CHAPTER 21
ADDY
Hours later we were at the hospital. I had no idea which hospital or which town or city we had even been brought to. I had been numb riding in the back of the ambulance with Jordan and Eli.
We all had to give brief statements to the police, and then the FBI agents, who were handling the trafficking case, were contacted too. The body outside was dead and Eli had given them a description of the car the other guy got away in. Other than briefly explaining what happened to the police, I had barely spoken. The EMT’s who arrived told Jord and Eli I was likely in shock, then asked if I was hurt, since I was bleeding. I hadn’t even noticed.
They brought us to the hospital. They’d stitched up one of the cuts on Jordan’s arms and dressed the rest. He had a mild concussion and some bruised ribs, but they hadn’t admitted him. I had a deep cut on my left thigh from the glass on the stairs, and many more shallow cuts. My arm, which I’d landed on, was badly bruised and swollen, but I was fine on the whole. Now we were just waiting for Eli. He had two broken ribs and the doctor wanted X-rays to ensure they wouldn’t cause him further harm. He also had a ton of cuts and bruises and his left ankle was sprained.
We were in a private room, police outside the door for our protection at the insistence of the FBI.
“Shall I get us some more coffee, beautiful?” Jordan asked. I was sat in his lap, curled up against him and hiding against his chest. I shook my head. I hadn’t touched the last cup he brought me and the idea of him leaving was more than I could stand.
It's not over , was the thought that circled over and over again. Those men came to kill me. If I hadn’t woken up would they have come into the cabin without us knowing? Would Jord and I be dead in that bed right now? I didn’t understand it. The FBI had told us everyone involved in the whole messed up situation was in custody, facing trial. They told me I was safe and that it was over. Who was coming for me now and why? I didn’t know anything else! Even if I did I wasn’t sure I’d voice it, because I just needed it all to be over. I didn’t have the strength left to face anything else. I lay in pieces – millions of tiny broken pieces – and I knew if I didn’t get some breathing space to try and piece some of them back together soon, I never would.
“You should at least try to drink something, Addy,” Jordan gently coaxed.
“I’m fine,” I whispered, not even lifting my head to look at him. We were waiting for Eli to return from the X-rays, but even when he did, it wasn’t like we could leave. We had nowhere safe to go. All we could do was wait for Ash, Adam, and Kane to arrive, all of us hoping they’d have a plan for what happened next.
“Yeah, you seem fine,” Jordan said dryly. I didn’t reply, knowing if I did I’d break down and fall apart. Instead I grabbed handfuls of his sweater and clung to him.
We sat in silence then. I don’t know if I just zoned out, lost in my mess of thoughts, or actually dozed off, but I jumped clear out of my skin when the door to the room was thrown open hard, jolting so hard I’d have fallen from Jordan’s lap if he weren’t holding on to me. He instantly moved his body, as if trying to cover me as much as possible, gripping me so hard it actually hurt, and I cried in fear as we both looked to the door.
“Kane!” Jordan snapped when we both locked eyes on him. “Don’t fucking do that. You scared the shit out of Addy!” he released me a little as he sat up, resettling me where I’d been on his lap and holding me more comfortably.
I watched as Asher walked into the room, followed closely by Adam. They closed the door behind them, then just all stood staring at me. Ash and Adam looked worried. Kane just looked pissed and I couldn’t take that, so I hid against Jordan again, turning away from all of them.
“Where’s Eli?” Asher asked.
“They took him for X-rays. He should be back soon,” Jordan said gently as he ran a soothing hand up and down my back.
“Addy,” Adam said. I knew I should turn to him, but I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have that much left in me.
“She’s okay. The doctor said she’s likely in shock,” Jordan explained.
“Eli said she was hurt?” Asher spoke next and I knew he was close behind me because I could smell his aftershave.
“Some cuts from broken glass, and she banged her arm pretty badly. It needs to be iced every few hours,” Jordan went on.
“I’m so sorry I left you, sweetheart. I never would have gone if I thought there was any chance this could happen.” I felt a hand run softly over my hair as Asher spoke.
I turned just enough to look at him and forced a smile. “It wasn’t y-your fault,” I whispered hoarsely. “ and I…I’m alright.”
“Think you can sit with Ash for a while now, princess. I really need to take a leak and grab some coffee?” Jordan asked. I turned to look at him, scared to have him out of my sight, but he had been sat there with me for hours. Of course he needed to move. He was bruised and hurt. He was likely in agony.
“Not alone,” I told him.
“I’ll go with him, angel,” Kane said, and the sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. He called me ‘angel’ so easily. I’d missed that so very much.
I turned slightly more and looked to where both he and Adam stood just inside the doorway, both watching me closely. They looked tired and stressed, but it didn’t take a thing from how amazingly handsome they were. Even if I didn’t feel ready to face them, I was relieved to have them there with me, where I knew they were safe, for now at least.
“Thank you,” I whispered as I nodded at Kane, then I looked back to Asher and held out a shaky hand. He took it and helped me as I unfolded myself from Jordan’s arms and got to my feet. Asher wrapped an arm around my waist when I started to waver as soon as I was up, then I was pressed against him as he held me.
“Sorry,” I uttered.
“Jesus, don’t apologize, sweetheart,” he told me emotionally. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I let you down again.”
“You’ve never let me down, Asher. Don’t s-say that,” I told him as I wrapped my arms round his waist and hugged him back.
“She needs to eat something. I’ll see what I can find,” Jordan said. When I looked up he was on his feet behind me, looking anxious and exhausted. “I won’t be long. Call me if you need me, okay?” He leaned in to kiss my cheek after I nodded, then he and Kane left the room.
