Keep Healing (Fighting For Tomorrow #2)

CHAPTER 14

HARRIS

I drove into the underground lot of the office building in Denver, which Asher had given me the address to. He had assured me that security would be waiting and would escort us all to a secure office where we could stay for a while.

Asher Lyle had completed training with us and also worked alongside me team on several missions overseas afterwards. He too was a SEAL and he had been a good friend of mine once.

After our captivity, when we all chose to get out, we hadn’t really kept in contact with anyone, too fucked up to want any reminders of our time overseas and as a result I had lost contact with Asher. We had both been shocked when we bumped into each other at a business conference the previous year. We had gone for drinks and Asher had told me he too had chosen not to re-up and had gotten out of the military. At the time he had been working for his father’s company. I wasn’t entirely sure what the company did, but I was pretty sure they bought up failing businesses and turned a profit from them. Whatever specifically they did, they were damned good at it because Asher Lyle and his family were rich – very, very rich.

When Asher and I had parted company after the conference last year he had told me repeatedly that I should contact him if I ever needed anything. I offered the same, but I had never expected to need to call upon that favor. Now we had no choice. We needed to get Evie back home without leaving a paper trail that would bring Soloman right behind us, and, though I was far from broke, I did not have the money to charter a private plane and have Evie snuck on without her name going on the manifest.

“You sure about this, Harris? How well do you even know this guy?” Aleks asked as he looked all around us as I parked up in the lot. He was in the middle row with Aleks and Kailan. Nick was in the back row with Zack in his carrier, fast asleep. Evie was out cold too, exhausted by the panic she had been through earlier. Kailan had patched hr hand up easily, but it had taken a lot longer to calm her down and reassure her we would all be safe.

Kailan had also checked Nick over more thoroughly, and was pretty sure he had a concussion, so we were keeping a close eye on him and making sure he stayed awake for now.

“Well enough. We can trust him,” I replied confidently. Time may have passed since I fought alongside Asher Lyle, but I still trusted him with my life, and with something even more important – Evie’s.

As I got out of the car, two guys stepped off of the elevator. They were dressed in dark suits and were definitely carrying weapons. They had badges attached to their jackets, but they were too far away for me to make out. I guessed they were the security Asher had told me would meet us.

“We’re security for the Lyle group,” The taller of the two introduced as they got closer. “Mr Lyle asked us to escort you to the secure office on the top floor. He would like you to wait there until he and his brother arrive,” he explained.

“They’re coming from New York?” I asked, surprised. I hadn’t expected them to make that much of a journey to help us.

“They were on business in St. Louis,” he told me. “They should be here within the hour, and they said to let you know they will have the jet fueled and ready to leave.”

“Thanks.” I gave the guy a nod of agreement. “You’re aware we may have been followed. I checked for a tail, but this guy has some amazing tech skills. There’s a woman with me who is in danger.”

“Mr. Lyle gave us the details. The office on the top floor is secure and we will guard it, along with two of our colleagues who are stationed the entrances,” he explained further. “No one will be accessing the building without company ID as long as you’re here.”

I nodded again, then went to the back door to get the others. Evie barely stirred as Aleks picked her up and stepped out of the car with her in his arms. She was obviously exhausted from the adrenaline that had hit her earlier. Kailan followed, then Nick with Zack still in his carrier. We were all looking pretty messed up, our clothes a state and blood staining most of us. Nick needed to wash the blood from his face, as did I. It had been one hell of a day and it wasn’t over yet.

EVIE

“Say it! Ask me to make this all stop, Eight!” Soloman’s deep voice booms through my throbbing head as I’m instantly right back there, laid out on that freezing, rotting tile floor. He grabs my arms and lifts me from floor, up into the air. My abdomen is agony and when I touch it in panic, I feel the familiar but terrifying ooze of warm blood pouring from it. I’m back there again, I realize. I have lived this day over and over again in my nightmares and now here I am again. I need to make it stop. I need to wake myself up!

