.”

Abernathy didn’t know how to react at the man’s generous offer; it sounded too good to be true. A week later, when, accompanied by a still weakened Elias, he stepped inside the small, but cozy house, the boy was convinced his father’s business rival meant well. His older brother, on the other hand, looked around, shoulders slumped in defeat.

So, this is the prison they are going to keep us in,Elias bitterly thought.I’m sorry, dad, for being such a pathetic, cowardly excuse of a human being. You must be so disappointed in me for not fighting harder and spitting in the face of your enemies. I am so sorry for failing you, dad.

He trudged to one of the bedrooms and curled on the bed in fetal position, sobs shaking his fragile form.

CHAPTER 14

“I swear I don’t understand those adults anymore, especially Granddad,” Lorcan huffed in the van taking him, his brothers, cousins and friends to Fabian’s mansion. “Not only because he said no to sleepovers three days in a row, but he also ushered Tarrin and Ira to Pater and Spitfire’s house.”

“Not to mention he had me pack a bag and sent me to dad, with mom’s blessing. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my father, Xavier, and Dehaan, but this was so sudden and mysterious…” Nico scratched the back of his head, waiting for the other boys to say something.

“And there is also Dunbar,” Ira broke the silence that threatened to overtake the van. “The guy used to be an open book, and now, his behavior borders the twilight zone. When I asked him what’s going on, he gave me an innocent look and a shrug.”

“Innocent, my ass,” Whitey exclaimed, earning everyone’s approval. “I’m telling you, there’s a conspiracy against us, and all the adults are involved: our granddads, fathers, uncles…even Winter, who, after working our tiny asses for three days straight, suddenly didn’t need us today.”

“Could it be because he worked our asses three days in a row, genius?” Lochlin flashed a grin to his stepbrother, who shook his head, then, after reflecting a bit, continued. “There is one strange thing, though, and that’s our fathers insisting we bring our boyfriends with us, to Uncle Fabian’s mansion. Of course, I’m talking about those of us who have a boyfriend.” The blond boy glanced in Whitey’s direction again.

The platinum-blond boy seemed unaffected by his stepbrother’s words. “You are so selfish in your happiness, that you keep forgetting Julien and Emery, your triplets, are both boyfriend-less, and so is Cian. Poor Nico, because of a technical error, can’t be with the drug lord of his heart.” Whitey put a hand on his chest, in a dramatic gesture.

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