Flash Marriage: In His Eyes-Chapter 300: The Sound Before the Storm

–Damon–

I arrived at the hospital to find my brother in the emergency room, his left arm secured in a sling. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Hello!" he said casually, like the accident was nothing.

"Oh. Hey." I glanced at the sling. "You still have your right hand. You can still jerk off."

He laughed.

"Kelsey’s on the other bed." He jerked his chin to the right, toward the partition between them.

I parted the curtain carefully. Kelsey had a few bruises along her arm and a shallow cut on her cheek.

"What happened?" I asked.

"A truck nearly killed us. Multiple accidents on the road," she replied. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

I nodded.

"I won’t ask if you’re okay. But was my stupid brother driving?"

She shook her head.

"No. We had a driver. He’s in the operating room."

"Oh, fuck." I looked back at my brother, then at her. "I’ll visit the driver."

Caine was glued to his phone, as usual. We headed toward the operating room, where the driver was still inside. His family had already arrived. I didn’t know how to comfort them, but I promised we would handle everything.

I spoke with the staff and arranged for him to be transferred to the VIP area. From what I’d seen, that man had protected the two idiots in the backseat with his life.

I had my staff prepare the fridge, flowers, and everything else he might need. Efficient—as always. Once the operation ended and the doctors confirmed he was stable, I returned to my brother’s room.

He was being fed by Mom, demanding whatever he wanted like the spoiled brat he was. Dad stood by the window, speaking quietly on the phone.

"And Kelsey?" I asked. "Bro, you really need to take better care of your secretary."

"She left," David sighed dramatically. "She abandoned me."

"Why?"

"She said she needed to get home. I had someone drive her safely." He frowned. "She’s harsh, you know. I protected her."

I raised a brow.

"Sure," I said dryly. "You’re a man. You’re supposed to protect the woman beside you."

He pouted.

"Wow. Love expert. Where’s my baby sister? She’s the only one who loves me."

He pulled the duvet to his chest. Mom sighed and fed him more grapes.

"I’m here, dear," she said gently.

"Yes, I love you, Mom."

I exhaled slowly.

"Dad and Mom are here. I’m heading out." I looked at Caine.

"We’re already investigating," he said. "But I really need to get home. My wife’s heavily pregnant."

"Wow," David said, turning to Mom like a child begging for a toy. "I want a wife too."

"Sure," Dad said brightly. "I’ll arrange a marriage for you."

David’s face went pale.

"Dad, I was kidding!"

"Well, I wasn’t."

I laughed.

"Good night, bro."

Caine and I left.

We drove to Kelsey’s apartment. She was already waiting, dressed in pajamas and a thick bathrobe, bandages still on her face. She slid her laptop toward us.

"That’s going to scar," Caine said, pointing at her cheek. "Don’t worry. I know a place that can fix it."

She nodded.

"It happened at the intersection," she said. "The truck lost control. But look at this."

She pulled up the dashcam footage.

Another car—too deliberate. Too precise.

The vehicle followed them closely, driving straight toward the truck’s path. A man in a baseball cap behind the wheel of a Land Rover, repeatedly bumping their sedan, trying to force them into the collision.

The driver had been sharp—exceptional. He kept David and Kelsey from suffering worse injuries.

"Lore’s already tracking the driver," Kelsey added.

"Should we file a police report?" Caine asked.

"We should," I said calmly.

"Already done. Lawyers are on it." He yawned. "We won’t stay long, Kels."

She nodded.

"Take a long break," I told her. "We’ll handle everything."

We drove back to the mansion. By the time we arrived, it was close to midnight. Caine yawned nonstop, and I was starving.

The smell of ramen hit us the moment we stepped into the kitchen.

Deanne and Laura.

"Babe!" Caine exclaimed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Didn’t the doctor tell you—"

"I am not," Deanne cut in quickly.

"Are you taking advantage of the fact that Livana’s asleep?" I asked.

They shrugged.

"Probably," Deanne said. "Don’t tell Livana."

Caine sighed.

"Babe, you can’t eat that again."

"I’m craving it."

Then her eyes flicked past us. Her face drained of color, and she screamed like she’d just seen a ghost.

Then—

"Baddie!"

I turned.

Sky stood behind us. And beside him—my wife. Wearing my clothes. Eyes sharp. Dangerous.

"Baddie," the twins echoed in unison, gripping Livana’s shirt.

Livana’s voice was calm. Clear. Deadly.

"So. We’re here because the kids are hungry. But the moms decided to eat first—foods they’re not even supposed to touch."