But even knowing it’s not real doesn’t help the terror I feel, and a scream rips from as my body is thrust down into the tub of ice cold water. I realize my mistake too late when, once again, water fills my mouth and lungs as I’m violently forced down under the water and held there. Even as I fight with everything I have, clawing and scrambling to make him release me, the same thought is running through my mind over and over – this isn’t real. I have to wake up!

But I can’t make myself wake up. I’m trapped there in that nightmare, reliving the terror and fear I had felt that day.

He raises me for a little more than one breath before dunking me right back under, twice more. By the time he lifts me out completely and throws me to the cold ground, I’m almost unconscious. I start trying to cope with the pain and fear just the way I had that day - by picturing my parents, by brothers, Livy, and the rest of my family one after the other. I cling to their images to give me the strength not to give into him and just make it all stop. I won’t give in to that monster. Even though I know none of this is real, I refuse to give in.

“K-Kyle, Kade, Cole, M-Matt, Mom, Dad….Daddy,” I’m whispering their names over and over again as pain throbs throughout my entire body. It feels so very real – I’m right back there feeling every inch of the pain and terror.

“W-what did you say?” Soloman snaps. I force my eyes open and look up at him, which has never happened in this nightmare before. He’s crouched down beside me and his eyes are focused on me, something in them so different to the coldness I have seen there before. “What did you just say?” he growled again, but I’m so fuzzy from the pain I just whimper and look away from him. I have never seen this before in my nightmares. Is it real or is my imagination just making this part up?

I feel a hand on my shoulder, then he’s shaking me hard until my unfocussed eyes meet his again.

“What’s your name?” he demands.

“Evie,” I utter weakly, then I turn away from him again, determined to remember that – that my name is Evie and not ‘Eight’. I continue my chant of names that give me the determination to keep fighting – keep holding on. “Livy, Xander….Xander, make it stop,”

“Shut up!” Soloman hisses, then he’s picking me up again and dunking me into the tub.

I leap awake and gasp desperately for air, but I can still feel the water that fills my lungs and throat, stopping me from getting in the air I so desperately need. I sit up, clawing at my throat as I try desperately to just breathe!

“Fuck! Are you okay? What can I do?” A panicked voice I didn’t recognize said, only increasing my panic as I looked up with alarm.

The man hurrying towards me was tall and built, his shoulders wide in the t-shirt he wore. His size was intimidating, and I tried to back up further on to the sofa I was on.

I looked around me, desperate for the guys to come to my rescue, but none of them were there, and I had no idea where exactly I was. It looked like an office with a desk and shelves lining the walls, but that was all I could take in. The stranger was getting closer and I knew I had to do something to protect myself before it was too late.

I tried to stand, but I still wasn’t breathing, and my legs shook so hard I wobbled badly as soon as I was upright. I threw myself sideways and just managed to get a hand on the wall to steady myself before I went down.

“Hey, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” The stranger said as he froze where he stood a few feet back from me, and studied me hard. “Just stay right there, okay? Try and take some deeper breaths. I…I’ll get someone,” he told me, sounding almost as panicked as I felt. I was just relieved when he turned and hurried from the room, away from me.

My legs gave way instantly as soon as he was out of sight and I collapsed to the cold, shiny tiled floor. Where were the guys? Where the hell was I? I tried to think straight as I fought to breathe, but being alone in a strange place was only increasing my anxiety.

Footsteps coming back my way at pace, had me instantly planning some way to make my shaky legs get me up and hold me there long enough to get away, but my I forgot all about my escape plan when I glanced up and saw Nick racing towards me. He had cuts on his face and his clothes were dirty and dusty. I tried to remember, once again, what had happened, but the last thing I could recall was being home with all of the guys.

“I’m here, baby,” Nick soothed as he dropped to his knees beside me and scooped me up into his arms. I shakily reached for his shoulder and clung to it hard as he cradled me against his body tightly. “Breathe for me, okay? I’m here….we’re all here. You’re safe,” he told me.

“I…c-can’t breathe,” I gasped, terrified. Why couldn’t I breathe? What was wrong with me?

