We’ll Die Together Then

RAINEY

“I’m so sorry. You were so young.” My voice is laced with sympathy as Ansel and I lie on our stomachs, our faces just inches apart, our fingers intertwined.

He had just told me about the old feud between his dad and Ron Moretto, and how it had sparked an endless rift between them.

I learned that Ansel was only seven when his uncles were killed, and my heart aches thinking about how tough it must have been to witness such a tragedy at such a young age.

Despite this, he seems to be handling the trauma well, and it makes me wonder how he manages to bury such painful memories.

Maybe we’re more alike than I thought. We both tend to hide our true feelings behind a mask of indifference.

Afraid of what? That we’ll be exposed to the harsh judgment of people who are just looking for our weaknesses to exploit.

When I first met Ansel, he was like a puzzle, mysterious and hard to figure out.

But now, as we lie here together under the soft glow of the candlelight, I can clearly see the pain etched in his eyes, his beautiful, open eyes that seem to see right into my soul.

Now it feels fair, because I’m finally able to see into his too.

“Do you think of them sometimes?” I whisper, looking at his perfect fingers as they intertwine with mine, our promise rings sparkling in the darkness.

“Yeah, I was really close to Uncle Ashton. He would take me to baseball games, drive me around town. He looked a lot like my dad, you know?”

I smile. “You look a lot like your dad too.”

He smirks, his once sorrowful eyes lighting up, and I feel my body start to relax. I hadn’t realized how much his sadness had affected me until now.

When he smiles, it always seems to calm my soul. Someone with such beautiful dimples and perfect white teeth should always be happy. I’ll make sure of it.

“I think Alaric looks more like my dad.”

“Mm…” I scrunch up my nose thoughtfully. “I honestly can’t tell the difference between you all.

“It’s like your dad was the original and God just decided to make several copies of the same thing, maybe to make his job easier, I don’t know. Copy and paste.”

Ansel laughs heartily, and I smile as I feel the bed shake with his laughter.

“Ah, that’s…kind of offensive.”

I giggle. “Why?”

“I don’t know, I guess I just want to be different in your eyes,” he says softly, bringing my hand to his lips. I watch as he kisses it, and I feel a flutter in my stomach.

“You are,” I whisper, meaning every word. “No one could break down my walls. I mean, they couldn’t even come close. But you did, effortlessly.”

He smiles at me, then lets out a deep breath, a passionate look crossing his face. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll protect you from Ron Moretto, even if it means dying in the process.”

~Dying in the process?~ The words send a wave of anxiety through me, and I frown. Why would he talk so…final?

“Don’t talk like that.”

“How?” He looks genuinely confused, and I sigh.

“‘Dying in the process.’ I don’t like it.”

“But we all have to die one day, don’t we?”

My eyebrows furrow in a tight frown, and I instinctively tighten my grip on his hand. “Yeah, but you won’t be dying anytime soon.”

~I couldn’t live without you.~

“If it means saving you, then—”

“No, Ansel,” I interrupt, my voice wavering slightly. “I would never let you die, especially not for me.”

I can’t understand how he can talk about death so casually. The thought of losing him is far more painful than any traumatic memories from my past.

“What if it can’t be helped?” he says, looking me in the eyes. “What if that’s the only way to protect you?”

The seriousness in his eyes makes my stomach churn, and I let out a shaky sigh.

“Then we’ll die together.”

And I mean it. I’ve never been the dependent type, and I’ve managed to live on my own so far, but now my life makes perfect sense because of Ansel, and if he’s not here, what’s the point?

He studies my face, noticing the deep sadness in my eyes.

My glossy eyes are now outshining the sparkle of our rings, and he gently brushes a few strands of hair from my face as he exhales.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop talking like that. I won’t die anytime soon, and you won’t either. We’ll be okay, yeah?” His soothing voice does little to calm my racing thoughts.

I know Ansel by now, and because he hurt two men, risking his future and his life to defend me, I know he might put himself in danger to protect me.

I don’t want him to do that. I’ve caused him enough trouble. If he gets seriously hurt because of my battles, I’d never forgive myself.

“I can’t believe your mom knew about everything though. It’s messed up to choose a man over your child.” He tries to change the subject.

