Keep Healing (Fighting For Tomorrow #2)

CHAPTER 15

EVIE

To say Asher and Eli’s company jet was luxurious was a serious understatement. Our trip back to Chicago had been one of opulence, and we had been offered every refreshment you could imagine by the on board hostess, but we had all been too nervous to take much note of any of it. We were taking a huge risk going to where Soloman had already made his presence very known and we all knew it, but I just didn’t see what other choice we had. The only way to stop him was to lure him out and I was so done with hiding.

The jet landed at the private runway just outside of the city in the early evening. Through the window I could see the sun just beginning to set, and four of my brothers getting out of the dark SUV I knew was Kade’s. Behind them were two other SUV’S with the lights on and the engines running, and I knew my brothers had brought back up from their security company.

We had called them just before we boarded the plane to let them know we were coming back, using the burner cells that Soloman was hopefully unable to hack, or whatever he had been doing to follow me.

“You ready for this, kochanie?” Aleks asked. I was sat beside him on the plane, my hand clutched in his, the entire way as I fought not to freak out about what we were doing because of me. I was terrified I was making a huge mistake.

“No, but we have to do it anyway,” I told him with a shrug.

“It’s all going to be okay. We’ll make sure of it,” he told me as he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

“Come on guys. I want us in the cars and behind secure gates as soon as possible,” Harris said as he got to his feet and beckoned us all to follow. Nick stood with a flailing Zack in his arms to follow. Kailan grabbed my hand from where he had been sat opposite us, and pulled me to my feet.

“We can get decent pizza delivered to your place, right darlin’? I’m starving here,” he groaned as he pulled me in front of him, then wrapped his arms around me as we started after Harris and Nick.

“If you’re lucky, Matt will have cooked something,” I assured him as I looked behind us for Aleks, who was following with his laptop bag clutched to his chest.

“Ooh. I forgot about that. That guy can cook,” Kailan said as we reached the top of the steps and started towards the tarmac.

I got halfway down before I glanced up to my brothers and saw who I really needed right then.

“DAD!” I cried as tears filled my eyes. I fled from Kailan’s grip and leapt down the rest of the steps until I found myself wrapped in the huge strong arms that had been there to comfort me through my entire life.

I clung to him tightly, wrapping my arms around his waist as much as I could and grabbing handfuls of his wool coat, my face pressed into his soft sweater as I just cried – a mix of happy tears, exhaustion, and terror.

My Dad felt and smelled just as I had remembered so many times when I was alone and scared, so desperate to have him hold me exactly the way he was in that moment. He towered over me and surrounded me with strength.

“Thank God,” I heard my Dad whisper as he held me.

“Dad,” I whimpered as more tears came and still I just clung to him.

“I’ve got you now, sweetie. You let it all out,” he told me. So I did. I cried out every single time I had lay cold, alone, and terrified, wishing for my dad to just hold me and carry me away. I cried out all I had been through since the last time I was with him and I cried out all of my gratitude for the fact I was there to hold him once again, my thankfulness that somehow I got to survive and be with the people I loved once again. I cried and cried until I had completely exhausted myself, and the whole time my dad just held me.

“I m-missed you s-so much,” I sniffled when I was calm enough to release him and look up to meet his eyes. He had aged since I last saw him, his hair greyer and a few new wrinkles around his eyes.

“We thought we’d lost you. We were so scared,” he told me.

“Evie?” I turned at the sound of my name and found Harris behind me, looking worried. “You okay, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I swiped at my eyes and smiled. “I’m okay.”

“Good to see you again, son,” Dad said as he held his hand out for Harris to shake.

“You too, sir.” Harris shook his hand.

“I don’t know how we’ll ever thank you for taking care of Evie. Knowing you were with her after she called us was all that kept us from crossing the country to see her,” dad added.

“I think it’s more like she’s been taking care of all of us,” Harris chuckled. “Can we get into the cars? I’d like to get Evie out of the open.”

