Faithless (Mistress & Master of Restraint) (117 page)

“Dang,” I hiss, impressed. “I can’
t go through this again.” I curl around a throw pillow and bury my face in its microfiber.

I haven’t seen Ez in a long while. I only acknowledge his presence at meetings and when I’m forced to deal with him at Restraint. His last rampage went on for several long and tortuous months, leaving me to ignore him for almost two years.
It was either ignore him or kill him.

Ezra
instigated events that almost led to the death of his wife and the twins she was carrying- Adelaide Whittenhower did die, several times over, in fact. Ez’s little tantrum left a disfigured Adelaide in a living nightmare called WinterCrest Asylum, where she still sits to this day, scared to come into the real world.

In a bid to draw Cortez closer, Ez had his father, Raymond Hunter released from prison- the very man who kidnapped and assaulted all of them. Cort was being reluctant and messing around with Ez’s adoptive father, Marcus Zeitler. Frightened for their safety, Cort stuck
like glue to Katya, long enough to get Kat knocked up with a set of twins. Cort, trapped by his child growing next to Ez’s child in Kat’s womb, divorced his wife and committed himself to Ez and Katya.

Syn: the keeper of secrets.

I unraveled the truth after Adelaide almost died. My loyalty runs deep. Ade is family- I don’t give a fuck if we don’t share a drop of familial blood in our veins. Ezra wanted Cortez, and he trampled everything in his way: Adelaide was his fiancé, and when she retaliated, he punished her- permanently. Katya was a means to an end- she gave Cort that child he longed to have with Ezra. The selfish bastard has turned out to be one of the best fathers I’ve ever seen. Cortez takes care of their three children, still refusing to acknowledge Zane as a part of their family.

…
And then there was Raymond- poor, twistedly insane Ray Hunter. Ez let his father out so he could toy with him. Ez created notes, addressing them to Katya with words only those in the woods would know, and then he made it look like Ade sent them. He blamed it all on Ade. Ez twisted Ade’s mind until she snapped. Ez’s selfish jealousy almost cost them the lives of Adelaide, Katya, Azriel, and baby Ez. In the end, it was Raymond’s selflessness that saved the women from a different life- a life behind bars.

The day I figured it out, I found Ezra sitting at his desk like an angel: his halo of white/blond hair shining in the light and his gunmetal gray eyes smiling. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill the father of my son- the man that I had allied with when I was a scared and lost fifteen year old girl. We have a lifetime of history
behind us, and I saw the future that would dissolve if I pushed the plunger.

Ezra knew I couldn’t do it, and that I never would. He promised to behave, saying that he saw the error of his ways because he almost lost everything in an instant. Ez promised to stick by his spouses and their children, no matter what, as long as I never told his secret
s.

“It can’t be him,” I say in denial. “Not after last time.”

“Faith,” Olivia purrs, “you are blinded by that insane fuck. The game hasn’t been this ruthless since the founding elders were alive. We need to call a meeting and ask everyone what’s happening in their lives. Ez has the mind of a genius and the finesse of an artist. Singular events in our daily lives will look like happenstance. But in reality, they are subtle plays that Ezra is initiating. He’s hitting us all- every single last one of us, including himself.”

I pull out my phone and queue up all the members of the game. I delete Ezra, Cortez, Aaron, and Roarke from the mass message.

Meyers Manor: Midnight. No Holden, Hunter, Frost, or Walden. They find out, I find you.

“I don’t want to think about this anymore today, let alone talk about it. What’s done is done. But today, we are celebrating. I won’t allow any gloomy storm clouds to cover this amazing day,” I happily sing, like my insides aren’t churning with fiery fury igniting in my veins.

“What’s happening?” Zane asks, one hand holding his cell phone and the other holding a silicon spatula.

“I… I-” I was going to say I’m sorry, but I refuse to apologize for Ezra ever again.

“I must take my leave,” Olivia says. “I’m bringing a guest this eve.” A devious light glints in her brilliant eyes. “No fear, daughter, he’s exactly what we need. Leviticus,” she calls to the kitchen. “I’ll see you at midnight. Au revior.”