“You can, baby,” he assured me as he looked down and met my eyes. “You can breathe. Hold your breath for me,” he added.

I was pretty sure I was already holding my breath without trying, but I trusted him, so I stopped fighting to breathe and held it in. My panic made it impossible to hold it for long, but when I let it go I managed to get the tiniest breath of air in.

“That’s it. Do it again,” Nick coached me patiently as I tried once again to hold my breath, all the while I was clinging to his shoulder with one hand and a handful of his shirt in the other. He was the calm in the chaos of my panic and anxiety and I dare not let him go.

We sat there for a while, Nick repeatedly coaching me into taking deeper and deeper breaths until finally I was getting enough oxygen into my lungs to ask the question I needed to know.

“Where are th-the others. A-are they okay?” My voice was trembling as hard as the rest of my body. Nick readjusted his position, sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out before him, then he moved me so I could still cling to him, but I was more comfortably sat across his thighs.

“They’re all fine. They’re just down the hall, talking to a guy Harris knows from his time in the military. They’re making a plan to keep you safe,” he told me calmly as he moved my wild hair from my face and smoothed it down behind my ears.

“A plan?” I questioned. Then it came back to me – the explosion at the house. I had hidden with Zack, then the guys had rushed out of there in one of the cars.

“Zack!” I gasped.

“He’s fine. I was just feeding him. He’s with Eli, the guy who was here when you woke up,” he explained.

“Who is he?”

“His brother, Asher, was a SEAL and did his training with Harris and Kailan. Now Eli and Asher work together to run the family business, and Harris came to them for help. They’re willing to let us take their private jet wherever we want to go.”

“Private jet? So they’re really rich, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he shrugged. “They both seem like good guys and Harris trusts them.” That seemed to be enough for Nick, so I had to just go with it too. Harris was a good judge of character and if he said we could trust these brothers, we all needed to trust in that.

“Are you sure y-you’re okay?” I asked as I reached a hand up to gently cup the side of his face. He had scratches and cuts on his face and forehead and he looked pale and exhausted.

“I’m fine, babe. Asher insisted on bringing a doctor in to check me over, and he patched me up. I’m all good,” he promised.

“And Harris? He was out there too when that explosion happened?”

“The doc checked him over too. He has a mild concussion so we’ll need to check on him when he sleeps for the next few hours, but he’s okay. I doubt he’ll be sleeping anyway. He’s definitely in action stations mode,” Nick chuckled.

“Is Soloman coming after us…after me?” I asked weakly. I just didn’t know how much more fight I had left in me. I was so tired of running scared. I just wanted it all to be over.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. Yeah, I think he is, but we won’t let him take you again, Evie. Asher and Eli have extra security covering this building right now, and they’ve offered us anything we need to keep you safe.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I think Asher, Kailan, and Harris went through a lot together overseas. It bonds you, makes you brothers cemented by more than blood. Asher would do anything to help Harris and Kailan, just like the guys would do anything for Asher if he needed them.” I nodded. It made sense, but I still hated that so many people were getting involved in my mess, and in so doing, putting their own lives in danger.

“I n-need to go home,” I told him shakily.

“We can’t right now, baby. The security system was blown out by that explosion. It’s just not safe. Aleks has some guys going out to fix the gates and wall, but it’s going to take some time, then Aleks will need to rebuild the whole system.”

“No, not that home. I…I have to go back to Chicago. We need to work with my brothers to find Soloman and st-stop this once and for all. I can’t live like this, Nick. We can’t. If we really want a future together, this all h-has to end.”

“We considered that, but we didn’t think you’d want your family mixed up in it all right now,” Nick told me.

“I don’t,” I agreed, suddenly feeling completely exhausted, and not just physically. “But they’re already at risk right now. At least if we’re there we can help to protect them. My brothers can bring in extra security too. Believe it or not, this isn’t our first serial killer hunting a member of our family,” I sighed.

“Your sister in law, right?”

“Yeah, Livy. I miss her. I miss my parents too,” I admitted. All I wanted was to feel my dad crush me in one of his ridiculous, but amazing bear hugs.