“Oh yes! Of course. I never even considered we’re so open here,” Dad gasped as he pulled me into his side protectively and held me tightly.

“I need to thank Asher and Eli before we leave,” I said as I looked to where they were chatting with my brothers and Kailan beside the plane. Nick and Kailan were working together to get snacks out of the backpack we had filled with everything Zack would need before we left Denver. “I’ll just be a minute,” I added as I looked to my dad, needing him to release me from his hold.

When he reluctantly let me go I hurried over to where everyone else was congregated. Asher and Eli had flown to Chicago with us, then they’d go onwards to New York to be with their gravely ill father. I hadn’t spoken with them much, but I had seen enough to know they seemed like good, genuine guys and I was so grateful to them for getting us all to Chicago safely.

“Guys let’s start getting in the cars. We’re way too open out here,” Harris told them all, his worry barely disguised. I smiled at my brothers as I passed them, but judging by Harri’s increasing worry, we didn’t have time to hug and greet each other. Instead I bypassed them and went to Eli and Asher.

“Everything okay, Evie?” Eli asked.

“Yes. I just wanted to thank you both for all you’ve done,” I told them with a smile. “Thank you for taking care of the guys and for getting us all here.”

“Of course,” Asher nodded. “It was a pleasure. If you need anything else, then don’t hesitate to call us.” He pulled a business card from the pocket of his jeans and handed it to me. When I took it, he wrapped his hand around mine and squeezed it as he went on, “I mean that, Evie. Anything at all, you only have to call.”

“Th-thank you,” I replied, a little taken aback by how much he seemed to mean those words.

“And see if you can make those men of yours call us a little more often, okay? We’re family.”

“I will,” I promised as I put the business card into my pocket.

“Come on, sweetheart. We need to go,” Harris said as he appeared at my side. He shook hands briefly with Asher and Eli, then he was ushering me to the closest car, his head on a swivel the whole time.

I climbed into the back seat beside Kailan. Kyle was up front driving and Kade was beside him.

“Hey guys,” I greeted them both as I leaned forward and wrapped an arm around each of their necks. “Sorry about all the drama.”

“We’re just glad to have you home in one piece,” Kade told me as he patted my hand.

“Be even more glad when we get you out of here and safe at mom and dad’s,” Kyle grumbled.

“We’re staying at mom and dad’s? Isn’t your place safer?” I asked as I sat back and pulled on my seatbelt.

“It was, until that fucker hacked our system and got on the property. Now we’re all staying at mom and dad’s until we can update our security system,” Kade explained.

“We have three of our guys patrolling the grounds at all times, and I updated mom and dad’s security. It’s safe,” Kyle added.

“Maybe we should scale that back. We don’t want it to be too safe, otherwise he won’t dare come for me,” I pointed out.

“Evie,” Harris started, but was cut off.

“What the fuck are you talking about? The whole point is to stop him from coming for you,” Kyle growled.

“No,” I shook my head. “I’m done hiding. I want him to come for me this time. I need this thing to be over.”

“If you think you’re here as bait, you can fucking forget it, Evie,” Kade snapped angrily.

“We talked about this, darlin’,” Kailan said as he took my hand in his. “We’re not using you to lure the fucker out. We all agreed on that.”

“It’s the only way!” I snapped angrily. “He’ll come for me; we know that. Using me is the only way to end this.”

“No, it’s not, and even if it was, we wouldn’t be doing it,” Kyle threw back, sounding angry.

“Kyle…”

“No! I don’t want to hear it. Don’t bring it up again because it will never fucking happen. We already almost lost you. We are not going to risk that again.” Kyle’s knuckles were white, he gripped the steering wheel so hard as he spoke.

“They’re right, Ev. There are other ways to stop him. Aleks has all of the military files on his laptop. You can start going through them again to look for Soloman, and we can work with your brothers to find something the night he hit their place. There’s the explosion at ours too. We had cameras outside. Who knows what they captured? We’ll get him, but not by putting you at risk,” Harris agreed, much to my annoyance.

