My mouth drops open in shock. “I do not snore.”
He laughs while nodding his head. “Yeah you do.”
I hear a few snickers and I turn around to see Tyson, my parents, Derek and Lily all trying to hold back laughter.
“Do I snore?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah, you kind of do,” Tyson says laughing.
I shake my head but am grinning. I knew that I snored, but where was the fun in admitting that? I had woken myself up many times because of my snoring, so it’s not a surprise to me.
“I don’t know if I believe you guys,” I say pretending to be suspicious and narrowing my eyes at them.
“I’ll prove it,” Xavier says pulling out his phone.
My mouth drops open when he plays a video of me sleeping and snoring really loudly. The screen shows the time and my brother’s face. “This is in case I ever needed to prove to you that you snore,” he says.
Then the movie clip ends. There is silence in the air for a moment before everyone bursts out laughing.
I can’t help but laugh with everyone because he honestly recorded me for that reason. It looks to have been recorded recently too.
I shake my head at my brother. “I want to say that I can’t believe you did that, but I’m honestly not surprised at all.”
I look at everyone as the laughter dies down. You wouldn’t know that I was here for protection. Everyone seems so happy, but maybe they are used to this sort of thing.
“Well, let’s go. The women are probably dying to see you, Camilla,” Lily says and gestures to me to follow her.
I walk into the room. Everyone smiles and the women give me hugs. When Tyson walks into the room, there are cheers so loud that I have to cover my ears. I guess they waited until they were done showing us to our rooms before focusing on Tyson’s celebration.
Tyson gets hugs and pats on the back from everyone. He smiles so bright. Naturally, I can’t help but be mesmerized by it.
“Thank fuck you are home, brother,” I hear Steal say to Tyson before he hugs him. I can’t see Tyson’s face, but I can see Steal’s. His eyes mist a little but nothing falls. He smiles like he’s honestly happy to see him. I wonder if this is the longest that they had ever been apart their whole lives.
“I’m not a hundred percent, but I’m getting there. One day at a time,” he says.
I’m not sure if I was supposed to hear or not, but I am too close to them not to hear what they are saying to each other.
“We’ve got your back. No matter what. We are family. Brothers for life,” Steal says, and I want to cry at the sweet moment between them.
Before anything else is said, Olivia comes and pats Steal on the back. “Okay, Swoon King, you have said enough.”
Tyson and Steal both burst out in laughter at her statement.
At my confusion, they explain to me the name that Steal had called himself when he was winning over Olivia. I can’t help but laugh.
I guess there is a big ol’ softy under there.
I sit with the women in the backyard while we eat and laugh. Tyson is on the other side laughing and talking with is brothers. I don’t think that I have seen him more relaxed. The treatment facility must have done him some good.
There is the lingering worry of Reaper in my head, but I force myself to think about that later. This is Tyson’s night and I don’t want to put a damper on it.
I smile at everyone, but it feels forced now that I’m think of Reaper. How did he get away?
I end up excusing myself early. When I make it to my room, Tyson is right behind me with concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay? You don’t seem like yourself,” he asks.
I nod my head and then shake it. Tears well in my eyes before I can stop them.
I end up throwing my hands in the air in defeat.
“I don’t know what to think. You said he was gone. Your father said that they were all taken care of. He was the worst one. Most of my nightmares are of him. How did he get away? I don’t remember seeing him after Katy escaped that awful room, and now he is coming after me like we are some long lost lovers when the thought of him makes me want to run and hide. I spent the last few months working on my strength mentally and physically and it feels like it all had been wiped out in an instant when I read those messages. How can this happen?” I sob into my hands at the end.
He wraps his arms around me and I instantly feel calmer just by his hug.
“I don’t know what the fuck happened or how he slipped out from right under our noses, but we will get him. Nothing will stop me from finding him, you hear me?” he says and I nod my head.
“I think that it’s time to have Church. I was going to save it for morning, but I think we need to now,” I hear Derek say. I pull away from Tyson and immediately wipe at my eyes.
“I’m so sorry that you guys are having to deal with all of this,” I say.
“None of that, you hear? I’m sorry that I thought he was gone. We aren’t going to let him get away this time. We will do whatever it takes to make you safe again,” Derek
