Chapter 23 #2
“For now,” I snap loudly, drawing everyone’s attention back to me.
“The guy admitted that whoever sent him will send others. They aren’t going to stop looking for her.
If they know she’s in Caddawalk, then it’ll only be a matter of time before they show up here to snoop around. This isn’t safe for any of us!”
“Then we’ll be here to stop every attack until I know who the fuck is behind it,” Ledger snarls, as he turns to face me. “Blair’s safest here with us.”
“I agree,” Wes says slowly, his voice strained. “She has a better chance with us watching her back rather than on her own.”
Santi nods stiffly, stepping closer to Blair as if they aren’t already practically on top of one another. Before he can throw an arm back around her, Blair shifts away from him by taking a step toward the back door.
“Have you heard from Dad yet?” she asks Ledger.
The expression on Ledger’s face says he’d rather take a bullet to the face than answer that question.
With a measured shake of his head, Ledger says, “No, but that doesn’t mean that’s bad news. You know how Anchor is. Until the threat is gone, we might not hear from him.”
Blair takes another step toward the door, her expression going blank. “I think I’m going to skip breakfast and go for a walk.”
“Blair,” Wes and Santi call in unison.
She doesn’t stop as she swoops down to grab her shoes sitting beside the door and opens it.
“I’ll head down to Building D after I clear my head. I want to finish cleaning out that room,” she calls before shutting the door behind her.
Everyone turns to look at me. No, not look, glare at me.
“I’m not wrong to be concerned for all of our safety,” I tell them coldly despite the twinge of guilt in my stomach. “If I have to be the voice of reason, I will.”
By the time I find Blair several hours later, I’m calm, clearheaded, and have a plan.
I was serious when I told the others that I’d be the voice of reason. They may not have agreed with me, but that’s okay. I’ll be the asshole if that’s what it takes to keep everyone here safe. And how much of an asshole am I really if I have a plan for Blair to be safe too?
None of the employees in Building D notice me as I walk by. It’s Sunday, which means it’s a half day and soon these guys will be out of here. I can tell they’re pretty much clocked out as they talk amongst themselves.
I head to the back of the warehouse. There, along the wall of the hallway, is all the furniture that’s been evicted from the soon-to-be nurses’ station. I eye it curiously, wondering if Blair managed all of this by herself.
When I step into what used to be a storage closet, I find her still working.
She’s moving the last piece of furniture to its new home.
The closet is bigger than I thought now that there’s hardly anything in it.
I stand in the doorway and watch as she places a tall but narrow metal shelving unit beside the sink that needs to be attached to the plumbing.
She steps back and wipes her hands together.
The motion causes dust to cloud around them.
I clear my throat, not wanting to startle her.
It happens anyway. Blair flinches as she whirls around.
Her expression is hard, her hand going to her side where I’m sure there’s a gun hidden beneath the length of her shirt.
When Blair’s eyes land on me, she doesn’t relax.
Her hand does fall back to her side though which is good enough for me.
“Hey,” I greet, stepping into the room. “Can we… talk?”
Blair’s eyes sweep over me, then she looks behind me. When her attention returns to my face, her eyes have darkened with suspicion.
“Yeah, of course.” She looks around the room. “Um, but there’s nowhere to sit.”
“That’s fine, this won’t take long,” I promise as I move further into the room.
Blair’s suspicion grows more prevalent the closer I get. I stop within a few feet between us so she feels more comfortable. I don’t blame her hesitation. It’s not like we’re all that friendly with one another. This morning didn’t help that either.
I’m not here to be friends, but to call a truce of sorts.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt out stiffly. “About my outburst this morning, I mean. I shouldn’t have said anything about you and Santi.”
Blair nods once. “It’s fine. I’d be surprised, too, if the roles were reversed. I expected Santi to tell you that something happened between us. I just didn’t expect… well a scene.”
Something happened between us… Her words repeat in my head twice before fading away.
My stomach knots. All the nameless emotions from earlier threaten to return but they’re not the only ones to swell up. Curiosity grows and, regrettably, arousal. What was it like between the two of them? I shove the question away before I can dwell on it for even a second. That’s not why I’m here.
“Santi likes attention. Always expect a scene with him,” I grumble. “But I don’t like scenes and yet I made one, so like I said, I’m sorry.”