I half-shrug, looking down. “What can I say? Everyone loves who they love. I’ll get over it.”

“You will. I’ll make sure of it.”

I nod. “But you’ll have to stay alive to do that.”

Ansel chuckles softly, and I look up at him. He’s so beautiful. I don’t know how I’d manage to live without him.

“Look who’s talking about it now.” He runs a hand through my hair, his lips curling into a crooked grin. “I like your haircut. It looks badass.”

Even though my heart is still racing, I manage a small giggle. “Thanks.”

His smile catches my eye, and I can’t help but notice a tiny red mark on his lower lip.

A memory of our earlier intimate moment flashes in my mind, when I accidentally bit him. My cheeks heat up at the thought.

“I’m sorry about your lip. I didn’t mean to bite you earlier.”

I reach up to touch his face, my thumb gently pulling down his lower lip to get a better look at the mark.

“It’s not big, but I think you’ll need some ointment. Does it hurt?”

I look up to see his reaction, only to find him looking at me with a gaze that makes my heart flutter. His eyes are soft, with a hint of desire, and I can’t help but feel a little nervous.

~I know that look. I know Ansel.~

“I’ll check the bathroom for some ointment…”

I start to get up from the bed, but he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me back down and against him.

He holds me close, his face buried in my neck, and I breathe in the comforting scent of his hair.

“I wouldn’t mind if you bit me again, Rain,” he whispers, and I feel my breath catch in my throat. I can feel his heart beating against my back, and it’s as erratic as mine.

He lets out a breath that sends shivers down my spine, his face pressed into my hair.

“I want you.”

His voice is filled with longing and desire, and it sends my heart racing. Even though I’ve never been in this situation before, I know exactly what he means.

I’ve never been with anyone before, so the thought is a little scary. Not knowing what to say to his confession, I start to stutter out a response.

“Um…uh, I—”

“I want you, but I’ll wait until you’re ready. There’s no rush. We have forever.”

~Forever.~ Does that mean he’s not going on his suicide mission to protect me? I hope so. I hold onto the hope that his words give me as I smile, nodding against him.

He kisses my neck—the spot that always makes me melt—before pulling away and getting up from the bed.

“I’m okay, though. I don’t need any ointment.” He smiles and holds out a hand to me. “Want to go see what the others are up to?”

I laugh and take his hand, letting him pull me up. “Yeah.”

We walk over to the door, and as soon as Ansel opens it, two figures sprint down the dark hallway.

They leave behind a frozen Alex, who didn’t manage to run in time and is now smiling awkwardly while rubbing his neck.

“Were you guys seriously eavesdropping?” Ansel looks at his brother in disbelief.

His brothers were trying to listen in on us. I try not to think about how long they might have been there and what they might have heard.

~I really shouldn’t think about it.~

“Eavesdropping?” Alex laughs nervously, waving us away. “What? No way.

“Well, Aiden and Arden were, but I was just, you know, looking for something… Did you see my phone in there?”

His phone rings from his pocket, ruining his act. I laugh softly while Ansel gives his brother a look of amusement.

“Well, look at that. I had it the whole time.” He grins and holds up his phone, then starts to check his messages.

“Yes! Riley’s at the door,” he announces, a big smile on his face as he runs down the stairs, like a kid in a candy store.

Ansel and I laugh as we follow him down.

His brothers are something else, but that’s why I love being around them.

***

“It’s time for…horror stories!”

Aiden grins, shining a flashlight under his chin to light up his face. Riley cringes and moves closer to Alex, who smirks and wraps an arm around her.

There are two things Riley hates: being the center of attention during sex talks and ghost stories. It’s going to be interesting to see her reaction.

I smile in anticipation as I grab a chip from the bag of Lay’s in the middle of us.

The power is still out, and we’re all sitting on the living room floor while the twins keep us entertained. The rain hasn’t stopped, and now there’s a strong wind blowing.

“No, seriously, there are no lights. I can’t handle horror stories when it’s this dark,” Riley complains as Alex chuckles, pulling her closer.

“Just stay close to me, babe.”

