C H A P T E R  T W E L V E

{A cave?...What were they, vampires?}

A terrified screech filled the air, followed by loud raucous laughter. Hesperia clung desperately to the dark clothed boy's arm as the stairs creaked dangerously for the tenth time. She still couldn't see how this was funny, the stairs were way too old to be walked on safely and at this point she was convinced she was going to die before getting any answers.

David smirked as her nails dug into his skin, secretly enjoying having her turn to him for safety. The cold wind didn't bother him but her warmth was a welcome protection against the freezing sea air anyway, filling his senses with refreshing jasmine and orange. She really did smell amazing, not that he'd admit that out loud to anyone.

The moment was broken when Paul jumped past them in a blurry haze, purposefully making the rotten wood shake and laughing loudly as she squealed again. The smell of weed and copper of all things invaded her senses when he barged past her.

"Oh come on babe it's perfectly safe, nothing to be scared of remember?" He jeered. His lips twitched into a playful smirk when she glared at him, her eyes widening comically when he wiggled his brows and jumped up and down, cackling like a mad man.

"Stop it! Are you fucking crazy?!" She shouted, squirming when the wood shook again—she could have sworn she heard it crack somewhere. Not wanting to see the sharp rocks that would greet her when she inevitably fell she pushed her face into the soft coat of the mullet-wearing boy and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. If she looked like a pussy then that was too fucking bad.

David's slight smile dropped when he saw the genuine fear on her face and he frowned a little as her grip on his hand became painfully tight. If his blood still flowed she would have cut off his circulation. Allowing himself a moment to admire her he snapped out of it and turned an icy glare onto Paul that made his brother freeze.

"Stop or I'll drop you over the fucking edge. Wouldn't want to poison the fish with all the hairspray in your hair would we?" The rest of the boys burst into mocking laughter when Paul gasped dramatically, Cassius backing off from yelling at the annoying blond. Hesperia smiled softly...maybe they weren't so bad.

"Damn Davy, that hurt my feelings." He pouted, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

Marko squeezed past Hesperia, purposeful when making sure to graze a finger or two against her waist. She turned to face him, timid and with a coy smile as he winked down at her before he turned to Paul, "Like you have any feelings to hurt you damn pothead. You smoke so much I'm surprised you can feel anything."

Paul huffed, pushing him as retaliation, starting another wrestling match between the two as they descended the stairs. It was something they seemed to do a lot but it was weirdly sweet and emphasised the obvious close bond the two shared.

"Come on, I've got ya." David mumbled quietly to her, nudging her gently with his arm to get her to move again. She breathed deep and long, holding it in suspense, walking steadier now the wild lunatic was out of sight and she was surprised by the support the spiky haired blond was offering her. That alone could have made her falter.

She had assumed he'd be the first to mock her, but he was being surprisingly sweet. He wasn't that scary anymore, though she was rightfully still a bit cautious of—of all of them.

Reaching the end of the stairs she was so grateful she sighed and contemplated dropping to the floor in prayer, choosing for now to not think about how she'd have to walk back up the rickety steps again to leave.

She stumbled, suddenly perplexed and in awe as she drug her eyes to behold the space in front of her, and she pivoted to gawp at the trouble promising man attached to her hand.

"You live in a cave!?"

Dwayne moved to be by her side and smiled at her stunned expression. "Wait until you see the inside." He smirked, disappearing into the dark cavernous entrance, swallowed by the pitch black.

It was...weird, but in an interesting way. Come on, how many people could say they lived in a fucking cave?

These guys were full of odd surprises. She just hoped what she was going to learn later wouldn't be any stranger than this.

Striding in front of her and pulling on her hand, David led her to the entrance, chuckling when he felt resistance.

So she was afraid of the dark? How cute.

"Come along princess, it doesn't end here."

She huffed and rolled her eyes at his light mockery. When were they going to stop with the stupid pet names? She hated them...Well, she couldn't be sure if that was true or she was just trying to convince herself.

"Keep laughing, jerk. You're lucky I don't push your arrogant ass down there." She said, securing her hold on his hand in spite of her sassiness.

He snorted a quiet laugh before darkness fell over them, and she could hear the voices of the rest of the boys ahead of them as well as the scraping of Cassius's shoes against the stone.

Dull orange light shone from somewhere in front of her, the black that shrouded them for those short seconds disorienting. She never thought she'd say this, even just to herself, but she didn't want the strange man to let go of her hand.

They reached an opening, and her eyes widened once more in awe. The room before them was like nothing she'd ever seen before, if it could even be called a room.

An amalgamation of odd little trinkets greeted her. Posters, tapestries, wind chimes, murals—all hanging from the walls.

There were beaten up couches in a corner, a nook with what she could just about see was a bed inside of it, and it all was surrounded by lit candles.

