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Zay dried her legs and pulled on the underwear and jeans she had packed. She hated wearing jeans after a shower, but she was not about to go to the police station in sweatpants, even if she had just finished an exhausting match.
As she reached for her shirt, her defeated opponent slammed into the locker room after what had probably been a long, angry conversation with his coach. He glared at Zay as he yanked stuff out of a locker.
Zay pulled her shirt on, very uncomfortable, and snatched her socks and shoes, needing to get out of the locker room before something bad happened.
"You're a bitch," the other player snarled. "You play so fucking dirty."
Zay yanked on her shoelaces to tie them quickly. "Sure," she replied, not wanting to make him angrier. "Think that if you want. Coming after me in the locker room isn't going to change what happened out on the court." She stood up, hauled her bags onto her shoulder, and walked out of the locker room, exhaling in relief when he did not chase her or even yell slurs after her. She slumped into the passenger seat of Pandi's car and gave him a tired smile. "Thanks for waiting."
Pandi smiled back, but there was a tenseness in his face that disturbed Zay. "No problem. You were really quick." He started the car, glanced over to check that Zay's seatbelt was buckled, and then left the parking lot. Every time he looked in Zay's direction while driving to the police station, his eyes were pinched like he was in pain. But he looked fine other than that strange hurt on his face. He still opened Zay's door and offered his arm for Zay to hold as they walked inside the station.
Olcayra was waiting for them at the front desk and led them back. "You don't have to talk to him, and he won't see you," she assured Zay. "Just let me know if he's the one who assaulted you outside the tennis club. Then it'll be over. If you don't want to testify in court, you can just tell me. It can be an anonymous case if that's what you need." She stepped aside so Zay could see through the one-way mirror to look at the man on the other side.
Zay stepped closer, her hands coming to rest on the sill. She looked the man over and nodded. "That's him." She would remember that face for a good part of her life, if not all of it. Turning away, she hid in Pandi's chest. It felt safe and solid, two things she definitely needed at the moment.
Pandi wrapped his arms around her and tucked his chin over her head, like he could just sense that she needed to be surrounded by him right now. He held her tight and steady. Whatever had been going on inside his head seemed to vanish as soon as she leaned on him.
There was the sound of Olcayra making a note and telling someone else to take the man back to jail to wait for his trial. Then she said gently, "Take your time to think about what you want to do. Let me know when you've made a decision."
"We'll talk about it," Pandi replied. His voice held no hint of the pain Zay had noticed earlier. "In the meantime, who do I talk to about filing defamation and assault charges?"
"Um…" Olcayra seemed taken aback by the change of subject. "Who are you filing these charges against?"
"My ex-wife Aimee Herald." Pandi sounded so sure all of a sudden. Where had this new confidence come from, and how had the shy man Zay knew been replaced without any warning?
"Oh." Olcayra had seen the videos then. Her tone said she knew exactly why Pandi wanted to press charges. "I'll make note of it and give it to the front desk to distribute to the right department."
Pandi nodded, his chin pressing into the top of Zay's head. "Thank you. Let me know if I need to do anything else." Then his arms were scooping Zay up and carrying her out of the station and back to the car. How had Zay never noticed before how strong Pandi was? He settled Zay in the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt across her body, shut the door, and then got in on the driver's side. Before starting the car, he reached over and ran his fingers through Zay's damp hair. "What will make you feel better, meri jaan?"
Zay tipped her head into Pandi's petting. "I don't know."
Pandi continued to drag his fingers across Zay's scalp. "Do you want to go see your brother?"
Without even thinking, Zay nodded. It sounded so nice. She did not like Jimin very much, but Kiel was always a soothing presence. Even when Kiel had been fresh out of being held hostage for thirteen years, he had still been comforting.
"Alright." Pandi slid his hand from Zay's hair and started the car. "We'll go there." The drive was quiet, Pandi's playlist playing softly through the speakers, until they pulled up to Jimin's apartment building. "I'll stay out here, okay?"
Zay frowned. "But I want you with me."
Pandi sighed heavily. "But Ezekiel doesn't like me near his kids, and didn't he just get another one a couple days ago?"
Zay got out, walked around the car, opened Pandi's door, and tugged on his arm. "Pleeeeeease. I want you to come with me. I'll explain to Kiel."
Pandi let Zay pull him from the car and kicked the door shut behind him. He clicked on the key fob to lock the car as they headed inside, his arm looped through Zay's.
Zay pressed herself to Pandi's side as they took the elevator up to the top. When the doors slid open, they stepped out and Zay reached out and knocked on the front door. Zay did not know what she was expecting when the door opened, but it was not a teenager.
The boy who opened the door had sleek black hair like Zay's that was pulled back from his face in a small ponytail with some strands falling down around his face. His face stayed almost blank, but his eyes grew fearful as he realized that he did not recognize them. His hand clenched around the door, and he looked ready to slam it in their faces.
Zay smiled, making sure the curve of her lips was comforting. "Hi. I'm Zay. I'm Kiel's sibling. You must be one of his kids, right?"
The teenager's lips pressed together, but he nodded cautiously. He suddenly looked over his shoulder and called into the house, "Kiel!" He called his dad by his nickname? How did Kiel allow that? "Zay's here." He looked back at them and narrowed his eyes at Pandi for a brief moment before adding, "And another guy."
"Let them in," Kiel called back from somewhere out of sight. "I'll be there in a minute."