“Good evening, Olivia,” Wil solemnly replies, appearing in the doorway. Their relationship is tenuous at best. Wil holds a lot of resentment towards his mother.

When the front door closes, Wil says, “Fate needs to know if it should be chocolate or vanilla buttercream. Bianca swears it should be both.”

“It should!” Bianca whines, stomping her little foot. “Cake needs layers of frosting.”

“How are you not huge,” Wil says in awe, eyes appreciatively tracking over Bianca’s small body. “It must be the dancing, because you ate a thousand calories in the last hour.”

“I love that you’re all working together to make the cake. He’ll love knowing that you all care so much,” I say, getting choked up. 

“Eh- it’s got nothing to do with sentimentality. House rules, unless we’re celebrating you, you only get one slice. The chef gets an extra slice,” Bianca smiles brightly. “We’ve got a lot of chefs tonight.”

“It better be a big motherfucking cake. You’ve got six chefs in there,” I snort.

“We’re making three cakes- leftovers.” Bianca trails a laugh and the red party streamer hooked to her waist.

***

I glare them all down when I hear the key in the lock. “I’m first,” I seethingly warn. Bianca eyes me in challenge, but backs off when I flick my eyes at the boys and they block her path to the door.

“Bitch,” she affectionately hisses, causing Wil to snicker.

The instant the door moves on its hinges, I lunge, knocking Stanton out of my way as he enters our apartment. The force of my impact is so great that I end up pinning Caleb to the opposite wall in the hallway. I monkey crawl up his body, holding on with arms and legs. I’m bawling like an idiot, snotting all over myself.

I haven’t seen him in fifteen years. We’ve kept in contact on a weekly basis: letters, emails, texts, phone calls, and Skype. But it wasn’t real- feeling him in my arms, breathing in his masculine scent, feeling his heartbeat against my chest, and his breath in my ear- that is reality.

“Oh God, I was so scared,” my voice breaks several times before I can get all the words out. “When I got that call… Shit, Gunner,” I pull away, landing on my feet. I hold him at arm’s length, looking him over, “are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” Caleb
says, choking on his emotions, “but I’m glad to finally be home. I’ve missed you, Faith.” His hand reaches out and tugs on my t-shirt. “Glad to see you’ve kept up with your training. Pretty sure you could kick my ass right now.” His lips twist up in a pained smile.

More tears leak out
my eyes when I see the fine lines at the corners of his eyes. He left home a boy of eighteen and came home a man- honorably discharged, Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Caleb Green. Injured in action, a group of insurgents with RPGs took out Caleb’s entire convoy. Many died in the battle and many died in the hospital. Caleb is finally coming home to us after spending fourteen weeks in Germany, recovering from shrapnel wounds and internal injuries due to the bomb’s concussion.

“Welcome home,” I breathe out, turning to face the door, and surprisingly, I find it closed. My family was giving us privacy. I look at my feet, feeling awkward for some reason. I have so many things I wish to say, but I don’t have the courage to say them.

Caleb was always a bigger badass than I was- he doesn’t lack the courage. “I’m never, ever leaving again. It’s an unwinnable war, and I’d rather get a life and protect the ones living it with me. I’ll never leave you to deal with all this shit alone, I promise.”

Big blue
eyes stare at me, and I try not to let the waterworks flow. I tug on Caleb’s t-shirt to draw him closer to me. I gently kiss the healing scar on his right cheek. “That’s great,” I say with mock enthusiasm, “because you just walked into a massive shit-storm.”

~Chapter One-Hundred-Three~

“What’s going on,” Boyd asks as I sit atop my desk, my gavel dangling from my fingertips.

“Me, myself, and I are on a rampage again,” I casually say as if it’s no big deal. “Yup, pretty sure Ez, Master Ez, and Ezra are unleashing a gigantic tantrum on our community.”

“Fuck,” my brother hisses.

“My sentiments, exactly,” Wil says, sliding onto the desktop next to me. Boyd, not to be left out of the best seat in the house, slides his ass up here, too. We silently watch the arriving game players as if they are on a big screen, not in real life.

“The fuck?” we hiss as a trio. I tilt my head and… “Wow… didn’t see that coming. Olivia ain’t dicking around this time,” I say in awe, mouth agape.