In the center of the cavernous space was perhaps the strangest thing: a fountain with a fucking chandelier showcased in the middle of it, broken jewels strewn all over the place.

Shuffling closer to the edge of the drop with the intimidating mans help, she noted that barrels were the source of the light, the fire inside of them burning uncontrollably.

Everything had an element of age, like it had been there for quite some time. The place actually felt quite homely, she couldn't see the four unusual men living anywhere else...it felt like they belonged here.

Eyeing the ground, she wasn't sure how she was going to get down from the stone ledge without falling on her face and looking like an idiot.

Marko solved the problem for her, coming to stand below her and offering his gloved hand with a small mischievous twitch of his lips.

"Need a hand, doll?"

Hesitantly she placed her hand in his, reassured by his firm grip and the encouraging squeeze on her other occupied hand from the spiky blond before he released her.

Tensing, she counted to three before jumping down, Marko's lithe body there to support her when she stumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist. She shivered when she felt him play with the ends of her long jet-black hair, a fascinated gleam in his olive eyes as he twisted the thick strands around his fingers.

Had this happened earlier she might have smacked him across the face for even touching her, but the longer she was with them the less she despised them, so she just watched his face as he pulled her closer, large hands landing on her small waist so he could turn her to face him.

Their intense staring match was broken by a loud thud behind them. Within seconds Cassius's tall frame was between them, the angry angel scowling down at the curly haired nuisance that seconds ago had gotten way too close to his precious sister.

Realizing what she'd done Hesperia coughed, turning her face away from the gloating imp to take in the room up close. "So you guys live here?"

"Yup. Have for a while now." The stoner, as his title dubbed him, called over with from his spot on one of the couches, a lit joint between his lips.

The mysterious group laughed lightly at his words as if he had said some sort of inside joke, and Hesperia squinted her eyes suspiciously at them all.

She was distracted from asking any questions when the leader dropped into the room, black coat billowing behind him, skulking with grace and new power around the fountain, never taking his eyes from her or Cassius. "Not bad, huh?"

He continued to walk around slowly, and she felt like she'd just walked into the lion's den with the imposing way he was staring at them both. "This was the hottest resort in Santa Carla at one point, too bad they built it on the fault." He said, looking around them as he explained. Hesperia couldn't help but be drawn in by the smooth drawl of his voice.

"In 1906, when the big one hit San Francisco, the ground opened up and this place took a header," He paused, clapping his hands and making her jump, her heart lurching in fright as the sound echoed around the room. "Right into the crack. So, now it's ours." He finished, a triumphant smirk stretching across his lips when he saw the awe on his mate's face. She really was a pretty little thing.

"So check it out, Cassidy." The rocker mocked, laughter accompanied by the other boys when Cassius could do no more than sneer at the nickname.

The cold leader chuckled, brushing against Hesperia as he passed them both to sit gracefully in an old wheelchair. He looked proud, the dilapidated seat some kind of throne. The man she'd rode with beckoned her over from his position on the couch opposite the blazed out rocker, and gratefully she moved to sit next to him.

"Okay so," She began, startled when they all snapped their heads to look at her, "We're gonna need to know your names. I'm getting tired of referring to you all by hair colours." Cassius snickered as he took a seat beside her, throwing his arm behind her on the sofa just to get a reaction from them all.

Lighting a cigarette the leader caught her eyes, smirking deviously when she squirmed at his attention. "It's David, sweetheart."

The frenetic man blurred in front of her, stumbling to bow dramatically under the effects of the weed, his teased hair blocking David from view. "Paul, at your service." He winked, lifting her hand and placing a soft kiss on it. Flustered, she giggled, face tinged red for the twentieth time that night.

He was knocked out of her way by Marko, left sprawled on the floor and groaning. "I'm Marko, but you already knew that doll." He winked cheekily, moving to sit on the couch.

He ignored Paul as he wriggled and complained along the floor, "Dude, that hurt like a kick to the nutsack!" He whined, pushing himself up.

Grinning at his theatrics she turned to the quiet man beside her who had yet to introduce himself, biting her lip when she saw he had already been watching her.

"It's Dwayne, angel." He muttered it, making her lean forward to hear him, heart fluttering at his sultry whisper.

Cassius frowned as his sister was once again entranced by another one of the annoying men, using his arm that was already over her shoulder to pull her into his side protectively, the futile action doing nothing to shield her from their wandering eyes that wouldn't leave her relaxed form.

"If you don't mind gentlemen I'd like to get to the nitty gritty, I'd rather not stay here any longer then I have to." Silence fell over them all as he effectively killed the good mood, the four bikers glowering at him and wishing he wasn't part of the deal that came with their mate.

David grinned maliciously, undeterred by Cassius' sour mood. The atmosphere became considerably colder, the four men gaining an intimidating edge.

"Of course, where are my manners?" Eyes glinting with ill intent he leaned forward, "Where do you want to start first?"