Keep Healing (Fighting For Tomorrow #2)

CHAPTER 11

EVIE

Kailan and I had fallen asleep pretty fast after we both got cleaned up. Not only was I exhausted, but I was also incredibly relaxed after what we’d shared, and when I returned to my room from the shower to find the sexy man in my bed, offering cuddles, I couldn’t resist.

Sleep came fast then, wrapped tightly with my back to Kailan’s front, his arms banded tightly around me, as if he dared anything, including my nightmares to try and get through him to me. That was probably why I was so deeply and peacefully asleep when the shrill ring of a cell phone had me leaping awake with a start.

“Kailan?” I gasped instinctively. His arms were still around me and I grabbed them as I tried not to panic.

“It’s just your cell. Where is it?” Kailan asked sleepily as he pressed me closer to his body protectively.

“I…I don’t know. What time is it?” No light was peeking through the small gaps in the blinds, which meant it was still dark outside, and therefore way too early for a phone call.

“Really fucking early,” he groaned. He kissed the top of my head, then released me to sit on the edge of the bed.

As the fog of sleep cleared from my mind I started to think clearly. Apart from the guys, the only people who had that new cell number were my family. If they were calling me at such an ungodly hour, something had to be wrong. Images from my earlier nightmare played on a horrifying loop in my mind and panic filled me.

“Something’s wrong,” I whispered as I turned to look at Kailan. “Why would anyone call me so early? Something has to be wrong.” I tried to stand, but tripped over the sheets I was wrapped in and ended up laid out across the bed again.

“Easy, darlin’. I’ll find it,” Kailan soothed as he jumped up and hurried over to the dresser beside the door, where the ringing was coming from.

As he grabbed the cell I stood a little more slowly and wrapped my naked body in the sheet from the bed. I needed to get dressed, but first I needed to know what was going on.

“It’s the burner your brother’s have,” Kailan explained as he handed me the still ringing phone. My hands shook so barely it was almost impossible to hit the green button to pick up the call, but finally I managed.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded as soon as I answered.

“Evie? Where are you? Are you safe?” Kade barked all at once.

“I’m fine. I’m home with the guys. What’s going on? Are you all okay?”

“She’s safe,” I heard Kade tell the others.

“Kade! Talk to me before I lose my damned mind!” I cried panicked. Kailan came to my side and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me against his warm naked body and soothing me a little. I was shaking hard against him and it was getting harder to talk as my panic got higher and higher.

“Put it on speaker,” Kailan told me, and I just handed him the cell, my hands shaking too hard to hit the buttons required.

“I don’t want you to panic, Evie. Everyone’s safe, but something happened at our place. Someone breached our security and got onto the property.” Kade said more calmly.

“Oh God!” I sank back into Kailan, and he eased us both down to the edge of the bed as he held me tighter. “Livy and the kids?”

“They’re fine. Everyone is fine. Whoever got in, couldn’t, or didn’t try to access the house.”

“You have to go home. Livy must be terrified,” I said, trying hard not to let the tears that threatened slip free. This was all my fault though. It had to be Soloman. What if he’d have gotten into the house and hurt Livy, or the kids? What if he’d gone after my mom and dad who were staying there too? It was all my fault.

“Livy’s not scared, just really fucking angry. She’d love to get her hands on the bastard who hurt you,” he told me with the hint of a chuckle.

“Sounds like Livy,” I sniffled. “Still, you guys have to go. You h-have to keep them all safe.”

“Linc and the guys are there, and they’re bringing in more security for the time being. They’re safe. Please don’t cry,” Kade pleaded. “Are the guys there?”

“Kailan’s right here,” I whispered.

“Hey man,” Kailan spoke up.

“I need you to check your security systems right away. There’s no way this guy should have been able to breech ours,” Kade told him.

“We’ll get it done and do a patrol outside right away. Do we know for sure this is Soloman?”

“Yeah, we’re pretty sure,” Kade said, and I knew instantly he wasn’t telling us something.

“How? How do you know?” I asked. When Kade hesitated I pushed. “Just tell me, Kade. I can handle it.”

“He left a body, in the yard, outside the doors of Livy’s music room. It had the number ‘eight’ attached to it, and the face was unrecognizable. Mom and dad….they thought it was you. The hair and size…it looked just like you. That’s what dad said.”

I couldn’t stop the sob that burst from me at the knowledge that another young woman was dead because of that monster, only this time it was because of me too. He put the number ‘eight’ on this poor woman who looked like me because I got away. He terrified my family to get to me. This was all on me.

Kailan tossed the cell on the bed and gathered me up, settling me on his lap and holding me tightly. He didn’t try to soothe me with words, which I was grateful for, but he rocked me slightly and held me just the way I needed.

“Kailan?”

“I’ve got her. We all have,” Kailan answered.

“The security system needs checking right away. Kyle’s worried this was all a distraction so he could grab Evie,” Kade pressed.

“I’ll wake the others. You guys coming here?”

“Yeah. See you in twenty. Keep her safe.”