“Let’s check on Zack, then join the others. You can tell them what you want to do,” Nick suggested.

“I’m so sc-scared, Nick,” I confessed as I looked up to him, my eyes glassy with tears. “And so damned tired too.”

“I know, but you’re not alone. We’re all here and we are going to get through this. One day, not too long from now, we’ll all be sat on the back deck, eating dinner, laughing, and smiling, and you’ll realise that all of this is just the past. I’ll scoop you up and kiss the hell out of you, and you’ll know that our future is going to be filled with good times and so much happiness. You’ll look around at your four sexy, handsome men and you’ll know that everything really is going to be okay, because we’ll have each other, and that is all we’ll ever need.”

“Sexy and handsome, huh?” I laughed.

“Damn right, but I’m obviously the sexiest,” he told me very seriously, making me smile widely.

“I like the sound of that scenario,” I told him as I moved to straddle his lap, so I could reach his lips. “But maybe you should kiss the hell out of me now, so I can picture it perfectly in my head,” I added.

Instantly his hand slid into my wild hair and he was pulling me closer, then his lips landed on mine and I was lost to his demanding, all consuming kiss. All I could do was hang on to him and enjoy every second of the passion filled reprieve I was getting from all of the craziness that surrounded us.

“You picture it now, baby?” he asked as he pulled back.

“Yeah,” I sighed dreamily. “I can, and I want all of it.”

“Then you’ll have it, soon.” He kissed me once more, then stood, taking me with him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and clung on, not wanting to end up in a pile on the floor – not that he’d let that happen. He had his hand under my thighs and the other around my back, holding me like I was way more delicate than I was.

“You can put me down,” I told him with a chuckle as he stared out of the room.

“Nope. I like having you right here,” he replied as he once again reached down and this time kissed the end of my nose. “You feel so right in my arms. I’d carry you everywhere if I could.”

“I don’t think your back would survive that,” I laughed.

“Evie, you hardly weigh more than Zack.”

Before I could argue that he was insane, he pushed open the door beside the office that we’d been in and we found the guy who had approached me when I first woke up, holding Zack. Eli? I was pretty sure that was what Nick had called him. Zack had his head resting on the guys shoulder, his eyes heavy and he was clutching his bunny close, as he always did when he was sleepy.

“Hey,” he greeted as we walked in. “I hope this is okay? He started to look really sleepy, then he was crying. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just picked him up.”

“It’s fine,” Nick assured him. “He’s almost asleep.”

“I’ve never really had much to do with kids, but this little dude is seriously cute.”

“He seems happy with you. I think you made a friend,” Nick chuckled.

“I’m Eli, by the way,” he said as he looked to me. I clung to Nick, but smiled and nodded.

“Evie. S-sorry about before. Nightmare,” I told him.

“No apology needed. I shouldn’t have approached you like that. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“We need to speak with the others. Are you okay with Zack for just a little longer?” Nick asked.

“Sure,” Eli nodded. “Go ahead and do what you need to do. I’ll go back to my office if you’re looking for me.”

“Thanks man. We won’t be long.” With that Nick left the office and headed down a long corridor. All around us on both sides were fancy looking paintings, and the floor was shiny and looked like marble.

“Where are we?” I asked as I looked from the ostentatious surroundings and up to Nick.

“Denver, at one of many buildings the Lyle family own and run across the country,” Nick replied.

“One of many? What exactly do they do?”

“Beats me, but I guess it pays well,” he shrugged.

“I guess so,” I agreed as we walked out of the hallway and into a huge, open, reception type area. The floors here were the same shiny marble and there was more fancy, modern artwork on the walls. There was a reception desk which was unmanned right then, but behind it a glass wall had water running down it, like some kind of indoor waterfall. Even the chairs where I presumed people could wait, were chrome and black leather, and very expensive looking. And this was just one of their buildings? It was crazy.

Nick walked us over to a large glass wall and when I looked through I saw my other guys all seated at a huge conference table with a guy I didn’t know, who was obviously Asher.

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face at the sight of the three men I needed to see most. They all looked tired and rumpled, but they were perfect to me.

