Page 105 of Pretty Black

We shook on it, and I trusted him.

THIRTY-SIX

PRESENT DAY

Iris Black

We made it home, and Caspian and I didn’t move. We stayed wrapped up in one another, coming down from the emotional distress we’d been in for months. People filtered in and out and brought food to the oversized sofa we’d taken up residence on.

The guys had some plan to rotate through taking care of Caspian and me like we were on bed rest and until we found a place to go together.

“Have you two seen this?” Lowe asked, flipping on the TV and switching it to the local news.

MUSIC MANAGER FOUND NEARLY BEATEN TO DEATH.

Lowe messed with the volume, and we listened as they reported on finding Alexander in an alley a few blocks from his mansion.

All of us turned to look at Aspen and Royal.

Royal sat eating a yogurt and didn’t look up, like he didn’t notice the attention of the entire room was on him.

Aspen lifted his shoulders. “Tragic…anyway…I think I found a place we could go to. How do you guys feel about Big Bear, California? Or close to there. It’s a bit off the grid, but I think—”

“Oh, fuck no. Go back.” Kingsley was on his feet, arms crossed over his chest. “What did you do?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to,” Royal finally spoke.

“I want the fucking answer. How would you think we wouldn’t find out?”

“Deniability.” Aspen locked eyes with his brother. “And nearly to death is a gross exaggeration. I don’t think he even has a broken bone. Maybe his nose, but that’s not really a bone.”

“If anyone asks, we were with you guys at the hospital the entire time.” Royal still didn’t look up.

Kingsley tried to ask more questions, but Aspen and Royal stone walled them. I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad about any of it, and maybe that made me a bad person, but he shouldn’t have played games with everyone’s lives.

We flipped through channels, trying to pick a movie everyone wanted to watch.

“Wait a fucking second,” Lowe turned toward Saint. “You went with them?”

“Hmm?” Saint asked, grinning back at Lowe with his award-winning smile. “I was with you all day, baby. Did you forget?”

“I knew it wasn’t Ed who got you two in trouble,” Lowe muttered.

Saint gasped and playfully slapped his chest. “You’d doubt me?!”

“Of course I do. I can’t believe you didn’t invite me. I’m going to hold this against you!” Lowe huffed. “We are in a fight!”

Saint blinked, then laughed. The rest of the room shared his disappointment in being left out. Not a single person expressed not wanting to be there. “You love me, husband.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to Lowe’s.

He fought a smile but lost the battle giving over to his husband’s kiss.

“Frankly, we could have used it as a bonding exercise,” Alister said and pulled Kingsley’s arm around him.

“Really reconnect by giving him what he deserves,” River muttered.

Life slowed.

More than it already had living with Caspian.

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