I drove up to the Reid's house as I shut off my bike's engine. Effie had texted me that they were all back home. It was already past bedtime, and I planned to pick up Poppy and take us home, but it seemed too late. I just had a talk with Odin about the hidden laboratory and concocted Eva's plan for using the drug. Odin had sent out scouts to check out Paradise Island.
Five went in. Zero came out.
We had lost visual and audio contact with the scout team. The last image was a person; Kendall had it closed up, and high-quality footage, as we saw, didn't look human. It had crazy bloody eyes and foam coming out from its mouth, and it attacked one of our team who had the camera. It was the same symptoms as Myles. Before the camera could lose visual, we saw not one but lots of them. It's the reason why the scout team lost their lives. It was a tragic scene to watch. It's like watching a horror film.
A lot has happened within a day, and I want to get home to my daughter and man. I must rest my brain before my team sets out on the island.
With the spare key in my hand, I approached the front door. I feel something behind me. The neighborhood is dark and quiet, so it will make some idiot come and attack me from behind.
Slowly reaching for my handgun underneath my jacket, I can hear the steps of his combat boots approaching as I fumble my fingers on the weapon. As this mysterious person draws near, I pull out my gun and twirl, aiming at Don, standing there with a plastic bag and beef jerky in his mouth, chewing.
"Whoa, easy there," he held his hands up while mumbling. "Didn't mean to scare you."
I exhaled and put the gun away back to its sheath. "Sorry."
"No worries. I get it. I have to be on high alert," he pulled out his keys and opened the door for us to enter.
"What's with the bags?" I ask as he turns on the kitchen lights and places them on the island counter.
"Claire woke up wanting some ice cream, and then Effie woke up craving chocolate-covered strawberries," Don went over to grab the strawberries from the fridge and then grabbed a bow from the cabinets. "I walked to the nearest liquor store to grab chocolate bars and Claire's favorite Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. But I got other things just in case they get hungry."
"I remember my cravings," suddenly the thought of my pregnancy. Once I found out I was pregnant, Eva had my stuff with luxurious meals for my baby.
Three meals a day is what I was served while I was pregnant, unlike my usual meals, which are two per day. While the other children get one, they don't get a plate full of food. Their only food to survive was a loaf of bread and water. If punished, you don't get any food at all. They will let you starve for a whole day.
When I talked back to Eva, she got so mad that I ended up locked and served without food for a day. My stomach was growling, and my throat was dry. I had to swallow my spit and eat whatever crumbs off the ground. It was disgusting and unhealthy, but I needed to survive.
"Terry?"
I blink, having to get away from my memories. I rub my eyes. "Sorry, just tired."
"I can see that." Don was already stirring the chocolate on the stove, and I didn't realize he was making Effie's midnight snacks.
"Shouldn't Logan do that?" I question, smirking as I watch him cook.
"He should, but Zara was crying, and Logan is with her now, making her sleep." He says. "But I don't mind."
I made my lips form an 'O' as I sat on the chair. "You are one good brother," I compliment him as I pull out my iPad and study the files Kendall had sent me to review while I make a plan.
I put on earphones and rewatched the video from the scout team. The time they stamped at 600 as the team parachuted from the plane landing on the island. There was no visual contact with night vision, and they proceeded toward the cabin next to the beach. Sargent Andrea Rojas led the team, but the camera was a rookie; his name was Lenny Bostin. They entered the premises as Rojas documented everything. The cabin has furniture but no Hugo or Eva. As each member called out a clear of no contact with the targets, they looked for the entrance to the hidden laboratory. As Bostin follows Rojas, they both enter a bedroom. They searched the room, and a secret door opened when Rojas pulled a wall lantern. The screen was green and bright as they entered the darkroom with caution.
I bite my nails, anxious and nervous about the outcome. The team found a lift, entered it, and pressed the button that took them down—the sound of mechanics rolls as they reached the level. Everything was dark; no lights were turned on. Rojas documented their arrival at the secret lab and found nothing unusual except chemical equipment. I scan my eyes on the screen, looking for anything amiss.
I see images of human bodies, chemistry formulas, and all types you see in a lab. Eva has her own expert team to create the drug and has used it on people just for experiments. That's not the only thing I saw; human body parts and organs are kept inside large jars filled with liquid substances. Just looking at it makes me sick.
