Hopelessly Devoted

Chapter 52: Modern Times

Eric was a killer. He had murdered thousands already, some when assigned and others just because. Eric tortured mercilessly and for fun. He was a predator. Eric was the ultimate hunter, so he knew first and foremost when he was being hunted.

He was currently lying in bed with his eyes closed. He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep but he had by his baby sister's side. Now he couldn't feel her and he was being watched. He could feel eyes on him and though it should unnerve him, it didn't.

Eric opened his eyes slowly to find Alyssa looking at him curiously. There was something innocent about her gaze that warmed him. He immediately remembered everything from last night. Her pain. Her anguish. The same woman that cried in his arms wouldn't be looking at him the way she was now.

She looked at him with bright eyes that were both questioning and excitable. Eric knew immediately he was in the presence of one of Alyssa's alters. He was also 99% certain which alter it was.

"Good morning, Raja." Her eyes widened before she let out a loud squeal. Eric chuckled at her enthusiasm before sitting up and stretching. He moved to get out of the bed but her question stunned him.

"Did you know it was me because you're my big brother?"

Eric slowly turned to face her. "How did you-" Raja giggled. "Alyssa was sleeping, not me." Eric nodded his head shocked that there were things about multiple personalities that he still didn't know.

"Yes, petit (little one). I knew it was you because I'm your brother AND because your eyes give you away." She snickered at that before sitting back and watching him.

Eric didn't like to be watched, but when it came to the bubbly five-year-old in his presence, he didn't mind. "How do you feel knowing you have family?" He studied her face truly wanting to know.

"I don't know how to feel. I've never really had a voice in comparison to the others. They're so loud." She shrugged before smiling at him. "Thank you for asking me though. I'll give it some more thought, but so far so good. I like having a family. I quite like having a big and scary brother."

Eric shook his head. "I'm not scary." Raja leveled him with a look. "You scared me when Alyssa was hiding from you in that bathroom. That was very mean, Ricky."

Eric felt like he was transported back thirty years. He blinked away the tears that misted his eyes to not frighten Raja. She had no way of knowing that Erica, his twin sister, used to call him that when they were kids.

He simply smiled at her before clearing his throat. "I had my suspicions about you at the time, but I wasn't sure. I didn't mean to scare you, petit. I partially saw it as a means to get a message across to Alyssa's seasoning lacking men."

Raja glared at him. "I like Mr. Mikhail. He's nice to me. You need to be nice to him at least." Eric rolled his eyes. "Ricky!" Raja warned before looking at him intently. "Ricky, are you a racist?"

It was his turn to level her with a look. "Black people can't be racist, petit. We can, however, be prejudice and I am soooo prejudice against those Sons of Alabaster. I don't care if Alyssa dates those lacking in melanin. I do care that she's slumming it up with those pieces of shit."

Raja threw her hands in the air. "I can understand that animosity towards Matvei, but not Mr. Mikhail." Eric rolled his eyes again. "You're too precocious for a five-year-old."

"So I've been told." In that moment both of their stomachs started to growl. "Breakfast?" She nodded her head happily. Eric knew food could always distract from the tensest conversations.

"How about I make us some pancakes, eggs and sausage and you fill me in on why you love that annoying blue dog and her family, huh?" Raja squealed once more at the prospect of talking about her favorite show, Bluey.