“Always,” Kailan promised, then the call ended.

“Evie? Talk to me now,” Kailan said gently.

“My family,” I whimpered as I lifted my head from his shoulder enough to squeak out the words.

“They’re all safe and they have extra security. There’s no way your brothers don’t have them all covered,” he reassured me.

“Why w-won’t he just leave me alone?” I looked up fully into Kailan’s eyes, tears pouring down my face as my entire body trembled beneath the sheet I still clutched.

“He will darlin’. This will all be over as soon as the guys and I get our hands on him,” he growled. “We need to wake the others. Can you hold onto me?”

“You’re naked,” I pointed out.

“Won’t be the first time they see my junk,” he shrugged, then winked.

“I’m okay. Put me down and get dressed.”

“No way. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Never again.”

“That might be difficult.” I sniffled as I fought to get myself together. Kailan was helping me, always able to make me smile no matter what.

“You’ll adjust,” he shrugged again, then he picked me up bridal style and I hurried to wrap my arms around his neck to hold on.

“You’re crazy. You know that, right?” I told him teasingly.

“Yup. Don’t worry. You’ll adjust to that too,” he laughed, then he was kissing me again and just for those few moments everything seemed a little less terrifying.

***

Twenty minutes later I was dressed and looking less like I’d been ravaged the night before. My hands were still shaking, and the guys refused to allow me out of their sight. They’d checked and double checked the security, and sweeps had been done several times outside, but everything was as it should be. I was safe, for now.

My brothers had arrived and hugged me until I thought my bones would be crushed just moments earlier, all of them terrified once again that it had been my badly beaten and strangled body in their back yard.

Now we all sat around the dining table. Aleks had access to their security system and was working to discover who had hacked it and how. Kailan was making coffee, and Harris was off whispering in a corner with Kyle.

Nick had claimed me the instant Cole - the last of my brothers to hug me upon entering – had let me go, and now I found myself in his lap, his arms tight around me like he was worried I’d be snatched instantly if he loosened his grip.

“You’re sure Livy is okay? And mom? What about the kids?” I asked again as I looked between Kade, Cole, and Matt.

“We’re sure. Please just take a breath and stop freaking out, little sis. Everyone is good,” Cole assured me again.

“Except for that poor girl in the yard,” I whispered as more tears filled my eyes.

“That’s not on you, baby. It’s on Soloman. He’s a monster and he will be stopped. What he did tonight was sloppy. He’ll have made a mistake that’ll lead the cops right to him,” Nick told me firmly.

“What are they whispering about?” I asked as I nodded to Harris and Kyle in the corner, needing to change the subject.

“Kyle’s worried you’re not safe here anymore. If our system was breached, yours could be too,” Xander explained.

“Unlikely. Our system was designed by the genius, over there. Anyone comes within ten feet of this house and we’ll know,” Kailan explained as he brought over cups of fresh coffee.

I reached for a cup, internally groaning at the walk I would have to take to the refrigerator for my caramel creamer, but Kailan put his hand over mine, stopping me.

“I made you some tea. You need to try and relax a little,” he told me gently.

“Thank you,” I whispered. He was so sweet, and he was right. A sweet cup of tea was exactly what I needed when I already felt so jittery and on edge. He was just handing me the steaming mug when Harris came storming over and angrily took a seat beside Nick. Instinctively I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder, hating to see him looking so annoyed.

“What’s wrong?” I asked when he looked at me and placed his hand over mine.

“Kyle wants us to strongarm you into going home with them. I think you’re safer here, but I also told him it’s entirely up to you what you do, and, as usual, he didn’t like that answer.”

I turned on Nick’s lap until I saw Kyle walking menacingly towards the table.

“Since when have any of you been able to make me do anything I didn’t want to do?” I asked him bluntly; not happy he’d go behind my back to my guys like that.

“This isn’t a game, Evie. It’s time you saw sense and came home where we can protect you,” Kyle snapped, and I instantly saw red. I slammed my cup on the table, ignoring the splashes on my hand as I jumped to my feet and glared hard at Kyle.

“A game? You think I see this as a fucking game?” I raged. “This psycho kidnaps and tortures me and you think I’m what, having fun? I thought I was going to die, Kyle! I should have died! Yeah, for some reason he let me go, but that wasn’t the fucking end of it! I have been so scared for so damned long! I still am! I’m t-terrified all of the time for me, for you, for everyone I love. D-don’t you ever s-say that to me again!” I was yelling in the beginning, but by the end I could barely get the words out through my tight throat. Tears were flooding down my face once again as Nick stood and pulled me into his arms, turning me away from all of them and burying my face against his soft t-shirt.

“Back the fuck off. Evie’s not going anywhere or doing anything she doesn’t want to do!” Aleks barked angrily, and I was surprised to hear so much rage in his usually gentle voice.

“He’s right. You try to force her and you’ll see what we’re actually capable of,” Kailan backed him up.

Nick must have noticed the tremble in my legs, because he sat back down and settled me in his lap, my legs draped over his thighs as I refused to lift my head from his chest.