Then the chaos started once they met a drugged victim as he attacked the first person he saw. All I could hear in the video footage was guns firing, screaming, and death. Bostin was the last to survive for a minute until one of the victims approached him and grabbed his head, staring at the camera. He rips it off the helmet, and the video captured the drugged person putting his thumb on Bostin's eyes, pressing it, and letting out a scream of pain and agony before his head was snapped.
I put the tablet down and rested my elbow on the island counter, brushing my hair back before dropping my head. "Shit."
"Is everything okay?"
I snap my head up to find Don looking at me; his forehead is concerned.
I inhale and sharply exhale. "Yeah, I'm fine. A lot is going on, especially dealing with the Order."
"My friend, Tech, sent me information about that community," Don starts to cover the washed strawberries with melted chocolate. "They had fooled the whole world."
"No shit," I scoff. "They think that what they are doing, saving the children from abandonment is God's will. But most of the children they saved were kidnapped. Just like me."
Don already knew of my background; he didn't question it after that statement.
I let out another tired sigh. After everything I have been through, the Order's ruin will soon end. Then, I can live in peace with my daughter and Seth. I can't imagine myself living without the people I love. As a child, I stayed in a cold room with barely dim light and little warmth to keep me from the cold. I was an Eden Child; Eva wanted me to live even in my condition. Poppy was treated the same, and I had already decided I was not destroying the Order for myself but also for my daughter.
I rested my head on my hand as a small plate with two pieces of chocolate-covered strawberries was given to me. I look up at Don's smiling face. "Have some. You probably need the sweet to wipe those worries off your face."
I reply with a smile, pulling the plate when I hear tiny feet running down the stairs. "Dad!" Leo pops himself in the kitchen. "Oh, hi, Aunt Terry."
I smile as he calls me Aunt instead of Uncle after he learns I'm a girl, not a boy. "Hey, Kid."
"Leo, why are you awake? It's past your bedtime."
"I was asleep but went to use the bathroom. Then Mom asks me to tell you about her ice cream, and Aunt Effie is looking for her strawberries."
"Effie is with her?"
The little boy's head nods like a cartoon. "Yeah, they are in the playroom watching TV."
I peered at Don's face as he made a groan. "Those women." I chuckle a little. "They are pregnant, and one is about to give birth soon; they should sleep."
"Mom said if she doesn't get her ice cream, you can kiss yourself on the couch and not in between," Leo said, making a cute face. "I don't know what she meant. What does that mean, Dad?"
I turn my head over my shoulder and see how red Don looks. I burst out laughing, making my stomach hurt. The big man let out a snarl, and I stopped. "I'm sorry."
He turned to his son, and his face changed. "Tell your mother and Aunt Effie I'll be there, and after that, go back to bed."
"Okay, Dad!" Leo says with a cheery expression. "Goodnight. Night Aunt Terry."
"Good night, Leo," I giggle after the little boy runs back up the stairs. I turned back at Don, who kept a straight face. "I can not believe Claire told her son to say that to you. You are lucky he is still young and doesn't understand what that meant."
"I hope Leo doesn't catch on. He's a smart kid."
I chuckle one last time. Standing off the chair and grabbing the plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. "I'll take these with me."
"Going to feed Seth?" He wiggles his brows in a tease.
My face flushed.
"No, I'm not giving him my portion." I retort in a coy. "Better take those things to your wife and sister-in-law. You better not mess with pregnant women."
"Don't have to warn me twice."
I went up the stairs as I bid a good night to Don. I stop in front of Zara's room; I know it's her room because, on the front surface, there are painted pink and purple butterflies and her name in pink wooden letters. Effie had my daughter roomed with Zara, hoping her daughter would be comfortable with her. I turned the knob slowly. A small lamp was on, making it easier to see inside the room. I looked inside and found my daughter sleeping peacefully on the twin-size bed and hugging her bear, Beau, close to her chest.
"Terry?"
I looked over at Zara's crib and let out a snort but quickly clamped my lips from laughing, not because it was funny but adorable. What I saw was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Sleeping with Zara is Logan, who squeezes himself in the crib. I know he is not as big as Don or as tall as Rex, but seeing him curl up in the crib makes him massive. I can see Zara close to Logan's chest, sleeping soundly and calmly after crying.