Nick walked us into the room and all eyes turned to us.

“Evie?” Harris spoke first as the three of them got to their feet and moved towards me.

“Is she okay?” Kailan asked with concern.

“What happened?” Aleks asked at the same time, then they were all there, surrounding me.

“I’m okay,” I assured them as I looked to Harris first, assessing him for injuries from the explosion. He had a cut on his forehead and some scratches on his face, but apart from looking exhausted, he seemed okay.

“She had a nightmare, a bad one,” Nick clarified.

“Where’s Zack?” Kailan asked.

“With Eli, fast asleep.”

“Eli? Taking care of your kid? You sure that’s wise?” The stranger who still sat at the table laughed. “I don’t hink he’s ever even held a kid.”

“He seemed okay. I just checked in. Zack was fast asleep in his arms,” Nick explained.

“Evie, this is Asher, an old friend from our time in the military. Ash, this is Evie,” Harris introduced. I glanced over at Asher as he got to his feet. He was tall like his brother, but even more muscular under the hugging dark sweater he wore. His skin tone and hair were lighter. He smiled and nodded, but didn’t come closer, for which I was grateful.

“Pleased to meet you, Evie. Can I get you something to eat and drink? You must be starving by now,” he offered kindly. He was well spoken, the first hint of the wealth that surrounded him, but his smile was genuine.

“You should eat, darlin’. It’s hours since we had breakfast yesterday,” Kailan added as he ran a hand down my back.

“What time is it?” I asked, confused. How long had I slept.

“Just after nine A.M. You slept most of the drive here,” Harris answered.

“That’s why you all look so tired then,” I reasoned. “You need to sleep.”

“We’re fine, maleńka,” Aleks argued.

“How about I order some breakfast for all of us? I could definitely eat,” Asher offered.

“Thanks,” Harris told him with a nod of agreement.

Asher walked out of the room and the second he was out of ear shot Kailan grabbed for me from Nick’s arms.

“Come on, man. It’s my turn. Quit hogging her,” Kailan whined when Nick didn’t let me go.

“I’m not a shiny new toy,” I groaned as I looked between them.

“Of course not,” Kailan agreed. “You’re my shiny new girlfriend and I want cuddles with you,” he pouted.

“Put me down please, Nick,” I asked, and he did, carefully lowering me to my feet and holding on to me until he was sure I was steady.

“While I love you guys carrying me around, I think we need to talk seriously about our next steps right now,” I told them, only making Kailan’s lip come out further in that adorable pout. “But…” I went on as I looked to him, “…we have time for a quick cuddle.” I reached up and wrapped my arms around his waist as he did the same and held me crushingly. I lay my head on his chest and took in the comforting scent of his aftershave, though it was faint after the hours that had passed since we all last changed.

“This makes everything better,” Kailan sighed.

“Not gonna argue with you there,” I sighed contentedly. I held on to him for several minutes, basking in how tightly he held me and the little kisses he lay on the top of my head, then I pulled back and looked to Harris.

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked as I rounded the end of the conference table and went to him. I lifted up on my tip toes to get closer to the bandage on his forehead, but it looked well dressed.

“I’m fine. Stop worrying,” he sighed as he grabbed my hand from his forehead and brough it to his lips, kissing the back of it gently. “Are you okay?”

“No,” I sighed. “But we’re all here and safe for now, so I’m grateful for that.”

“We’re all grateful for that, sweetheart,” he agreed as he pulled me into his front and held me close. I reached up on my tiptoes again and just managed to reach his lips. I kissed him chastely.

“I was so scared I’d lost you and Nick when that explosion went off,” I told him as I clung even tighter around his waist.

“Never. I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, then he leaned in and kissed me in return. I wanted to take it further, to kiss him the way we used to spend hours kissing when we were just loved-up kids, but it wasn’t the time or the place, especially when Asher walked back in.