Zane and Torian track and corner the newcomer until they are inches from my desk. “Who are you?” Torian demands. He stands on his toes to get into the boy’s face.

“He’s a Whittenhower,” Zane calmly says.

“He doesn’t look like a Whittenhower,” Torian says, eyeing the boy.

Zane circles the kid, checking him out. “He must look like his mother,” he says to Tori. “What’s your name?”

“Daniel,” Niel
swallows so hard I wonder if his tongue now resides in his stomach. “How?” he says as if he’s looking into the face of a ghost. “I… Jesus Christ,” he hisses.

“Is he praying?” Zane asks, brows dipping in confusion.

Tori’s snort sounds just like my own. “No, dumbass,” he taunts his cousin. “I think he’s going to piss his pants. You’re freaking his ass out.”

“Daniel’s a big guy, why would he be frightened of me?” Zane eyes Niel’s muscular body. “How’d you get so big? How old are you, anyway?”

“Seventeen- I work out,” Niel says, backing up until his ass plants on the edge of my desk. His arm brushes mine and he almost jumps out of skin.

I share a look with Boyd and Wil. We all secretly smile. This is pure entertainment. It’s like watching a human behavioral study in action.

“We do, too,” Zane gestures to Torian and himself- neither looking like a grown man. “Do you juice or something?”

“Daniel’s a gingy- I bet his mom is Regina. That would explain it,” Torian throws in. “Grant’s middle kid. Niel?”

“Yeah, Niel,” he stutters out. “Who are your parents, besides the obvious?”

“Obvious?” Zane and Torian say together.

“My um… you could be my girlfriend’s twin. It’s fucking unreal,” Niel drawls out, staring at Zane’s face. “My God,” he sighs.

“If your girlfriend’s name is Ava, and you’ve touched her in anyway, I’m gelding you right here and now,” Zane warns
, voice lower than the pits of Hell. Niel shakes so violently that I do believe he’s going to piss his pants. There really is something otherworldly about my child that frightens the daylights out of those who don’t know him.

“How old are you? How the hell did Ezra manage this shit? Holy fuck,” Niel rapidly says to cover his terror.

“My name is Torian,” Tori says, leaning in between a facing off Zane and Niel. “That’s my dad,” he points to Boyd, “but they’re my parents,” he points to Wil and me. “I just turned sixteen.”

Niel slowly turns to look at me like I’m the boogieman. He’s been training with Marcus, and I’ve shown him what I’m capable of. Needless to say, the kid nearly shits his pants when he reali
zes who he’s sitting next to. Niel slowly slides off the edge of my desk, as if scared he’ll spook me into hitting him. He runs his sweaty palms up and down his pant legs.

“This scary fuck is Zane, and
as you’ve probably figured out by his spooky mug, that his dad is none other than the Devil himself,” Torian’s taunt is laced with venom- Ez is on all of our shit lists at the moment. “He’ll be fifteen on baby Jesus’ birthday. Don’t forget to get him a card, seeing as how you’re boning his sister.”

“I’m not boning his sister,” Niel quietly says, freckled face burning bright. His voice reminds me of Grant’s- so
othing and coaxing. It hurts as much as it helps to hear it. “Who are your mothers? You seem to know all about me, I know nothing.”

“Ah, I’m so glad you admitted that
, I’d have hated to sound rude,” Torian wryly says. “My mom’s a school teacher, and not the mild-mannered kind. She’s a real, venomous bitch. But unless you share blood with me, keep your opinions about her to yourself, unless you want to be shitting out your teeth.”

“I don’t know her… so how could I gossip about her?” Niel reasonably says, voice breaking.

“I believe you already know my mother,” Zane politely points me out. I give a little wave to Niel.

“
Oh, Jesus!” the kid croaks out as he backs up until his ass hits the wall. I just spin around on my desk so I can watch. My boys stalk after him. “No wonder you’re a scary sonofabitch,” Niel breathes.

“What did you say about my momma?” Zane uses his version of a serial killer voice. He even squints his glare and tilts his head to the side. Poor
Niel is one threat away from a potty accident.