Chapter 23
It was a good thing that Ellie had plenty of male company, as Wolf had referred to it, seeing that they were less likely to be spotted by whoever had their sights on Ellie.
In the hours that followed the enlightening meeting regarding the dark details Ellie might have been fated for, Ellie, Nash, and his brothers went into action.
They dared spend only a small amount of time in the suite as Wolf had suggested.
There, Ellie contacted Geneva, saying that, in light of the explosion, she wanted to put all “media leaks” on hold until further notice.
She asked Bronson if he would remain in Dallas; his presence there would make Ellie’s escape less obvious, plus he could keep an eye on Geneva.
The men stayed in the dinner clothes Wolf provided, and Ellie switched out the gown for slacks, a comfortable blouse, and a pair of flats.
She kept the wig on and let the dark strands hang long in front to alter her appearance even more.
Meanwhile, Nash and his brothers tackled the home front, sharing their recent findings with each member of the Copeland family.
It was during their conversation with Uncle Lloyd that Earl Emerson came up.
"Your grandma C and Lilly are on one of their cruises," Uncle Lloyd had said. "Once I fill Earl in on the details, he may offer up his place as a spot of respite.”
Uncle Lloyd went on to say that, though he wasn't sure it was necessary for the rest of the family to vacate their homes, he’d discussed that matter with everyone involved.
"You kids, focus on getting back here safe and sound, and we'll focus on having a place ready for you once you arrive. We’ll see to it that necessary precautions are taken here, too."
Moments later, they received a call from Earl himself with an invitation to come straight there; he’d be happy to host them.
As maxed out as Nash’s nerves had been—roughly three thousand on a scale of one-through-ten—Uncle Lloyd's sentiments had offered a degree of comfort.
After all, they weren't empty sentiments from your average rancher.
The man was a retired marshal, and Earl was too.
Beyond that, Earl had housed several people in witness protection over the years, and the Copelands had done a fair share of the same in recent years.
In less than an hour’s time, the group had made their necessary calls, packed their things into Wade’s double cab truck, and began heading for home.
"I can’t thank you guys enough for doing this," Ellie said as she wrung Nash’s hand the way he’d seen her mangle the hem of her blouse. "I still just keep expecting to wake up from the most bizarre nightmare my imagination could muster."
Nash knew exactly how she felt.
"I keep thinking the same thing," Wade said.
"It's definitely surreal," Wyatt agreed from behind the wheel.
“But, if you were ever going to wind up on a sex trafficking hit list on the dark web, you probably picked the right cowboy to end up with at the same time.” He glanced at the rearview to give Nash a knowing glance.
“I assume Nash has told you about our history with helping witnesses in need. "
"Well,” Nash said, chagrined, “I haven't told her yet. I mean, before today, I’d have said they weren’t my stories to tell, but after talking to everyone back home, they agreed that it would give her some encouragement.”
“Good,” Wade said. “How about I start by telling her about the Emersons. That family has a story you'd have to see to believe."
Wade broke into the retelling of how the Emerson men—Blake, Gavin, and Shane—had taken in witnesses under an extension of their Uncle Earl's Witness Protection. An unofficial, albeit just as dangerous, undertaking.
And as Wyatt helped fill in some of the details, Nash noted a drastic shift in the energy in the cab. Chuckles of amazement and awe met stories of triumph when the cases were all said and done.
Ellie stopped trying to pulverize Nash’s hand, and soon, she was leaning softly against the back of the seat with a rather amused, shock-infused grin on her face.
"I can't believe that that's how all three of them found their wives," she said with a laugh. "That's amazing."
It was time to tell Taja’s story, and Nash suggested Wyatt take the lead on that since he’d been the one to tell her about how Abbie barely escaped an abusive ex, and how she’d almost lost her parents, as well as her own life, in the process. Nash had assisted in the final takedown with that one.
As Wyatt retold the tale of Taja and Rosie's trip to the ranch, Nash felt himself slipping from the tight grip of anxiety and fear, their dark power fading in the light of each triumphant tale. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to find a situation that could endanger the family once again, but that was where they were, and Nash was just grateful that he had his family and the Emersons to lean on.
They’d helped their loved ones get through such circumstances before, and he felt confident they could do it again.