So Rare (Boys of South Chapel #3)

36. Sione

Chapter 36

Sione

NOW

Hunter stiffens on Levi’s lap as the energy around us transforms into an angry, palpable force.

A boat is approaching.

Based on the reactions of the group, this is not an anticipated visit or a welcome surprise.

“I’ll grab the radio,” Greedy comments, sidestepping the Brit on his way to the house.

“Mahina,” I murmur, aiming to soothe and comfort. Instead, Hunter’s eyes grow even wider, her panic simmering right below the surface.

Hers isn’t the only maniacal, desperate energy I sense among us.

“Let Levi up,” I suggest, offering her both my hands.

She freezes in place as her baser instincts vie for dominance.

“Up,” I repeat, my tone more assertive this time. She complies, and I take her hands and pull her gently to her feet.

A heartbeat later, Levi bolts up and rushes to stand by the Brit’s side.

“Detain them. Don’t allow them off the boat,” Greedy says into a walkie-talkie-type device as he returns.

Crackles over the device make the “affirmative” barely audible, but it’s there.

“The guard doesn’t know who’s approaching. They don’t have any deliveries or other scheduled arrivals on the manifest. They’re sending someone to check the marina for unregistered vehicles.”

Hunter tries to pull away.

I tighten my hold on her hands, then guide her body until her back is pressed against my chest. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I dip my chin and find her ear, wanting to soothe her.

The erratic, frantic rhythm of her pulse distracts me instead.

“Your heart, Mahina. Your heart. You need to breathe,” I tell her softly.

“It’s not just my heart I’m worried about,” she replies on a broken whisper. Tears cascade down her cheeks and land on the tatted skin of my hand.

Another call comes through the radio. From where we stand, it’s difficult to make out each word, but from what I can piece together, there are two people on the boat: a man and a woman. Based on the direction they’re traveling, they’re clearly intent on docking here.

“She found me,” Hunter whispers, her breaths ragged. “She found me.” The words are louder, more panicked this time, garnering the attention of the three men standing at the railing.

They are strangers to me in so many ways. Yet we are united in this moment. For this woman. In this cause.

“What should we do?” Hunter attempts to pull away from me again, panicking, and this time, I let her go, but I remain close.

As she strides toward the others, her frenetic energy blooms like a mushroom cloud of dread.

“Should we hide? Go into the house and lock the doors? Decker has a security system, and Kylian has a secret room upstairs, but—” A sob escapes her.

Panic lances through me as I absorb the intensity of her despair.

“What should we do?” she cries once more.

Hunter’s blond hair whips around her shoulders as she looks to Greedy, then Levi, and then back over to me.

“ What should we do ?” This time when she asks, her attention is singularly focused on the Brit.

Steely gray eyes meet mine over her head. Though I’ve only just met this man, the resolve on his face is crystal clear to me.

“Take her inside,” Spencer commands. “All of you, go inside, secure the doors, set the security system, and wait for further instructions.”

Levi and Greedy break into a litany of objections.

“Do as I say!” Spence barks. “You’re still healing.” He points to Levi. “And you cannot be complacent in what I am prepared to do, should it become necessary. I swear to gods, all of you go inside now .”

Hunter rears back, but Levi and Greedy stay frozen on either side of Spencer.

He pulls out his phone and frantically types out a message while muttering under his breath. “I told her to stay away. I warned her she was done.”

“She” could only be Hunter’s mother.

Tugging my girl into my side, I hold her tight, sheltering her with my body. When she lets me support her weight without putting up a fight, I take her in and discover a blank expression. Fuck. She’s shutting down.

“Let’s go.” I cock a brow and zero in on Greedy, then Levi. She needs to be inside, away from this threat and out of harm’s way.

The two men look from me to Hunter to the lake, conflicted. Whether they’re resisting Spencer’s missive due to their egos or are driven by a true need to protect and defend, I don’t know. What I do know is that the girl in my arms is liable to fall apart at any moment. The anxiety and stress of her mother’s threatening surprise visit is too much to cope with in this moment.

“She needs you,” I add simply.

That gets the attention of both men.

Levi locks eyes with me and nods. He takes two steps toward us, then reaches back, snatches Greedy’s hand, and pulls him along behind.

Greedy’s jaw drops, his expression sharp, as if he’s about to object.

The radio squawks in his hand again, startling all of us.

“Identities have been confirmed. Mrs. Lansbury and an approved skipper are on the boat. He only intends to drop her off, then head back to the North Marina. Can we allow her up?”

Another sob racks through Hunter. This time, it’s a strangled cry full of pure exhaustion.

Greedy radios back down, and Spence stays glued to his phone, locked in on its screen.

Levi comes to stand by my side and pulls Hunter into a hug, whispering quiet reassurances in her ear.

Despite the rapid turn of events for the better, a much-needed sense of relief alludes us. Anxiety remains high and energies are still off, even as an older woman ascends the stairs and joins us on the deck.

Her white hair is twisted up into a tight bun. The concern marring her face makes the natural wrinkles around her eyes appear even deeper than they are. She appears to be older than my Mamaie, but her kind smile and warm, maternal nature feel so beautifully familiar.

As she takes us all in, the tension in the air finally dissipates. Her energy is warm, soothing, motherly. She’s a divine feminine spirit if I ever encountered one. The worry creasing her brow is apparent. But at her core, she is good and pure and deeply caring.

“The guard said I gave you lot a fright. My apologies, dears.”

Hunter untangles herself from Levi, then cautiously approaches the older woman. “Hi, Mrs. Lansbury. It’s okay. We just weren’t expecting anyone tonight,” she says, offering the older woman a hug in greeting.

“Josephine sent me to look after you. I’m thankful she and Decker called when they did. I’ve been awfully bored sitting at home waiting for them to return.”

“You work for Crusade?” Greedy asks.

“Work for him? I practically raised that boy.” Mrs. Lansbury laughs, the sound melodic and cheerful.

“You’re British?” Spencer asks.

“Born and raised in East End she says, chin lifted with pride.

“You don’t say.” A lightness twinkles in Spencer’s eyes for the first time in hours. “I look forward to introducing you to my valet, Gerald. He’s from East of Aldgate Pump.”

Spencer reaches for Mrs. Lansbury’s belongings, then offers to escort her inside. Levi says something about hitting the gym and needing to blow off steam.

“Come on, let’s get you settled,” Greedy tells Hunter. With a look at me, he tips his chin toward the house.

I stand still, watching them all move around me. What just happened is something I hope to never experience again in this lifetime.

Hunter’s fears are so palpable—so real and raw and valid.

Her mother is a menace, a threat much greater than I originally understood.

Despite not knowing where we go from here, one point is crystal clear: we cannot go on like this.