“Why don’t you sit down and tell them what you told me, babe?” Nick suggested. I kissed Harris once more, then nodded and took a seat at the table, right beside Aleks. I wanted to hug him too, to feel his arms around me, but we needed to focus. Instead I took his hand and squeezed it tight. He leaned in to kiss my temple and gave me that smile of his that could make everything seem just that little bit lighter.

The others all took seats around me, and Asher sat opposite, a tablet poised in his hand.

“What’s going on, Ev?” Harris asked.

“Well,” I began, a little nervously. I had no idea if what I wanted was the right thing. I had no idea what the right thing to do was, but I just wanted to be near my family. I wanted to be close to do all I could if Soloman came after them. “I…I’ve been thinking and I think I need to go back to Chicago. Soloman…he c-could go after my family again and if he does, I want us to be there to help protect them all.”

The guys all looked between each other and seemed to share some silent conversation before Aleks turned in his seat to face me before he started speaking, “We completely get you wanting to go home to take care of your family, Evie, but you need to think about your own safety too. Soloman will be watching your family’s homes. He’s gonna know you’re there right away.”

“We wanted to get you out of the states. Asher and Eli have a Villa in Italy. We planned to take you there, where you’d be safe,” Kailan added.

“As amazing as that sounds, it’s not a permanent solution,” I sighed. “I don’t want to spend my life running from this psycho, and I certainly don’t want you guys to have to do it either. You have Zack to consider.”

“We have resources we could put into tracking down this ‘Soloman’ while you were in Italy. We would let you know as soon as it was safe to return,” Asher explained.

“I appreciate that and all of the help you’ve offered, but I’m done running. I’ve been doing it for months now and I’m so fucking tired,” I sighed exhaustedly. “We need to bring Soloman out so he can be caught, and me being right where he’ll look for me is the easiest and surest way to do that.”

“No way. We’re not using you as bait, Evie,” Nick growled.

“He has to be stopped!” I cried as I slammed my hands down on the table. “This isn’t just about me. He’s killing other innocent women. He’s threatening the people I love. I can’t just run away to Italy and let someone else be hurt. I can’t and I won’t.”

“I think she’s right,” Aleks spoke up, and the others turned to him with a glare. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not on board with her acting as bait, but I agree we need to draw this fucker out. This has to end for Evie’s sake, if nothing else. At least we have some control in Chicago. We’ll have her brothers to back us up, and the FBI are working from there too right now, after the body dump last week. I think going there is our best option.”

“I don’t like it,” Harris growled and Nick nodded vehemently in agreement.

“I’m in danger wherever we go, you guys. I always will be until he gets caught. At home we’d have my brothers as added protection, not to mention the guys who work for them at Shepard Security. I think it’s the safest place we could be right now.” I looked to Harris and pleaded with my eyes for him to understand. “I’m running out of fight, Harris. I don’t know how much longer I can hang on. I just…I want to go home, hug my parents, lure that bastard out and have this whole thing be over. I n-need that,” I squeaked through my tight throat as tears trickled down my cheeks.

“I’d offer to come with you, but I have to get back to my father. He doesn’t have long,” Asher sighed.

“I’m sorry,” I told him, assuming his father was dying.

“Thanks,” he smiled sadly. “But I can send my security guys with you. They’re all ex-forces and highly trained. I agree, it seems the most expedient way to end this whole thing.”

“Thanks, but we’re not taking your security detail. I don’t want to be responsible for you getting your ass kidnapped for ransom,” Asher chuckled.

“Could that happen?” I asked as I swiped at my tears and looked to Asher.

“There was an attempt. They tried to take my brother from the underground lot of our New York offices, but I was able to get to him before they could. That’s why we have the security now, just in case. Just some of the baggage that comes with my father’s legacy,” he shrugged. “Anyway, back to the issue at hand. What do you guys want to do? The jet is fueled and ready to take you wherever you want to go.”

“We’re going to Chicago,” I said confidently as I looked to Harris.

“Fine. Chicago,” he agreed. “But you do everything we say, Ev. We’re not taking any chances with your safety. You hear me?”

“Agreed,” I nodded. I didn’t want to take any chances with my safety either, not unless that was what it came down to.