Page 19 of Rex
“You too, Ink.”
* * *
I can’t believe my eyes. The house in front of me looks exactly like the dream house Wreck used to describe to me when we were kids. There were many times when we’d try to forget about what was happening in our lives by imagining things from our future. Wreck always described having a home that looked exactly like the one in front of me.
Shadow and Wreck haven’t been in a relationship long enough for them to choose to build Wreck’s dream house. So how in the world am I staring at it? Did Shadow have this built even before his relationship with Wreck changed? Why am I even questioning it? Of course he did. Knowing how things have always been with these two, Shadow probably did it subconsciously. A loud snort escapes me, causing Rex to look at me, his face full of confusion.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something.”
“Okay. Well, if you want, you can tell me about it later. We should probably go and knock. It won’t take them long to know someone is here.”
“Unless they’re busy.” I say with a raised eyebrow.
“Are you sure you want to put that out into the universe?”
“God no. Let’s go.”
I jump from the car but don’t start heading towards the door until Rex is next to me. He grabs my hand, which I’m starting to think is our thing now. Anytime he has the chance, he’s grabbing hold of me. Not that you’ll find me complaining about that. I like always having some sort of physical connection with him.
Reaching the front door, Rex raises his free hand and knocks. The hand holding me squeezes in reassurance, and I appreciate it. This is it. This is the moment when I get to see my brother again. So many emotions are bombarding me at the moment, all conflicting. I’m a goddamn mess. I know I am, but I also know that I’d be much worse without Rex here with me. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’d be able to tell Wreck the truth about everything without Rex here to support me.
The sound of movement reaches my ears just moments before the door opens and I come face-to-face with my brother for the first time in over a year. He looks good. There are certainly no long-lasting effects from what happened to him, from what I can see.
“Dre,” Wreck says, voice cracking.
Shadow must have been close by, because it’s like I blink and he’s standing behind Wreck. He places both hands on his boyfriend’s shoulders and helps guide him out of the doorway, where he seems to have frozen while staring at me.
“Come on in, you two. Let’s go sit down and talk.” Shadow says before guiding Wreck further into their home. It’s more than a little necessary, seeing as Wreck isn’t actually looking where he’s going. He’s too busy glancing over his shoulder to stare at me.
“Ready?” Rex asks me quietly.
“As I’ll ever be.” I reply before following Shadow and Wreck into their home.
Chapter Twenty
Rex
By the time Dre and I reach the living room, Wreck seems to have snapped out of his shock at finding Dre standing on his doorstep. He rushes towards his brother, and I just manage to release his hand before Wreck gathers him in the tightest embrace I’ve ever seen. I’m not quite sure how Dre is actually managing to breathe right now with how tight the hold is. He doesn’t seem to mind, though. He’s soaking in the comfort and familiarity of his brother’s embrace. It warms my heart to see them reunited. I know how much this means to them both. How much they’ve both suffered over the past year. It might have been in very different ways, but they suffered all the same.
By the time they release each other, both their faces are stained with tears. Tears that are still falling at a rapid rate. Fucking hell, I’m having to hold my own back from watching this reunion. They have such a special bond. There is no denying it. It’s so similar to the ones I have with my own brothers, and I know not many people have these sorts of connections with their siblings. It’s so much deeper than a normal sibling relationship.
It’s not very often I get to see this side of things when I rescue someone. Normally I rescue someone, and then it’s someone else’s job to deal with everything that’s involved withgetting them back to their lives. It’s honestly fucking amazing to see this side of things. To see how much my actions and the things I endure to save these people mean to those involved. To see firsthand the good I’m actually doing. It’s one thing knowing what I’m doing is good for those involved; it’s another seeing it for myself.
When I look over at Shadow, I see he isn’t doing any better than I am. He has a few stray tears on his face too. We’re both impacted by the scene taking place in front of us. If anyone knows how much this means to Wreck, it’s Shadow. He’s probably the only person who’s seen the true repercussions that Dre being missing has had on Wreck.
“Come on, you two. Let’s sit down. There’s a lot to talk about.” I say, knowing I need to get this moving before Dre’s nerves return with a vengeance.
At the moment he’s overwhelmed with happiness and relief from seeing Wreck, but I know that’s not going to last much longer. Not when he starts to think about what he still needs to share.
Wreck moves to take a seat, trying to pull his brother to sit next to him, but Dre isn’t having any of it. Pulling away, he comes to take a seat next to me. I can see the confusion on Wreck’s face about his brother’s actions, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he heads to sit next to Shadow, who immediately places his hand on Wreck’s leg. I can tell by the look of Shadow’s face he knows something is about to happen. Something that isn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows, like I’m sure he was hoping this reunion would be. He’s preparing himself for whatever is about to happen and to be the support that Wreck needs.
Dre glances at me, and I can see the internal struggle he’s having. He knows what has to happen now, and I know he’sdreading it. God, I wish I could do this for him, but I know it’s something he feels like he needs to do.
As Dre begins to talk, I place my arm over his shoulder and pull him into my side. He immediately melts into my side but doesn’t stop talking. Offloading the truth about what happened to him. I keep a watchful eye on Wreck, ready to act if need be. I don’t think he’d ever intentionally hurt Dre, but sometimes when emotions are running high, things happen.
The minute Dre reveals who was behind his kidnapping, all hell breaks loose. Not even Shadow has a chance to stop Wreck’s volatile reaction. Wreck’s up and out of his seat so fast it actually makes my head spin. Picking up the coffee table that is in front of him, he launches it across the room in the opposite direction of where we’re sitting with a scream. A scream filled with anger and pain. Shadow reacts quickly after that, getting up from his seat and wrapping his arms around Wreck from behind. Stopping him from causing any more destruction to their home.
Shadow’s arms create a band around Wreck, holding him immobile. He’s whispering something we can’t hear directly into Wreck’s ear. Whatever he says seems to have the desired effect, and Wreck stops fighting against Shadow’s hold. Practically sagging against him. It’s a testament to Shadow’s physical strength that he actually manages to keep them both upright. Wreck is not a small man.