I sulked the rest of the drive back to my parents place. I didn’t get why they couldn’t see my plan was the best we had. It wasn’t like I’d be at risk really. They’d all be there and they’d stop Soloman before he even got to me. Maybe the FBI could be involved too? It was just the quickest way to end everything, and I needed that. I needed it to all be over and fast. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on.

When we pulled up to the gates of my parents property, there was a hulking guy, dressed all in black, waiting at the gates. He was clearly armed and had the Shepard Security logo on his jacket.

Kyle lowered his window and gave him a wave before driving past and through the, now opening, gates.

“Did they identify that girl yet? The one he pinned an eight on and left in your yard?” I asked.

“Yeah. She was a college kid from the city,” Kyle replied and tears filled my eyes at the thought of such a young life being cut short for no reason other that Soloman was a sick sonofabitch.

“Her death is not on you, Ev. It’s all him and he will pay for what he’s done,” Harris told me quietly, but how could I believe that when Soloman had clearly killed her to taunt me? Why else would he have pinned my number to her? Eight. That was me. I should have been the dead body with that number attached to me.

Thankfully the car came to a stop and the guys started piling out, saving me from having to say anything. I stepped out and looked up at my childhood home. It looked just the same as when I had left it to run to the store that fateful day.

My brothers surrounded me then, all four of them wanting hugs which I was more than happy to give. Even in the short time they’d been gone, I had missed them, especially when we had parted the way we did.

“Where’s Xand? Working?” I asked.

“Yeah. He said he’d try to be here for dinner if things weren’t too crazy in the ER,” Matt told me.

Just then, my mom opened the door and stepped out onto the top step. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater and she looked so much like the last time I had seen her, leaving her on that very same step to go to the grocery store.

“Mom,” I whispered as tears slipped down my cheeks. My legs shook beneath me as I ran across the drive, up the steps and right into her open arms.

“Oh my baby girl!” My mom cried as she held me. I could feel her own tears soaking my sweater as she lay her head against my shoulder and just sobbed.

“I’m okay, mom. I’m here and I’m okay,” I tried to comfort her through my own tears.

“Let me look at you,” she said as she gathered herself, then held me at arm’s length. She looked at me from top to bottom, then nodded, as if reassuring herself I really was whole. “You’re too thin, but we can soon fix that,” she told me. It was like a threat coming from her. To say her cooking sucked was being kind.

“Come on. Let me get my girls inside,” Dad said as he appeared beside us. He wrapped one arm around my mom and one around me, then led us both inside.

As we walked in with my brothers and my guys behind us, I turned to Matt and mouthed ‘Did you cook?’ to him. He grinned widely, then gave me a thumbs up, reassuring me, for that night at least, the food was safe to consume.

“Evie!” A voice cried, and when I looked up Livy was hurtling towards me from the kitchen. I hurried to her too and we met somewhere in the middle, tangling ourselves in a hug filled with so much understanding for what we had each been through. It was like we now knew each other so much more deeply than we ever could have before, and that hug said all of that and so much more.

She was smaller than me by a few inches and so slim and delicate in my arms, yet I knew inside she was so strong and tough. She had been through so much and it had made her into this amazing, powerful woman who I had always idolized.

“Thank God you’re home,” she sighed as she stood and looked me over. She smoothed some stray hairs from my face, tucking them behind my ears as she smiled gently. “You’re going to be okay, sweetie. I promise you that,” she told me as she wiped a tear from my cheek.

“Are you okay? What happened at your place, it must have been terrifying,” I asked as I tried hard to compose myself.

“I just wish I’d gotten my hands on the monster who hurt you. I’d have ended him then and there,” she growled with a scowl.

“Bloodthirsty, nowadays, isn’t she?” Cole laughed as he appeared at his wife’s side and wrapped his arm around her.

“I am when people hurt my family,” Livy told him firmly.