“Let’s sit down, Addy,” Asher suggested as he led me back to the hard plastic chair I had trapped Jordan in for the last few hours. Asher held on to me until I was seated, then he sat right beside me in another chair, and wrapped his arm around me. I happily leaned into his side, needing the contact to feel safe for the time being.
“Sorry,” I told him, knowing it had to be weird how much I was clutching onto him, huge handfuls of his henley fisted in my hand that I had wrapped around his waist. “I…I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”
“You don’t need to apologize. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I think you’re doing just fine after what happened last night,” he soothed.
I dared to glance up at where Adam still stood in the doorway, just staring at me. I hated the stress and worry I saw on his face and I knew from the way he constantly tapped at his thigh with his hand that he wasn’t doing well.
“You c-can sit down, Adam,” I told him as loudly as I could, hoping he’d hear me. My voice was hoarse and I felt exhausted and just wrung out.
Adam nodded and sat in the last remaining chair, across from Asher and I, but he remained stiff, sitting awkwardly as he looked between the two of us.
“How’s your arm?” he asked as he looked me over again. “Did you get some pain meds?”
“No,” I shook my head. “They offered, but I…I don’t want anything making me sleep…not now.”
“It has to be painful though. How about I go and find an ice pack? They should have them around here, right?” he fussed.
“Stop worrying so much,” I told him with a slight smile. I had forgotten what a mother hen he could be. I’d missed that too. “It doesn’t really hurt.”
“I’m so sorry, Addy. This is my fault, You’d never have even been out there if Kane and I hadn’t…”
“Don’t! Please Adam. I can’t…not yet. I can’t even think straight right now,” I pleaded. “I’m glad you and Kane are here. Can we just leave it there, for now at l-least?”
“Okay, baby,” he agreed with a nod and a tense smile.
“Did you f-find anything out…about why, I mean? Or who?” I looked up to Ash for answers.
“I don’t know who. The FBI are working on finding out who the dead guy is, but I think I know why,” he hedged.
“Tell me,” I told him firmly.
“You’ve been called to testify against Max Kline at his trial. The witness’s they had lined up, the girls from the warehouse, they ran. The police can’t find them and the lawyer believes they fled back to Eastern Europe, where they were brought from.”
“I didn’t even know they had any witnesses. I thought Max just stayed behind the scenes?”
“He didn’t. He was more heavily involved in the trafficking than we knew, and he used to take girls from the warehouse before they were sold, and hurt them. The two girls who recognized him were going to testify in exchange for citizenship, but something spooked them and they fled the safe house they were staying in.”
“Max.”
“The FBI think so, yeah. He must still have some loyal men out there who he can give orders to from behind bars,” Asher confirmed.
“So I have to testify…like in court?”
“I have a lawyer looking into it all, and seeing what he can do, but at the moment, yes. They can compel you if you don’t agree to do it,” he explained woefully.
“This really will never end, will it?” I sniffed as I deflated against him and bit my lip hard to stop more tears from following.
“It goes deeper than we ever imagined it would, Addy, but the FBI are still working the case and they will catch everyone involved eventually,” Ash tried to reassure me, but it fell flat. We had definitely been here before.
“No matter what, we’ll find a way to keep you safe. We’re not going to allow any of these lowlifes to ever hurt you again,” Adam added. He moved his hand like he was going to reach across and touch me, but he pulled it back at the last second.
It hurt that he pulled back, but I knew it was as much my fault as it was his. He should have told me upfront that he didn’t want me any longer, but it wasn’t as though I could blame him. I had almost got him killed, and now there was even more danger coming his way because of me.
“No,” I whispered as I shook my head.
“No what, sweetheart?”
“No, we’re not doing this. Those girls ran away. I can do that too…run away. Can you get me a fake passport?” I asked as a new determination filled me. I looked up to Asher hopefully.
“What? No! Addy, you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying with us so we can protect you,” Asher told me.
“No. I cant do this again. I cant face any of it, and I refuse to put all of you in danger. I have to go…run. I can take cash, and if I h-have a fake passport I can get far away. They won’t come after me. They just….they want to stop me testifying, right?”
“That’s not happening, baby. Not one of us is going to let you go off alone like that,” Adam chipped in.
“Y-you can’t stop me…I…I’m an adult. I get to choose, It’s m-my decision,” I told them defiantly, but some of the anger was lost in the tremble of my words and the tears trickling down my face.
“We’d only come right after you, little dot. We love you way too much to let you just go off on your own when you’re in so much danger. It’s not happening.” Asher was definitely putting his foot down judging by the tone he used, and I knew he was speaking the truth. They weren’t going to let me go, no matter how much sense it made.
“I don’t w-want any of you to get hurt again…I can’t. This is j-just too much, Ash,” I whimpered.
“I know, and I wish like hell I could spare you from it, but I can’t. There’s nothing any of us can do but keep you safe and try to shelter you from as much as possible. That’s what we’re going to do, as much as we possibly can. You’ve already been through way more than any one person should ever have to face.”
“I want to say you don’t h-have to do that but I…I don’t know if I can survive any more Asher. I’m not st-strong enough. I was never strong enough for this,” I admitted as I broke down and just cried.
“You’ve been strong for long enough, Addy. Let us be strong for you now.” I looked up just enough to see Adam on his knees before me, his hand over my knee as he ran his thumb back and forth comfortingly. I didn’t know what it meant, and in that moment I didn’t really care. I was just so relieved to have him close. I was a wreck and I needed them all.
I didn’t care for one second about looking weak, or about any of that feminism spiel that said I needed to be tough and stand on my own, that would say I should never need to lean on a man to feel safe. I couldn’t! I didn’t have the fight or strength to stand at all right then and I felt so fearful and vulnerable. I needed the people around me to keep me going, because without them, I’d already have given up a long time ago.