“Forgiven,” she says simply, some of the tension finally leaking out of her stance.
This is it, I need to just blurt out my plan and get this over with. But a flash of Santi’s beaming face stalls the words in my throat. He was so happy this morning. I’ve never seen him glow like that as he stared down at Blair, with his hands gently cupping her face.
I can’t give Santi what he’s looking for, but maybe Blair could? I hate that it's even a possibility—she’s dangerous to him. What’s worse is that I hate that I can’t be that person for him. I like seeing him happy.
I don’t realize that I’m standing here staring, lost in thought, until Blair takes a step back as she wipes her dirty hands on her pants. The movement brings me back into the moment.
“Was there something else you wanted?” she asks, curiously. “Or was that it?”
I swallow, determined to see this through. “There’s something else.”
Blair nods as if expecting there to be more.
“Look, I think it’s safe to say you’re pretty smart,” I start.
“You have to be to have made it here in one piece with people after you. You’re also a hard worker and you make everyone around here smile which doesn’t happen as often as you think it does.
Life gets monotonous at Gnarly Pines so you being here is like a breath of fresh air. It’s… not been terrible, I guess.”
Blair’s head jerks back as I pause. An uncertain half-smile tugs at her pretty, full lips—the same ones that kissed Santi—and she tilts her head to the side.
“Okay, this is weird, Rhett,” she admits with a dithering chuckle. “Can we skip the flattery and get straight to your point?”
I clear my throat and force out, “You have to go, Blair.”
Her face falls but not in disappointment. There’s understanding there. I thought I had seen a flash of it in the kitchen, and I’ve been hoping that I had read it correctly because my whole plan banks on her and that understanding.
“Unless you know who’s after you?” I ask her. “Who have you told about your real identity? Could they be behind this? If we can stop them before they send anyone else—”
“I’ve never uttered my name out loud before I arrived at Gnarly Pines,” Blair says, cutting me off quietly. “Never.”
I shrug. “Well, I doubt your dad or Ledger told someone after all these years of keeping that secret safe. Either way, people know who you are now and that’s put a target on you.
” I step closer, imploring her to hear me.
“But, as I’m sure you’re aware, not everyone’s aim is accurate.
People will come for you but the four of us could be casualties. ”
Blair stares at me, her expression becoming hard and unreadable. What’s she thinking?
“I know you and I haven’t really been on the same page but that doesn’t mean I hate you.
I don’t want to see you dead, Blair. No more than I want to see the others turned into corpses,” I press on after a moment of silence.
“And while you’re here, I’ve got your back.
That being said, I just want everyone to be safe.
I like my life here, Blair. I like the people in it.
With you around, all of this could go up in smoke.
I’ve already lost so much in my life, please don’t let your presence here be the cause of more loss. ”
Blair’s arms come up and wrap around her middle as she looks away from me. The gesture makes her look small and unsuspecting.
“What am I supposed to do, Rhett?” she asks without looking at me.
“Let me help you get out of here. I know somewhere you could be safe,” I offer quickly. “I’ll even take you there myself. I’ll make sure you’re settled and once you are, I can assure the others you’re good.”
She frowns. “They don’t know you’re here talking to me about this, do they?”
“No.” I shake my head. “And they would probably object, which is why I came straight to you. You’ve seen the lengths these hitmen will go to get their hands on you, Blair.
You know what they’re capable of. And while Ledger, Wes, and Santi all want to help, they can’t.
Not really. What happens when Ledger’s friend doesn’t warn him in time about the next threat that shows up?
None of us would see trouble coming until it was already too late.
We can’t help you if the threat is invisible.
So, the best bet is to get you somewhere far from here.
Like I said, I’ll come with you and make sure you’re set up to thrive.
I won’t leave until I know you’re good.”
Blair’s face twists with devastation and I know she’s actually hearing me. Some of the worry leaks from my body and I relax.
“You’re right,” she admits, looking away from me. “I should go before—”
“Don’t fucking finish that sentence!”
Blair jumps, and I whirl to find Santi standing in the doorway. His face is red and his eyes are bright with fury. He reaches up to grab the doorframe and he leans forward, glaring at me.
“You’re such a fucking hypocrite!” he bellows.