Soft || 18+ Reverse Harem ||

23 - kill me

"Did he not have breakfast already?" Alexandre asked.

"He likes to steal," Dahlia, dressed in a black sweater and a white skirt, said as she walked towards us, her hands tucked behind her back. There were other people around, who stopped to watch her but decided they liked their heads where they were when Hedeon glared. "And eat as much as he can."

"That can't be healthy," I said, pulling out a chair for her beside me. She sat down. Hedeon was on her other side.

"He is a bit over his healthy weight. I'm trying to regulate it. He hates me for it." She folded her arms against her chest, looking around. She looked at the town. "This feels very...exposed," she said. "What if someone reports your ship?"

"To who?" I asked. "The police won't do anything. No one will, actually."

She looked at me, dark eyes as dead as always. Why so sad, Dahlia? "What do you four do?" She asked. "Don't beat around the bush now, tell me the real answer. I'm here. And I don't feel like getting beheaded anytime soon."

I rubbed my aching wrist, her eyes followed the movement. Her throat moved as she gulped. I couldn't help the smirk which came on my lips.

"We provide protection," I told her, picking up Vaness who had wandered outside. She happily snuggled into me. "To desperate, rich people. We have a cruise company. I, personally, build ships. And..."

"And?" She blinked up at me.

"And we may deal with weapons."

"May?" She deadpanned. "Are you not sure?"

Bobby looked at me curiously, as if waiting for an answer, too. Little fucker.

"We do," I said, not really enjoying her anger. "That's all we do."

"I'm assuming none of this is legal," she said, looking at Hedeon, Alexandre, and Lucian. Lucian nodded, rubbing his neck. I could see red marks on his skin. I didn't mean to.

I squeezed my eyes shut, taking in a deep breath. It wasn't you.

I didn't mind hurting people. But Lucian was my brother. Not my blood, but that didn't matter to any of us.

Dahlia chewed on her bottom lip, taking in deep breaths as if to calm herself down. Her hand latched on the necklace around her neck. Alexandre gave her a gift?

"I can't lie and say that I'm not a bit...scared, right now," she whispered, eyes looking at the table as if to not meet our eyes. I frowned. "Do you have proof?" She asked. "Of Uncle Noah knowing you. Do you have proof?"

Hedeon watched her. "Of course. Will that make you comfortable?"

"That'll make my anxiety bearable," she said. "Whatever Uncle did, I know he'd never have trusted you guys to protect me if he didn't trust you completely. I trust him, even though I didn't know him as well as I thought I did."

. . .

I set another photograph on the table, rummaging through the cupboard in my office. My office was barely used. I liked working in my bedroom. "He gave me a ship in a bottle ages ago...I can't find it."

"I-I think I have enough evidence."

I turned. The table was flooded with a million gifts Noah gave us, a lot of photographs because Hedeon was a hoarder and a lot of old ship models Noah had given me.

"It is?" I asked.

She nodded, looking at the photographs. Her thumb brushed where Noah was grinning, standing beside Monets' parents. I was standing beside him, grabbing his leg. I didn't like cameras for a while when I was a kid. Hedeon's face was half hidden by his hair, and he was grinning at the camera, really grateful for being there.