Grey didn't sleep with us.
He never had. I didn't think he'd make tonight the first but for some reason I wished his arm was draped across my bare stomach with Arrow's.
Arrow's even breathing was calming but not enough to lull me to sleep. Even after all the excitement and all the sex.. I still couldn't sleep.
The ceiling was becoming boring and I felt the need to get up and walk around. I wanted to call my sister. Or just get up. Walk around the city. Go get food. Do something. But considering it was 1am, and I knew nothing of this city- I don't think that's the best idea.
But like it had read my thoughts, my phone buzzed from the nightstand.
Arrow didn't stir as I reached for it. I answered without even looking at the number, assuming it was my sister and we had some sort of sibling telepathy going.
"Can't sleep?" I say into the phone.
It's quiet for a moment on the other line.
"No," a male voice replies. "I can't."
My heart rate picked up.
The voice wasn't familiar. Not that I could tell. There was a distinct accent but it certainly wasn't British. It was hard to tell from the short words through a phone speaker.
I open my mouth as my hand reaches for Arrow's arm when the voice reaches through the speaker again. "Don't wake him." It says.
My hand freezes and my heart beats faster. "Who is this?"
"Get up and walk out of the bedroom. Grab the duffle on the way. Don't wake either of them. Leave through the emergency exit on the bottom floor."
My brain carefully waded through the instructions.
"Why would I do that?" I whisper, staring at Arrow's perfect calm face as he slept.
"Because I have a sniper trained on both bedrooms. All your boyfriends have to do is open the door." The man says.
My stomach drops and I feel as if I might throw up. But I swallow hard. "How do I know you won't kill me when I open the door?"
The man chuckles. "I don't want you dead, lamb." My eyebrows tug together as something familiar stirs in the back of my head. "Get up and walk out. You're lucky I'm feeling generous enough to leave them alive in the first place."
My mouth feels dry as I slowly sit up. Arrow doesn't stir as I raise his arm off of me and set it down lightly on the bed. I slip off of the bed and grab my clothes from the floor. I tug the sweats on and pull the T-shirt over my head.
Arrow turns onto his back just as my hand closes around the handle of the duffle. My blood runs cold but he just sighs, his eyes never opening.
I open the door soundlessly and slip out. Shutting it behind me.
"Good." The voice says. I look at the windows, wondering if and how he can see me. But I keep walking to the door. He speaks again when my hand twists the door knob. "Leave the phone. Leave the phone and use the emergency exit like I said."
I nod. Unsure if he can see me or not, I hang up. The three beeps echoing quietly in the still air. I set the phone on the table next to the door. I start a text to Arrow and type one word. But I don't hit send.
With that, I slip out the door.
The stairwells are still well lit in the middle of the night. My footsteps echo as I pad down stairwell after stairwell until I reach the bottom. The emergency exit sign is lit up in bright green. I half expect an alarm to begin blaring as I push my way through. But it doesn't.
The air is crisp and it bites at my cheeks. I wrap my arms around myself as I look around. At first, I can't see anything. But when my eyes adjust to the light, I can make out a large black SUV.
Is that what everyone in a gang drives?
When I start to walk closer, I notice four or five motorcycles surrounding the vehicle.
There are three men standing in front of the SUV. The one to the right, I think he's close to my age, it's hard to see in the dark, he steps forward as I approach and reaches for the duffle. I clench my jaw but don't try to tug it away.
The man in the middle steps forward. He's got dark hair with a gray tint. He's older. His face is hard to make out in the light, but it'll still familiar. He's probably in his 50s, I can't make out the color of his eyes but I know what they are. They're hazel.
Just like mine.
"Lamb," The nickname pulls at something in the deepest parts of my mind. "You've finally made it home."
I set my jaw. "I wouldn't exactly call this home. And I don't think you would either.. dad."