It was all too much. Soloman grabbing me again, my fight to get away, then him going after my family and killing another innocent woman. It was too much for me to deal with and I was so sick of trying to hold it all together. I just wanted to break down and hide from the world. Would that be so bad? Had I not earned the right to do that after everything that had happened?

“Evie…” Xander spoke up eventually. “We’re just worried, half pint. We just want you safe until this lunatic is caught. We can’t lose you.”

I took a few moments to try and gather myself. I wasn’t very successful, tears still filling my eyes and my hands shaking badly as I turned to face the table.

“I…I w-want you all to go home,” I told them shakily. “I’m glad you came out here, but I…I’m okay. I’m safe here. Livy, the kids, and mom and dad need you right now…m-more than I do.”

“No, Evie. Just listen…” Kyle started, but I cut him off.

“I don’t want to argue, Kyle. I just…I need you all to go. I’ll follow soon, but I n-need some time. I’m not ready yet,” I admitted.

“We’ll follow, all of us, when Evie let’s us know she’s ready,” Harris added and I looked to him and smiled gratefully. That was what I had been hoping for, because there was no way I could face going anywhere without the four of them at that time. I was a mess, and afraid too. They were the only people who could keep me together.

“You can’t expect us to just leave you here when this Soloman is obviously getting bolder and bolder,” Matt said as he looked to me with annoyance.

“Please…I…I can’t do this anymore….I can’t. I n-need you to go. I need some time. Please. I love all of you but I…I feel like I’m falling apart and I just….I d-don’t want you all here. Please j-just understand and g-go,” I sniffled.

“We’re not just gonna leave…” Cole started, but I turned back to Nick.

“I need to g-get out of here, please. I c-can’t,” I squeaked between my tears, then I was hiding against him and clinging to him with everything I had left in me, as I just sobbed.

“Go. Get her upstairs,” I heard Harris say, and then we were moving, Nick holding me tightly as he jogged effortlessly up the stairs. “Guys, you need to go,” I heard Harris tell my brothers, but the rest was drowned out as Nick got me to my room and closed the door behind us.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” I hiccupped between deep sobs.

“None of that now,” Nick soothed as he climbed onto my bed and leant back against the headboard. He pulled me even tighter against his chest and banded his strong arms around me. “No more talking. Just let it all out. I’m here and I’ve got you. No more hiding,” he whispered.

So I let go of everything I had been fighting so hard to hold back, and I just cried. Every tear I had forced back, every thought I didn’t dare allow myself to consider, it all came from me as I cried buckets, the whole time feeling secure enough to do it because I knew Nick meant what he’d said. He had me.

KAILAN

Getting rid of Evie’s brother’s hadn’t been easy. They were pissed and refused to leave until they saw her.

Harris had been pretty blunt in the end, telling them how much Evie thought she had to stay strong when they were around, because she was so afraid of ever disappointing them. I was taken aback by how shocked they were to hear that. Didn’t they see how much, even now as a grown woman, she always strived to make them happy? Didn’t they see that they were her idols?

In the end Xander had seen reason, always the calmer of the five. He’d explained that Evie was struggling to deal with everything on top of the trauma she had suffered and that was likely what she meant when she needed time. Yeah – I thought the same – no shit Sherlock, right?

Finally they had listened and agreed to head home, but not before having Aleks take them through his entire security system to prove to them it really was better and more secure than theirs. Then there had been the threats, over and over that if we allowed anything to happen to her, we were all dead men. What they didn’t realize was that we were dead men anyway if anything happened to Evie. She was our everything and without her we would all be lost.

Now they were driving away, finally. They had flights back to Chicago booked that afternoon, and expected us to follow in days, not weeks, but that would all be down to Evie. We would do whatever she needed, and judging by the state she was in as Nick carried her away, she was going to need a while to get over everything that was going on and find her feet again. She wouldn’t be alone though. She’d never be alone. We were all here for her and we were going nowhere.

“Rush, can you check on Nick and Ev? Aleks wants to run his system for any bugs again, and I want to check the perimeter,” Harris asked.

“Take her some food. She needs to eat,” Aleks added.

“Sure. Can I ask what the plan is? I mean I know it’s up to Evie, but what if Soloman is coming here for her? Can we really keep her safe?” I asked, suddenly feeling unsure. Evie was too important to us to risk her safety.

“If that fucker shows up here, we get rid of him for good. You really doubting our skills right now?” Harris asked, seeming shocked.

“I just don’t want to take any chances. We have to keep her safe,” I explained.

“We will, brother. We’ll know if he comes anywhere near here, and we’ll be ready. We’re not taking any chances. I promise you that. We will keep her safe.”

I nodded, feeling calmed by his words. We were trained for shit like this and much more. Harris was right. We could deal with this bastard if he came within a mile of our place and I should never have doubted that. But I was pretty sure I was falling in love with this amazing woman, and it terrified me to think she could be taken from us again. Just the thought of it made me lose all rational thought. It wasn’t an option. I needed her in my life. We all did.