Chapter 17 If I thought the atmosphere in Lilydale was intense before, it had nothing on Damon's return. It's almost as if people thought he wouldn't be coming back, and seeing him was a stark, cold reminder of the entire situation. Patients were still talking, the stories continuing to grow more outlandish by the day. On the plus side, I did hear one tiny rumor that I killed a guard which is why I stabbed Whitface when he allegedly tried to kick me out of Lilydale. Needless to say, I haven't bothered to correct anyone. Damon was right-having people fear you was something else. People no longer saw me as invisible and barged into me in the hallways. For the first time in my life, I wasn't the girl in the glass box, watching life go by like a forgotten afterthought. I also wasn't the father killer who received pitying stares or disapproving looks. I felt like the guys' equal. Walking down the hallway with Damon, Grey, and Theo, people move out of our way, nodding to us. They can sense the power shift, and I think Whittingham made a big mistake at overlooking the patients. He's treated everyone as if they are nothing but an inconvenience, a charity case he can use to his advantage. But they are smart-hyper aware and vigilant because of their trauma. And with patients missing, people are starting to connect the dots. We're not the real villains. Speaking of which, as the days continue to pass by, I'm getting more agitated at our lack of access to downstairs. We still haven't been able to access the stairwell or figure out the code, even with the extra-access staff card. Damon has tried every combination he can think of in relation to his mother, but so far, we've come up empty handed. At least we have the blowtorch but that's going to take some planning. With the guards wandering around, looking for trouble, we've only got a short window to act. One chance to save our friends. If it goes wrong, then they could end up like Leah... Knowing what I went through downstairs, and how volatile things are, my imagination runs wild with possibilities and scenarios, just picturing what they could be going through. Two more patients have been counted as missing, and vomit threatens to rise every time I wonder if it's because our fellow peers aren't with us anymore. Are they replacing test subjects? Or just expanding operations? Both are indescribable options. When we enter the hall, I do a quick scan of the room, patients lining up for lunch. My eyes fall onto the meek blonde sitting alone, and I turn to Damon, grabbing his hand. 'I'll be back. I need to go speak to her,' I say quietly, though I have Grey and Theo's attention as well. Damon follows the trajectory, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He knows we have no reason to suspect her now, but this is more than just general Cirque des Morts business. 'Fine,' he agrees. Before I can step away, he catches me off guard, swooping me around until I'm dipped backwards. His lips fall onto mine, and there's a clatter of metal as food utensils are dropped in shock and awe. I'd probably find it amusing if I wasn't so entranced by his kiss, my mind floating away into space. It's not like Damon and I have hidden anything-holding hands in the corridor and him pinning me against walls in plain sight-but he's never publicly claimed me before. Slowly, he breaks the kiss, standing me upright. My head is still woozy and I've barely started to recover when Grey flies in, swinging me around to heatedly kiss me as well. Frigging Neanderthal. Next to us, Damon makes a scoffing sound in his throat, clearly catching onto Grey's tactic too. He grins against my lips, pulling back only enough to whisper to me, 'Can't let him have all the glory.' I snort, giving him a quick peck before straightening up and looking at Theo. 'Get over here.' He doesn't need to be told twice, but unlike the other two, he doesn't lunge at me. It's slow, mesmerizing, and taunting. Steady footsteps, his warm hand cupping my cheek as he leans down and lightly kisses my lips. It's dead silent in the hall now, my skin burning with the eyes of ninety-odd patients. And just like them, I'm also hypnotized and breathless. For our onlookers, it's confusing-not only seeing Damon and Grey make me theirs, but Theo's stark contrast to his usual behavior. They don't know what I know though. Only I get his softer side. As for me, I'm struggling to handle all the different approaches, and for a second, I forget what the conversation was before all this happened. 'Oh, right,' I mutter to myself, stroking my thumb over Theo's cheek. 'I'll be back.' He gingerly nods, heading off to the food line and leaving the other two in his wake. Damon and Grey wait for me to head over to Vivian, her green eyes plastered on my approaching frame. 'What the fuck?' she asks quietly when I reach her table, but it's more puzzled than anything. Sitting down across from her, I take in her pale cheeks, and slender frame. Vivian has always been a petite woman, but there's something nearly sickening about her current physique. Her plate in front of her barely has any food on it, only a few vegetables. The fork is still on the table next to it, completely untouched. 'You're not eating,' I point out, temporarily bypassing the main reason for my impromptu visit. She shrugs. 'I'm not hungry.' Offering her a grim smile, I glance away for a second, understanding all too well what she's feeling. 'We're going to find them,' I promise her. Vivian lets out a sad sigh, resting her chin on her palm. 