Navy's Sons: Bullied by Quadruplet Stepbrothers novel Chapter 39

34.Midnight Escapade

he declares, already launching himself up the first steps.

“You’re on!” I reply, shooting after him. My shoes clang against the metal stairs as we climb two at a time. Reed is fast, but I

am fueled by the thrill of beating him at his own game. I lunge for the top landing and slap my palm on the iron floor with a triumphant whoop.

“I won!” I pant, laughing as I lean forward with my hands braced on my knees to catch my breath.

He shoots me a mock glare, like a sore loser but shrugs it off.

“Fine. You win. Claim your prize later,” he says lazily. Although I can see a ghost of a smile on his lips.

He lowers himself to sit with his back against the cool metal wall. I drop beside him and catch my breath, trying not to look too smug about my victory. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a half-filled water bottle, flicking the cap with his thumb before offering it to me.

“Want a drink?” he asks.

I hesitate for only a second before taking it. The water slides down my throat and settles the leftover adrenaline in my chest better than the night air ever could.

Eh, that’s better.” I toss him back the almost-empty

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33. The rogue brother

“It’s your call,” he says with a casual shrug. “Stay here and pout, or come with me and stop thinking.”

The sensible part of me screams I should walk away. But the other part, the restless part that is tired of fake smiles and heavy thoughts, finds the idea of a midnight escape strangely inviting.

“If I end up regretting this, I’m blaming you,” I mumble, slipping the helmet over my head.

His grin widens. “You’ll survive.”

He swings a leg over the motorcycle and pats the spot behind him.

“Hop on,” he instructs.

I grip his shoulders and climb on, settling just behind him. The engine growls beneath us, and the vibration shoots straight through my spine. I should be nervous, but instead, I feel a rush of anticipation pool in my stomach.

He revs the engine once, as if giving me a final chance to back out. I tighten my hold around his waist.

“Let’s go before I change my mind.”

That grin of his widens, then we shoot forward into the night.

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33. The rogue brother

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Navy’s Sons: Bullied by Quadruplet St…

34.Midnight Escapade

Tabitha’s POV

The wind slaps against my hoodie as Reed cuts through the quiet highway, the motorcycle’s engine rumbling beneath us. The farther we ride from the Aldair estate, the darker everything becomes, the streetlights thinning until there’s nothing around us but open road and moonlit trees.

This one rides like the devil’s chasing him!

When he veers off onto a narrow forest path, I start to wonder if I’ve made a terrible mistake climbing on this thing with him tonight.

“W-Wait, where are we going?!” I shout over the roar of the engine, wind tearing the words from my mouth even as I cling tighter to his waist.

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His chuckle rumbles through the roar of the engine. “Relax, princess. We’re going somewhere fun.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound suspicious at all!” I yell again, fighting the wind so he can hear me.

Reed tilts his head just enough for me to catch the grin in his voice. “Too late to back out now. You made your choice the second you put that helmet on.”

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34.Midnight Escapade

I wince when I feel branches scraping against my sleeves as we weave through the path until the trees finally part, revealing what looks like an abandoned coastal checkpoint. The place is half-swallowed by wild grass and saltwater air. I spot a crumbling watchtower that I didn’t even know existed on this island until now. It is situated beside a lonely pier stretching out toward black ocean water splashing gently against the rocks. This pier is smaller than Kaleigh pier and appears to have been abandoned for years.

Reed kills the engine. I hop off the bike and stretch my legs while he props the motorcycle against a rotted post. We pause for a while to observe the weathered watchtower in front of us. Reed jerks his chin toward it and motions for me to follow.

“Let’s go.”

“What is this place?” I ask as we make our way across the uneven ground.

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“It’s an old naval outpost,” Reed answers without slowing down. “At least it used to be. Nobody uses this place for anything anymore. It was abandoned decades ago.”

We stop at the tower’s metal door. A thick padlock and a fresh set of chains are looped across it. Reed grabs the lock and tugs twice before cussing under his breath.

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