“Okay Brains, stop scaring people and come and meet Evie’s….erm…friends,” Cole told her, making me laugh. Livy turned back to me with a knowing wink, then allowed Cole to lead her over to where my guys stood.

I followed them and when I got to Aleks, he reached out and grabbed me, hooking an arm around my waist and pulling me into his side.

“Guys, this is Livy,” I started the introductions. “Livy, you already know Harris from before. This is Aleks, Kailan, and over there is Nick. With his adorable son, Zack.”

“He smells pretty far from adorable right now, babe,” Nick laughed as he scrunched up his face at the smell coming from his son.

“Let me show you where the bathroom is,” Mom said as she stepped out of dad’s arms and moved towards Nick. She grabbed Zack’s hand and instantly started cooing over him. I knew it was only a matter of time before she had the little guy in her arms and refused to give him back.

“So we have you all to thank for keeping Evie safe?” Livy asked as she looked between Harris, Kailan, and Aleks.

“You don’t need to thank us for anything,” Harris said as he grabbed my hand and held it between us. “There’s nothing we wouldn’t do to protect her.” Harris and I shared a look filled with so much emotion. My heart skipped a beat and I knew I was coming dangerously close to the ‘L’ word where these guys were concerned.

“Let’s head through to the dining room and get ready to eat. Dinner about ready, son?” Dad asked, looking to Matt for an answer.

“Should be. I just need to serve it up.”

“I’ll help you,” Livy offered as she stepped towards Matt and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Thanks, Cari?a,” Matt said as he leaned down to kiss her. Thankfully they kept it short. Livy and her guys still loved each other just the way they had when they were teenagers, and it was plain to see very time you walked in on them sharing a passionate kiss, or just by the way they touched and looked at each other. They had exactly what I had always wanted and now, for the first time ever, I dared to believe I may have found it. I glanced to my guys and smiled a little when I thought of us all having what Livy and my brother’s had.

“I should check on Nick and Zack,” I said as everyone started for the kitchen.

“I’ll go. You go and sit down. You look shaky and exhausted,” Kailan told me. I would have playfully slapped out at him for his honesty, but I knew he was right. It seemed like days since we fled from the guys home the day before and I was running very low on energy.

“Thank you,” I said instead, then I reached up and kissed his cheek. Kailan being Kailan, he cheekily turned his head so my kiss landed square on his lips, then he was grinning happily as he walked off to find Nick.

“You doing okay?” Harris asked as he wrapped his arm around me again and walked me to the kitchen.

“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “But this helps,” I added as I grabbed his hand and pulled his arm even tighter around me. He pulled me in closer and when I looked up, he kissed me just briefly.

When we got to the kitchen my family were already sitting around the huge dining table, all except Livy and Matt who were in the kitchen. I took a seat, purposely leaving one clear either side for two of my guys. I wanted them close and was relieved when Aleks and Harris took the spare seats.

“Where are the kids?” I asked as I realized how strangely quiet it was.

“We thought they’d be safer with Linc, Emilia, and the guys for now. They’re gonna stay a few nights while we work out next steps,” Cole replied.

“Because of me?” I asked, feeling guilty. “We could stay at your place, or a hotel, right? I mean we’d be safe enough on the top floor of a decent hotel.” I looked to Aleks for an answer, but didn’t wait for him to give one. “My friend, Faith, she’s the assistant manager at that big hotel in the city. I could call her and she’d….”

“Evie!” Kade barked, cutting me off. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re safe here and the kids are fine where they are. Linc’s family has a ton of space and the kids love being with Emilia, Park, and Jax and playing with little baby Harlow. Everyone is fine. Stop worrying so much.”

“How is Harlow?” I asked. Linc was Kyle’s half brother and growing up he became like a surrogate brother to me too. He was in a relationship with Emilia and two other guys – Parker and Jax. They’d just had their first baby before I was taken – a beautiful little girl called Harlow.

“Small, but doing great otherwise. She just started walking,” Kyle told me.

“Why is she small? Is she okay?”