“Don’t worry, Ry. Trust me, Aiden’s horror stories are usually pretty tame.” Ansel grins as he leans back on his hands.

Arden nods with a smirk. “Exactly. You’ll be fine.” He looks at Ansel, and they share a knowing laugh.

“Let’s get started.” Aiden rubs his hands together with a devilish smile, and I can’t help but laugh at the look of horror on Riley’s face. This is going to be fun.

“There was this man.”

Ansel sits up straighter while Arden rests an arm on his shoulder, both of them hanging on Aiden’s every word.

“He has a son, right? And every time he tucks his son into bed, the boy says, ‘Daddy, there’s a monster in my closet.’”

Riley moves even closer to Alex, leaving no space between them, and Alex grins at her.

I munch on a chip, listening intently. I love a good horror story.

“His dad would always tell him, ‘There’s no monster in your closet, kiddo. Go to sleep. You’re playing too many video games.’”

I can’t help but smile.

“But then one night, the kid says, ‘Dad, you’ve got to believe me. There’s a scary monster in my closet.’”

Aiden looks at Riley, a playful smile on his face as he continues the story. “So the dad says, ‘Okay, kiddo. I’ll check your closet.’”

My eyes widen in anticipation as Riley’s eyebrows knit together in concern. “This isn’t going to end well.”

“Oh, it will.” Alex is barely holding back a grin, clearly waiting for the moment when she’ll jump into his arms out of fear.

“So the dad walks over to the closet. Slowly. Tap, tap, tap…tap. His shoes echo on the hard floor. He grabs the closet door handle…and swings it open…”

I’ve completely forgotten about the Lay’s chips, all my attention is on Aiden’s storytelling.

“And guess what he sees?” Aiden’s voice drops, mimicking the look of horror on the dad’s face.

“His wife making out with the neighbor?” Arden jokes, and Ansel laughs, pushing his hand off his shoulder.

“There he is, his son, a mirror image of himself, huddled in the corner of the closet, shaking. He looks up and says, ‘Daddy…~there’s a monster in my bed~.’”

“Shit.” Alex’s eyes go wide. “That’s creepy as hell.”

“So the dad squints and looks behind him to find that the bed he’d left his ‘son’ in is now empty. Scared, he looks back at the closet…”

Aiden then makes a face of pure terror as he stares behind Riley, drawing our attention to her as well.

“W-what?” She squirms a little, clearly freaked out by the sudden attention.

“Riley…” Aiden points above her head with wide eyes, and she freezes, too scared to look behind her.

“What?! Is something behind me?!”

Arden and Ansel play along, staring behind her with their mouths hanging open, and I’m having too much fun to ease her fear.

“There he is! The monster’s right behind you, Ry! Run!”

Riley screams, jumping into Alex’s arms in a flash as everyone bursts into laughter.

Ansel and his brothers are doubled over on the floor, tears streaming from their eyes, and I try to hold back my laughter but fail miserably.

Wrapping his arms around a trembling Riley, Alex smirks with satisfaction. “Yes. This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for all night.”

She frowns at him, then extricates herself from his grasp, resuming her spot, her face flushed with embarrassment.

The brothers continue to laugh, their laughter echoing off the walls, louder than the thunder rumbling outside.

“Wow, I haven’t laughed this hard in a while. Thanks for that, Ry.”

Aiden’s face is wet with tears as he finally sits up, and I glance around at Ansel and Arden to find them still laughing on the mat.

“You guys know the myth, right?” I decide to give them a taste of their own medicine, giving them a sweet smile as I lean back on my hands.

“What myth?” Arden gets up, wiping his eyes with the hem of his gray tank top.

“If you tease someone about ghosts, then it won’t be long before you boys see one for yourselves.” I smirk.

Aiden grins. “Can’t prank the prankster, sweetheart.”

“Where did you hear that?” Ansel is wiping his eyes, his face red from laughing so hard.

“It’s a well-known myth.” I shrug. “So any minute now a real-life ghost will be walking through that door.”

I nod towards their dark front door, where shadows from outside make it look even creepier.

The boys look at the door apprehensively, then back at me in disbelief.

“What? Nooo…” Aiden laughs, shaking his head. “You can’t. You can’t scare us.”

