The Promise

Chapter Twenty-Three

A/N: Sorry for the late delivery of chapter 23. I had a family emergency; my dog needed to be rushed to the vet. PS - Always make sure your dog's anal glands are okay. They can become impacted, infected, abscessed, and ruptured. I'm also trying to clean up like mad because I have to start training next week - and the cleaning isn't going to happen. It's been a crazy two weeks for me so I'm posting now! Please read, like, and comment below. 

Chapter Twenty-Three

Once our relationship status was established, or rather, confirmed that the five of us were in a romantic entanglement, I found myself drawn to the four men. In the following weeks, I split my time between the familial house, where my brother and grandfather resided, and the nights filled with laughter and love with my boyfriends.

Being in a committed relationship with the four men was unlike anything I had experienced. I almost felt like I was back to being fourteen – the very last visit to Santa Carla. They felt familiar, safe, and, most importantly, like home. I'm not sure why I picked fourteen, but I can't remember much of that last visit to Santa Carla. I can only remember that Dad was furious with Mom, screaming at her for hours when we returned home. Shortly afterward, I met Justin and started to refuse food.

During daylight hours, I spent lounging around the house. I'd either be in the paddock with the horses, helping Grandpa with grooming, or keeping the house in working order. Sam hated the horses and thought they were dirty. He wouldn't even step foot into the stables, but I loved working with the horses.

Occasionally, Sam would whisk me away to the Boardwalk during the day, but it was a rare occurrence. He seemed to prefer the Boardwalk at dusk, when the sky was painted in hues of orange and pink, and the air was filled with the scent of sea salt. We would stay, browsing through the comics, until it was time for Mom to finish her shift. However, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease whenever we encountered the Frog brothers, the sole guardians of their parent's comic bookstore.

I could understand their obsession with hunting vampires. From the looks of it, their parents weren't the type to mediate their drug usage, almost always in a half-coma from whatever illicit substance they ingested. I imagined their life was uncertain, but they did not need to force their patrons into their delusional fantasies.

Every time Sam visited the comic bookstore, the next day, a new vampire comic was stashed somewhere in the house. They tried convincing my brother that Santa Carla was teeming with vampires. Once, I heard them mention that I was dating a vampire.

"Why're you so quiet, baby?" Marko finally asked after I had barely spoken twenty words to them all night long. They feared that I was withdrawing from them, regressing in my recovery. I blinked, Marko's voice pulling me from my inner thoughts. I bit my lip momentarily before deciding to confide in the four.

"What do you know about the Frog brothers?" I asked, fiddling with my fingers. I looked up to see Paul, David, Marko, and Dwayne exchange glances between themselves at my question.

"Why do you ask, kitten?" David finally broke the silence, turning his pale blue gaze onto me. If he hadn't been my boyfriend and always gentle with me, that icy blue gaze would have me shrinking back in my seat.

"They're trying to convince Sam that there are vampires here," I sighed, spilling the beans to the four men. "I'm getting worried about him. I don't want them to convince Sam to stake some poor, innocent person. I heard one of the brothers tell Sam I was dating a vampire."

"You believe they would go that far, princess?" Dwayne's deep voice rumbled from within his chest. I shrugged, uncertain about how far they would go. But the two brothers seemed fanatics, invested in the tale they told others. Sammy was halfway convinced.

"They seem pretty intense," I finally stated after ensuring I was confident in the possible risks. "Who knows what crazy plans they are cooking up. I know that Sammy is convinced and keeps telling me to eat garlic."

"We'll look into it," David promised me. I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling the heavy, oppressive air finally lift. I smiled at the four men, grateful that my boyfriend's took my concerns seriously.

"Thank you!" I cried out, wrapping David in my arms. He stiffened initially but then became more comfortable with our embrace. The metal wheelchair David was perched on creaked under the added weight.

"We're picking you up this Friday," Paul finally announced, changing the subject. I raised an eyebrow as I returned to my seat on their comfortable sofa.

"How do you know that I'm available? What if I had made plans with my other boyfriends?" I teased. Paul's blue eyes darkened as the other guys audibly growled at my statement.

"Oh yeah?" Marko's voice was a seductive, sultry purr. Marko stood from his seat around the fountain, prowling closer like the feline he embodied. I gulped, knowing by now that Marko had some trick up his sleeve.

"Are you certain, babe?" Paul caught onto Marko's plans. I looked over at David and Dwayne, playfully terrified.

"Uh – well," I stammered a bit, trying to figure out how to get away from Marko and Paul. They were boxing me in on either side. Before I had a moment to figure it out, they had pounced. I shrieked in forced laughter as their skillful hands started to tickle my vulnerable spots. "Help me!"

David just leaned back in his wheelchair, lighting a cigarette. Dwayne shook his head, smiling as he returned his attention to the book in hand. Paul and Marko let out mock evil laughs, throwing their heads back as I begged for mercy.

"Alright," Paul finally said, taking pity on my state. "Admit Marko and I are the handsomest of the bunch."

"Mar-mar-mark- ko and P-p-pa-ul are the h-h-an-han-handsome-est!" I gasped between my laughter and hiccups. Their hands retreated, and I took a deep breath before finishing the statement. "Along with David and Dwayne!"

I rushed to hide behind Dwayne's large frame as Marko and Paul whirled around, surprised at being tricked. Dwayne chuckled in amusement but shielded me from the mischievous blonde's evil hands. David finished his cigarette before he finally declared the tickling session to be over.

"Let's get you home, kitten," David said, standing to his full height, stomping the cigarette out beneath his biker boots. We left their Cave and went up the steep ladder. Finally, we reached their motorcycles, and I decided to ride with Paul tonight.

Once we reached my house, the guys cut their engines. The door opened as we said our goodbyes, a mixture of kisses and whispered words. Grandpa came out onto the porch, pointedly looking at the four figures. With one last kiss each, they told me I could wear casual clothing for our date tomorrow.

"Night!" They called out, waving to Grandpa who begrudgingly told them night as well.

"Admit it," I said to Grandpa Emerson, who ushered me into the warm house. "You like them."

"If I didn't, I'd have shot them," Grandpa growled before bidding me a good night.