Page 19 of Gambit
Here we are, a mangled family forged by desire and danger, our bonds tightened not just by blood spilt but by the secrets we share and the touches we’ve exchanged.
With Eliza’s steady breathing as my lullaby, I close my eyes. I let myself drift, knowing that when I wake up, it’ll be to the chaos that plagues us. But for now, I find peace in her heartbeat next to mine, in the gentle grip of her hands still entwined with mine.
11
ELIZA
My eyes snap open,the darkness of the room pressing down on me like a tangible force. My chest rises and falls in quick succession as I struggle to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. Franks’ grotesque face looms over me in my memory, his hands reaching for me.
“Eliza?” Raph’s voice cuts through the silence, a soft yet alert murmur in the semi-darkness.
I’m lying on my back, the sheets twisted around me. The weight of the guys’ bodies is a comforting barrier between me and the cold sweat that clings to my skin.
“I’m fine,” I lie, pushing myself up to sit. My heart still races, but it’s slowing, finding its rhythm again.
Raph doesn’t look convinced, but he nods and reaches for something on the nightstand. “Your phone buzzed.”
“Who was it?”
He shrugs with a smirk. “I don’t snoop.”
Giggling, I feel the nightmare recede completely. “You can, you know. I have nothing to hide.”
“It’s not my style.” He hesitates and then licks his lips. “Do we need to talk about it?”
“About what?” I ask carefully.
He narrows his eyes. “The one-night stand with Franks’ wife.”
His name is like a punch to the gut, but I shake my head. “Nope. All good here.”
“You sure? It was nothing, and we haven’t seen her since.”
“Don’t care even if you did. You’re mine, end of story.”
He nods slowly, accepting it.
He hands the phone to me, and I swipe at the screen with a steady hand. The message is terse, authoritative. It’s from my dad, and blood drains from my face.
Come home now. Need to talk.
My pulse quickens as I look intently at Raph. “You didn’t tell him about... you know, what happened with Franks?” My voice is tight, the question hanging between us like a loaded gun.
“Absolutely not,” Raph answers, his gaze steady and reassuring. His loyalty is solid and unwavering. “We don’t have a death wish, but if it had come to it, we would’ve. Luckily, we got to you before it came to that.”
“Good.” I exhale, trying to mask the storm brewing inside me. But it’s pointless; these guys know me too well. “Do you think he knows, anyway?”
He shrugs. “I’d say he’d be here beating our door down if he did, but I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not facing him alone,” Raph states, already decided. “We’re all coming.”
“Coming where?” Oliver asks, sitting up and rubbing his hand over his face.
“Dad’s.”
He gives me a mock-terrified expression before he smiles. “It’s all good.”