'Will you though? They are probably already dead, Avery.' I know she's close to Siobhan, and probably Eliana too. I remember when Whitface told everyone that Vivian was dead, Siobhan lost her shit. 'They have to be okay,' I tell her. 'There's no other option.' As we lock eyes, I see tears swell. She's on the verge of breaking down, and I hurt for her. 'Do you think...,' she pauses, swallowing hard. 'Do you think they are going through the same as what we did?' Fucking hell. I never thought I'd see the day I trauma bonded with Vivian. Neither of us deserved what happened. I don't know Vivian's back story and what led her to Lilydale but it's clear that she's deeply disturbed by the recent events. I don't blame her. The thought that other patients are currently being locked in ice cold water or electrocuted is sickening. 'I hope not,' I mumble. 'But I can tell you one thing-Dr. West is dead.' 'Good,' she replies carelessly. Theo ending his miserable existence was the relief I needed. He'll never harm someone again in the name of science, but that doesn't mean there aren't more doctors in his place. Dr. Cromwell-fucking Melanie-is still on the loose. She was so eager to learn and please, acting empathetic and pitying me. I don't need their pity. I needed to be protected. We all do. 'Please look after yourself,' I say, lowering my voice. 'They don't deserve your tears-or your pain. Live... for you. Be their worst nightmare.' Vivian doesn't respond but her eyes sharpen at my words, as if I've hit something buried deep. Standing up, I give her a quick nod and tight smile before joining the guys at the other end of the hall. 'Not going to lie, it feels a little crowded,' I joke, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. It's been nice being back in my room after solitary confinement-even if it did get a little heated in there. When all three guys insisted on walking me here after free time, I said yes immediately. Having all of them here though, just reminds me how much of a shoebox we're forced into. Or maybe it's their overwhelming physical sizes. Either way, I'm not complaining. Damon stands in the middle of Grey and Theo, taking his usual leader role. I'm not even sure if he realizes he's doing it. It's all second nature to him. He reaches into his pocket, pulling something out. At first, I'm fixated on the lily-smiling as I recognize it from the Cirque des Morts calling card from my first ever meeting. But then he pulls something else out, my eyes widening on the black box. 'What is that?' I blurt out, amused and confused. My eyes dart behind him to Grey and Theo, eyebrows shooting high as they watch me carefully. Why is my heart racing like this? Goosebumps are forming on my skin, tingles running up my arms. Grey grabs my attention, his grin wild like a kid on Christmas morning. Even Theo doesn't appear overly out of place, his head held high, locked stare unwavering. 'Avery,' Damon says, and I swing back to look at him. 'The three of us have been speaking, and we decided that perhaps we were a little too rash with our decision to exclude you from this moment. Therefore, we only felt it was appropriate to rectify this.' The velvety, square shape is telling, but I still can't bring myself to connect the dots. I'm completely paralyzed-not with fear, but with... something else. Hope. Want. Need. Damon opens the box and I suck in a breath, staring at the singular piece inside. Shit-is that what I think it is? Inside the box is a ring, the black band woven in a distorted circle. The center piece is a red gemstone-a ruby, perhaps-with white tiny diamonds edging the band. 'Little killer,' Grey murmurs, reaching forward to clutch my hand. 'You've had my little black heart from the first day I laid eyes on you.' He comically moves my hand in front of Damon toward Theo, who takes it without hesitation. 'You're my favorite tattoo, Aves.' A man of simple words, he passes my hand to Damon, who's already removed the ring from the box. 'Avery,' he pauses, sliding the ring onto my finger-yes, that finger. 'You're already my wife legally, but will you do all three of us the honor of officially being ours?' They become blurry, and it takes me a few seconds of stunned silence to realize it's because tears have welled in my eyes. The three men I love with all my broken heart are asking me to be theirs, promising to love all of me. Flaws, trauma, background, file that says I'm mentally insane. Me. No one speaks as they wait for me to pull myself together, and I can't hold back any longer. 'I've been yours-all of yours-since the beginning. You consumed me from the moment I stepped foot in Lilydale. And my life doesn't make sense without you in it. I'm yours.' 'Good,' Damon answers coolly. 'This was going on your finger no matter what.' He adjusts the ring so it's centered on my finger, and I'm stunned to find it fits perfectly. It's then I realize that Damon also has a ring on his finger-a matching black band with a thick red center insert, chunky black markings decorating it. Instantly, my eyes scan the other two. Grey dips his hand into his pocket, extracting a matching ring and makes a show of holding up his hand and slipping it on. Snapping my attention to Theo, he lifts his hand casually showing me his band. We have matching bands. Oh, my god. Am I engaged? Wait, no-I'm already married to Damon. Whatever it is... I love it. I love them. 'À nous pour toujours jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare,' Damon murmurs, gently clutching my hand and kissing it. 'And all the lifetimes after.'