"We’re sorry," Deanne sighed.

Caine gently pulled his wife away from the stove.

"Check the freezer, Laura. We altered the noodles. That’s all Deanne can eat."

Laura lifted a vacuum-sealed pack of frozen ramen—Mom and Jane’s work.

"This is the last one today," Caine said softly, pressing his forehead to Deanne’s. "You can’t eat this tomorrow. Or the next day."

She pouted but nodded.

"I’m going upstairs to take a bath," I said, already turning to Livana. "I’ll be back, my love."

I bent toward her, hands behind my back, and kissed her lips—slow, possessive, certain.

She was mine.

And everything else could wait.

–Lore–

"There it goes," I muttered, pulling the blanket up over Alyssa’s chest.

She had fallen asleep on the sofa beside my swivel chair, somehow managing to inch closer until she was practically glued to my side. I stretched my arms, joints popping softly.

I’d already found him.

The man who tried to murder David, Kelsey, and their driver, King.

Game over.

I removed my headset and placed it neatly on its holder, the faint hum of machines finally dying down. The room smelled faintly of coffee, warm electronics, and Alyssa’s shampoo.

I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"Let’s go to bed," I murmured.

No response.

"We can’t sleep here," I added, softer.

Still nothing.

I sighed, scooped her up easily, and headed upstairs. She liked being carried—pretended not to, but her body always relaxed the moment I did. I pushed open my bedroom door, locked the hidden door behind me, and gently laid her on the bed.

She stretched, half-asleep, dragged a pillow close, and hugged it like it was a life requirement.

"How about you take a bath?" I said. "Your room is pretty far from mine."

"You get it," she mumbled. "My underwear and clothes. I’m sleeping here."

"Okay," I sighed, already doomed.

I headed to her room on the other wing and rummaged through her drawers, carefully selecting comfortable clothes and sleepwear. I paused midway, staring at what I’d gathered.

"...Why am I doing this?" I muttered, shaking my head.

I shoved the thought away, placed everything neatly into a small basket, added her skincare products and soaps, and headed back.

On the way, I passed the kitchen.

Two pregnant women were sitting at the table, eating ramen with their husbands. The twins were perched on stools at the counter, and Livana was calmly feeding her son like this was the most normal midnight scene in the world.

"Wow," I said, peeking in. "Midnight snack?"

"Midnight meal," Livana corrected.

"Fair enough. Good night."

Back in my room, I set the basket on the bed.

"Go and bathe."

Alyssa lifted the silk pajamas—long sleeves, matching pants—and frowned.

"Why not a negligee?"

"Stop complaining and bathe," I sighed.

She moved fast after that.

I grabbed my own clothes and used the guest bathroom. After bathing and getting dressed, I passed another guest room. The door was slightly open.

I pushed it.

"What the hell!" Kai shouted.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

He sighed, tossing his clothes onto the bed. "Sophia and I had a fight. She told me to sleep far from her."

"Oh," I said. "And you’re very obedient."

"That’s not really what she meant," Alyssa said suddenly.

We both froze.

Kai turned to her. "Why are you here?"

"I’m sleeping with Lore."

"No, you’re not," he frowned.

"She insisted," I said, pointing at Alyssa. "But I want to sleep with her."

Kai stared at us for a second, then grabbed a pillow and duvet. "Fine. I’m sleeping there too."

We all headed to my room. Kai set up an extra mattress on the floor and stole two pillows from my bed.

"Oh, please," Alyssa complained. "We’re not here to do anything!"

Kai positioned himself closest to the bed and pointed at Alyssa. "You sleep on the far side."

I lay on my side and waved at her. "Good night, baby."

Kai snorted. "Baby? She’s not your baby. She’s our baby."

"Kai, please!" Alyssa groaned. "I’ll put facial masks on both of you."

She started with Kai—cleaning his face, applying lip cream, then placing the serum mask on him.

Then me.

She leaned in, kissed my lips briefly, grinning, before cleaning my face, placing the mask, applying lip moisturizer, and massaging my temples.

Yeah. I needed that.

I must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I felt her curled close beside me.

Such a spoiled, hard-headed girl.

I woke up when she was lifted away. Kai nearly dropped her back onto the bed.

She complained immediately.

"Do not even think about coming back down here," Kai scolded.

I chuckled, pulled the duvet higher, and went back to sleep.

Then—

My phone vibrated violently.

I sat up instantly. Red lights flared across the room.

Emergency.

I rushed toward the hidden door leading to the Nest.

"Lore-babe!" Alyssa called out.

No time.

One of our lairs had been ambushed.