"I came to check on Poppy," I whisper, making myself through. I hover over my daughter and kiss her head, then put the plate on the table beside the bed next to her before looking at Logan. "How's Zara? I heard she was crying a lot."
"She is fine now. Zara drank her milk an hour ago and fell right to sleep. Earlier, Zara was looking for Effie, crying through the baby monitor, but Effie couldn't be there because of her belly. I decided to take her place and calm Zara down."
"You know she's with Claire having a movie night in the playroom."
"Yeah, I know," Logan groans, rubbing his face, and I chuckle.
I brush Poppy's hair, making her feel at ease. "Are you excited?" I ask him. I wonder what his thought was, having not one but two babies growing inside Effie.
"Can I be honest?"
"Yeah."
He places his hand gently over Zara's ear and then whispers. "I'm fucking scared." He claims, then removes his hand. "We have Zara, and twins are on the way. I don't know if I can handle three kids. Effie and I are still young and already parents to Zara."
Then, something triggers in me. Poppy was born when I was thirteen, so I understand how scared Logan can be. He and Effie are high school graduates, and suddenly, a child pops into their lives, and they become parents. It would be too much to handle for them now that Effie is pregnant with twins. They are still young and should enjoy their free time at parties and hanging out with friends, but they can't do it with three children. But, if I were in his shoes, I would have enjoyed it. I missed out on Poppy's childhood for thirteen years.
"I understand; you and Effie are still young and want to enjoy yourself before you make plans for the future together." I start and look down on my sleeping beauty and smile. "But I envy you. You get to watch your kids grow; as for me...I have never experienced raising Poppy. I thought I had killed her and left her in that hellhole because I was also young and scared. But also, was to protect her, preventing her from going through that same fate as I did."
"Terry, I didn't mean to bring up such painful memories."
I shake my head as I turn to Logan, staring at me. "No, it's okay. You have every right to be scared of becoming parents at a young age, but remember, you aren't the only one." I kissed Poppy's forehead and grabbed the plate off the bedside table.
"Thank Terry," Logan whispers and smiles. "I should be lucky to be a dad. But if my parents were still alive and found out I got a girl pregnant, they would beat my ass and tell me to be responsible instead of acting like a wuss."
"You got good parents," I tell him and smile, feeling a bit of envy for not having parents like his in my life.
"Yeah, I miss them." Logan looked down at his daughter, brushing her short curly hair. "If they were alive, they would instantly fall in love with Zara and adore Effie. It sucks they won't experience being grandparents."
"I think they already are," I say as I leave the room quietly.
Walking down the hall, I stopped in front of Liam's room, now a guest room since he lives with Lily and her parents.
Approaching Seth's bedroom, I pause before Leo and James' room. I look through the door's opening to find Rex humming a lullaby to his son, who is sleeping in his arms. Leo was on his bed, his leg sticking out from the edge. I let out a giggle. He was rocking the little guy asleep until he spotted me. Rex greets me with a nod as I reply, closing the door.
These Wolfe brothers may look like they have been around town a lot, but since they have settled down with the women they love and are growing a family, my inside has butterflies. I'm so happy for them.
The last door at the end of the hall is Seth's room. I open the door and see the room dimmed with the lamp turned on. Seth is on his side, sleeping with a light snore coming from him.
Placing the plate down, I sat on the edge of the bed as it made him stir. He didn't get up, but he wrapped his arms around my waist once he knew it was me, snuggling his head against me. "Hey, baby," he kissed my arm. "How's work?"
I brush his hair back. "Tiring and stressful."
"Are you finished with the task?"
I sigh. "No, Odin wants me to return home and rest well before I leave in the morning."
Seth looks up. He frowns. "So soon?"
"I know," I remove my jacket as Seth scoots to make room for me on the bed. I lay down and cuddle with him with our arms intertwined. "But this job will never end unless I take Eva down."
"I'm scared I might lose you," he kisses the top of my head and sighs. "I want you to be safe."
"I always come home alone after every mission, but now I have you and Poppy to go home to."
Seth dips his head down as our lips lock in place. I loved feeling this moment, and I didn't want to sleep knowing how hot he was for me, and especially something hard touching my leg told me he wanted me now. But both of us have to wait, and it sucks that he isn't the only one who is impatient.
Oh boy.