“I won’t be the one scaring you.” I keep a straight face. “The creature that’s coming to scare you will be here any minute.”

“Chill, Rain.” Arden cringes a little. “You’re kind of being creepy right now.”

“I think I should start counting down.” I tuck my legs under me, maintaining my ominous expression. “He’ll be here in ten…nine…”

Their faces grow more fearful with each passing second, and I can’t help but smile inwardly.

“Eight…”

“Stop counting,” Alex pleads.

“Seven…six…five…”

“Someone please stop her.”

“Four…three…two…”

Unexpectedly, the door to the room bursts open, and the boys all scatter, leaving a grinning Ansel behind, as Alaric steps out of the darkness with a confused look on his face.

Riley and I burst into laughter as we fall onto the mat.

“What’s up with those three idiots?” Alaric, closing his dripping umbrella, frowns at his brothers, who are now huddled in the opposite corner of the room.

Aiden is clinging to Arden’s neck, as if he’s about to climb onto his back, while Alex is clutching his chest, his eyes wide with fear.

“Apparently they thought you were a ghost,” Ansel laughs.

Arden pushes Aiden’s arms off his neck and straightens his tank top, giving him a flat look. “Were you about to climb onto my back? How would that even help you? You’re such a weirdo, dude.”

He starts moving back to our corner of the room, looking at Aiden as if he’s lost his mind.

“God, my heart almost fell out.”

Alex slumps onto the long couch, the twins settling next to him, their breaths uneven. “I need to tell Aiden, no more horror stories. Especially when the power’s out.”

Riley grins at him. “Glad we’re finally on the same wavelength.”

“You’re back early. What’s going on?” Ansel’s eyes narrow as Alaric takes a seat on one of the single couches.

“Didn’t have many clients today,” Alaric says, his voice low. “And I’ve got something to share with you guys. I’ve been mulling it over, and I think it’s time to come clean.”

The brothers lean forward, their attention riveted on Alaric. The serious look on his face tells them this is no small matter.

***

“You sneaky fucker.” Alex’s jaw drops.

“Wait a minute.” Aiden closes his eyes. “So, all this time, you’ve been pilfering from Ron’s truck?”

Alaric nods, his calloused hands rubbing together, a sheepish expression on his face.

Turns out, Alaric has been getting his drug supplies by having some of his guys steal from Ron’s drug truck.

Calling him brave doesn’t quite cut it. It takes serious balls to pull off something that risky.

“I knew it! I knew it!” Arden scoots to the edge of his seat, only to have Aiden yank his earlobe, making him wince.

“You didn’t know shit, Arden. Last time Ron was here, you were glued to Instagram. I doubt you even heard half of what we were discussing.”

“No, I had a hunch, Aiden. Didn’t you see the smug look on Ric’s face when Ron was talking?”

Alex blinks, considering this. “Well, Alaric always has a smug look on his face.”

“So, is this why you’ve been dealing with Bee?” Ansel squints at Alaric, who nods.

“Yeah, to get intel on the truck. And it was through her that I found out Ron was coming to town to look for Rainey.” He glances at me.

“Damn. But this is good news, right?” Aiden asks. “You should tell Sam. She’ll understand.”

Alaric shakes his head. “I don’t think she will.”

“She will,” Ansel insists. “She just wants an explanation. Give her that, and I guarantee she won’t feel as bad.”

Alaric mulls over his brothers’ words, then sighs in agreement. “Okay. She’s bringing Anthony over tonight, so I’ll talk to her then.”

“Good. But why didn’t you tell us?” Aiden’s eyes narrow.

Alaric rakes a hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath. “I didn’t want to drag you guys into something so dangerous.

“If anything goes wrong, it’s on me. I don’t want you guys getting hurt.”

“What are you talking about, Ric? We’re in this together,” Ansel says. “We’ve always got your back. You’re not alone in this.”

Alex nods. “Yeah, let’s just say we all raided the truck.”

“Exactly.” Aiden shrugs, but Alaric shakes his head.

“No. Stay out of this, guys. I’m serious.”

The King brothers are fiercely loyal to each other. Knowing them as I do, I’m pretty sure they won’t be following that order.