The teenager stepped aside and let them in. He shut the door behind them and followed them from the foyer into the living room, trailing them like a suspicious dog treating visitors as thieves until they proved otherwise. He was clearly wary of them, especially Pandi, and he stayed a good distance away, but even from a distance Zay could not help but notice how gorgeous he was, objectively speaking. His eyes were a warm brown that seemed to glow when the sunlight coming through the windows hit just right, and his face was Kiel's: model-pretty with high, sharp cheekbones and full lips so red it looked like he was wearing lipstick.
Zay realized she was staring and averted her gaze.
Kiel came in then, hands braced against his back, and sank down onto one of the couches with a groan. "Being pregnant was easier when I didn't have to get up and do stuff."
The teenager silently turned and vanished, coming back a few moments later with two glasses of water. He handed the first to Kiel and offered the second to Zay before going away again and coming back with another glass for Pandi. He held it out to Pandi with a lot more hesitation, and he flinched ever so slightly when Pandi's fingers brushed his when taking the glass.
Zay plopped down beside Kiel and dropped her arm across his shoulders. "Sorry to drop in on you so suddenly."
Kiel shook his head. "Don't apologize. It's fine. I've missed you." He dropped his head onto Zay's shoulder and closed his eyes with a sigh. "Liam's missed you too. And," he added with a laugh, "I could really use your help watching the kids so I can take a nap."
"I could watch them," the teenager said from where he stood behind the couch, hands folded in front of him like he was a servant or something.
Kiel opened his eyes and tilted his head back. "Thank you, Alex, but I don't want to put you in a situation you're not ready for."
Alex stiffened but did not argue or even reply at all.
Liam came running out of a side room, a huge smile on his face as he launched himself onto the couch to land on Zay's lap. "Hi!"
Zay laughed and hugged Liam. "Hi! What's up?"
Liam sat back, his expression proud. "I'm teaching Adelynn math!"
Adelynn must be the three-year-old Kiel had been talking about picking up.
"Oh?" Zay raised an eyebrow in mock interrogation. "And how's that going?"
"Great!" Liam replied, bouncing on Zay's knees. "She's super smart! She can already add!"
"Wow, you must be a great teacher!"
Liam's smile suddenly turned shy. "I hope so." He slid off Zay's lap, pressed an adorable kiss to Kiel's hand, and then ran back into the side room, closing the door almost all the way behind himself.
Kiel sighed and called after him, "Liam, door stays open."
The door immediately opened and Liam mouthed an apology before disappearing again.
Zay was smiling at Liam's adorableness, but her gaze caught on Alex.
Alex was pale for his warm complexion, and his hands were shaking as he lifted them up and pressed them against his mouth like he was terrified of making a single noise.
"Alex?" Zay tried to get the teenager's attention, but she could tell Alex was already deep in the horrifying grip of what had to be trauma.
Kiel's head snapped to Alex instantly, and he shoved himself off the couch faster than Zay would have thought he could move. His hands settled on Alex's upper arms, bending to look into his half-hidden face.
Alex just stood there for a moment, eyes wide and unfocused. Then he abruptly dropped into a crouch, hands sliding around his head to clench over his ears. A barely audible whine escaped him, almost pleading in tone, and he huddled into a ball.
Kiel looked like he was at a total loss for what to do. His hands hovered helplessly in the air where Alex had been standing.
Pandi set down his glass of water in a silent movement and got down onto the floor, incrementally easing himself closer to Alex. He held out both hands in front of Alex where the teenager could see them clearly. "Can you give me your hand, Alex?" His voice was so soft and soothing, like it was when he was coaxing Zay into a nap.
Alex stayed still for a good couple minutes before his right hand dropped into Pandi's open hands.
Pandi did not close his fingers around Alex's hand. He kept his hands open and steady. "Can you breathe deeply? Just in and out."
Alex complied much more quickly this time, his breath shuddering in and out of his lungs like he was freezing.
Pandi breathed with him, setting a calm rhythm that Alex fell into. He still kept his hands open, letting Alex's hand just sit in his palms. "That's good. Keep breathing."
Alex's legs suddenly gave out, and he thudded to the floor across from Pandi. His shoulders rose toward his ears, stiff and tense. It was clear he hated vulnerability. But as Pandi just sat there, breathing with him, Alex's shoulders gradually came down inch by inch. He was still tense, but he was beginning to calm down.
Pandi kept breathing with him and gently offered words of encouragement until Alex let out a long breath like he was expelling all the fear from his body.
Alex pulled his hand away from Pandi. "I'm good now."
Pandi nodded and backed up.
Alex stood up after a moment, his legs a little shaky, and walked away, shutting himself into what was probably his bedroom.
Kiel looked shaken. "I-I don't know what I did wrong." His eyes filled up with tears. "What did I do wrong?"
Zay got up and wrapped her arms around her brother. "You didn't do anything wrong, Kiel. You know it isn't your fault." But even as she said it, her mind was piecing details together. She pulled back slightly to look into Kiel's face. "Alex is an omega?"
Kiel nodded, looking a little confused.
"And his father's family abused him?"
Kiel nodded again.
The pieces came together in a nauseating picture. "It's his father."
"What?" Kiel's eyes were wide with confusion and then disbelief. "No."
"Kiel, it's the only thing that makes sense. His father was already a rapist. And the phrase 'door stays open,' I'm pretty sure that was what triggered him. That's only something a parent would say. And why would he react so strongly unless–"
"No!" Kiel dropped his face into his hands and let out a broken sob. "No! Why? Why would he do that to his own son?"
"Some people are just evil, Kiel," Zay replied, heart breaking as she held her brother close.