“The doctor said it’s nothing to worry about. Emilia is tiny, isn’t she? Either Harlow has those genes and will always be on the small side, or she’ll catch up in time. Either way she’s just in the right percentile for her age, so she’s fine,” Kyle assured me.

“Who’s Linc?” Aleks asked.

“He’s Kyle’s half-brother. They found each other when I was five and ever since he’s been like a brother to me, I guess,” I shrugged. Our family was a complicated one to explain briefly.

Nick and Kailan came walking in with Zack between them. He was clutching one of each of their hands and walking on his own, a huge smile on his face as he went.

I got to my feet and rounded my seat, crouching so he could see me, and unable to stop myself from smiling at how adorable he looked.

“Look at you, clever little guy,” I told him happily. I held my arms out when he was just a few feet away, and the guys let his hands go so he could walk the last few steps on his own. He squealed excitedly as he held his arms out and hurried as much as he could into my arms.

“Yay! Clever boy!” I cried as I scooped him up and blew raspberries on his cheeks, making him laugh loudly. I held on to him as I got to my feet and moved back to my seat. Holding him and seeing how happy and carefree he was, felt like therapy and I needed it in that moment. He was everything that was pure and good in the world and I needed a reminder of that.

Nick and Kailan followed me and took seats alongside Harris. As I looked between them, they all looked as completely worn out as I felt. They were in the clothes from the day before, just as I was too, and we all needed long, hot showers. We had left the house with nothing but Zack, his blue bunny, and Aleks laptop, so we needed to buy more clothes for all of them. I had clothes upstairs in my room, or at least I hoped they were still all there. As we left Denver the guys had grabbed things from a store for Zack, but not for themselves. I needed to do something about that, but first we all needed to eat.

As if on cue, Matt and Livy started carrying in a ton of food and placing it into the middle of the table. As soon as Zack saw and smelled it, he was reaching for it and chattering away excitedly in his own baby language.

“I didn’t think about you, little buddy. Can you eat enchiladas?” Livy asked as she smiled affectionately at Zack.

“He’ll eat anything,” Nick laughed in reply.

“He’s like a human vacuum,” Harris added.

“Nothing wrong with a good appetite,” my mom declared as she came in carrying a wooden and fabric highchair.

“I didn’t know we still had that,” dad laughed as he jumped up to take it from her and carried it over to me. It was the highchair they had used for the grandkids, but I had no clue why they still had it several years after they last used it.

“I kept it in the garage. Knew we’d need it one day,” Mom replied. Dad set the seat down in the gap beside Nick as Mom came to me and reached for Zack,

“I knew it wouldn’t be long before you got your hands on him,” I laughed as I handed him over. “Just remember you have to give him back too.”

“No way,” Mom grinned evilly. “You’re all mine now, right little cutie?”

Zack jumped up and down excitedly in her arms, then reached for her hair to pull, but mom just let him. She loved kids. It was why she and dad had started fostering when they failed to have their own. They had fostered countless children over the years and that was how they met and came to adopt all of my brothers. Then I came along – a complete surprise pregnancy and they slowed down on the fostering to give their time to all of us.

I knew I was so incredibly lucky to have been born into such an amazing family. Not only had I always been surrounded by love and happiness. I had grown up with the strongest people I had ever known and I had learned so much from each of them. They had all made me who I was and were the reason I was still alive in that moment. Their strength was what had gotten me through my darkest days.

“Ev? You listening to me?” Harris asked with a chuckle. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to him with confusion.

“Sorry. What did you say?” I asked.

“He said you need to try and eat, but judging by how much you just zoned out, I’d say sleep is a top priority right now too,” Kailan laughed.

“Are you okay, maleńka?” Aleks asked.

“Just tired,” I assured him. “It’s been a tough couple of days.”

“Try to eat something first, then we’ll get you up to bed, okay sweetheart?” Harris asked.

“Okay,” I agreed with a nod. I looked between the four of them and smiled. How could I not when they were all mine and I got to be theirs?