Elsie
Iknew Wyatt was worried about me coming to class, but I didn’t know how worried until I received his message about me coming back to the clubhouse.
Under any other circumstances, I would’ve just done what he said and headed back, but I had to get my project assignment for the following week.
And I had Torch and Alto watching my every move.
They even walked with me up the front steps of my building and watched as I headed inside.
They were taking every precaution—not that they needed to.
There were people everywhere, including campus security.
I felt completely safe, which was why I replied to Wyatt that I was on my way to class and put my phone on silent.
I shoved it into my back pocket and continued down the hall.
“Ben?” I gasped. “What the hell? What are you doing?”
“I came to warn you.” He eased his hoodie back, revealing his unshaven face and tired eyes. It looked like he hadn’t slept or bathed for days. “These men you live with aren’t who you think they are.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“They are dangerous. They’re criminals.” He grabbed my arm, tugging me closer as he warned, “You gotta get away from them.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“I’m sorry I had to pull you in here, but it’s the only way I could talk to you.” He pointed his hand towards the door. “I couldn’t get close to you with those two friends of yours following your every move.”
“Okay. You have my attention. Now, tell me what the hell you want.”
“You’re in danger. You gotta come with me,” he pleaded. “I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I gave him a hard shove. “You need to get the hell out of here and never speak to me again.”
“I’m not leaving without you, Elsie.” He inched his hoodie up, revealing the pistol harnessed at his waist. “You’re coming with me.”
Until that moment, I’d been too angry to realize that I was in danger and should be scared. There was no doubt about that now. Panic washed over me as I stammered, “You don’t... you don’t want to do this, Ben.”
“No, I don’t, but you’ve left me no choice.” His voice turned menacing as he growled, “There are questions that have to be answered, and you’re gonna help me answer them.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I don’t have time for this shit.” His tone grew fierce as he snarled, “You’re coming with me, and then you can answer all his stupid questions.”
This was bad.
This was very, very bad.
I knew the guys were right outside. I also knew the likelihood of Ben getting past them was slim, but he had a gun and he looked just rattled enough to use it. I needed him to settle down, so I kept my tone steady as I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It doesn’t matter. We just gotta go.”
“But how? You can’t exactly walk out of here with a gun at my back.”
“That’s exactly what I’m gonna do.” He eased the door open and peered through the crack, checking to see if anyone was in the hall. My stomach dropped when he took hold of my arm and ordered, “Let’s go.”
“Ben, please.”
“I don’t have time for games, Elsie. Move your ass or you’ll make me do something we’ll both regret.”
My mind was racing as I stepped out in the hall. I knew I couldn’t leave with him, so I started looking around, searching for someone who might be able to help me.
There was no one.
Classes had already started, and the halls were clear.
It was just me and Ben, leaving me no choice but to try and talk some sense into him. “This is a bad idea, Ben. You have to know that.”
“It didn’t have to be this way.” He looked down at me with emotion-filled eyes. “If you’d just listened to me, I could’ve helped you. I could’ve prevented all this. Now, you’ll have to deal with him.”
The eerie tone in his voice and the second mention of him had me spiraling. My pulse quickened and my throat tightened, making it difficult to speak as I muttered, “Deal with who?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he opened the glass door and shoved me through it, then started forcing me towards the parking lot.
We hadn’t gotten far when Stitch stepped up behind us.
I’d barely blinked when he had his hand on Ben’s throat, squeezing it tightly as he pinned him against the building.
“This is how it’s gonna go. The girl is gonna walk away, and you and I are gonna take a little walk out to my truck. ”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I got a .45 that says different.” Stitch kept his hand at Ben’s throat as he rammed the barrel of his gun into Ben’s chest. “Elsie, go. Torch and Alto are waiting for you.”
Without any hesitation, I did as Stitch ordered and stepped free from Ben’s grasp. Wrath was standing at Stitch’s side keeping watch, and he was quick to motion me in Torch’s direction. He was standing at the bottom of the steps and was talking on the phone.
As I made my way down to him, I was relieved to see that there were only a few students in the area, and they all were preoccupied with their phones or each other.
Concern marked Torch’s face as he rushed up to me and asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Good.” He took me by the arm and led me out to the parking lot as he spoke into the phone, “We got her. She’s good.”
There was a brief pause, and then he replied, “Yeah, we’re headed back now.”
He hung up the phone and shoved his phone in his back pocket. When we got out to his truck, he opened the door and waited as I got inside. Before he closed the door, I asked, “What about my car?”
“Alto will drive it back for you.” He held out his hand as he said, “Give me the keys.”
Again, I didn’t argue.
I gave him the keys, and he tossed them over to Alto.
Minutes later, we were all on the road headed back to the clubhouse, and for the first time, I had a second to think about what had just transpired.
I’d been so wrong about everything. I’d thought Ben was just a regular guy, but today proved that wasn’t the case.
I had no idea what was going on between him and the brothers, but there was no doubt that he was in trouble.
He’d come to kidnap me, and he would’ve succeeded if Stitch hadn’t shown up.
And while I was relieved he came when he did, I couldn’t figure out how he knew we were in that storage closet.
I knew it was doubtful that Torch would give me a clear answer, but I had to ask, “What were Stitch and Wrath doing in the communications building? Were they there for me or for Ben?”
“You know I can’t answer that.” He kept his eyes trained on the road as he added, “Best to forget any of this happened.”
“But it did happen.”
“Elsie.”
“What about Ben? What’s going to happen to him?”
“None of your concern.”
“How can you say that?” I huffed. “I’m the one he had locked up in a storage closet! I’m the one he threatened with a gun!”
“He did what?”
“He had a gun.” My throat tightened as I told him, “He told me he was taking me with him and that I could answer his questions.”
“Answer whose questions?”
“I have no idea.”
The more I thought about my exchange with Ben, the more rattled I became.
I’d really messed up. I should’ve listened to Wyatt.
I should’ve gone home like he asked me to, but I was too damn worried about a stupid class to listen, and it could’ve cost me.
Thankfully, Stitch came before things got out of hand.
I didn’t bother asking Torch any more questions.
There was no point.
He didn’t know any more than I did, and even if he did, he wouldn’t tell me.
When we got back to the clubhouse, Torch led me inside and said, “I’m sure Cotton will want a word with you. Until then, go to your room and stay put.”
I nodded, then did as he’d ordered and went straight to my room. I’d barely closed my door when it flew open, and Wyatt charged inside.
“Are you okay?” He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly as he asked, “Did he hurt you?”
“No, he didn’t hurt me... I’m okay, Wyatt.”
“Are you sure?”
He held my gaze as he brought his hands up to my face and slowly brushed his thumb across my bottom lip.
He slowly leaned closer, and warmth rushed over me when I felt a slight tickle from his beard against my jaw.
He was so close, just inches away, but he didn’t kiss me.
Instead, he hovered over me, lingering above me as he whispered, “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you. ”
Without saying anything more, he lowered his lips to mine in a possessive kiss.
His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me over to him as he delved deeper, claiming me with his mouth.
I’d never felt anything so intense, so full of emotion, as we clung to each other like we were taking our last breath.
I felt safe in his arms, like he would do anything in the world to protect me, and I immediately missed the sensation when he eased back, breaking our embrace.
“Cotton’s gonna want a word with you.”
“Yeah, Torch already told me, but there’s not much to tell.”
“He’ll want to hear it all the same.”
“I figured as much.” I inhaled a deep breath, then asked, “Do you think there’s any way we can just get it over with?”
“Yeah.” He reached down and took my hand in his. “He’s waiting for us in his office.”
“Okay.”
Wyatt led me out of the room, and together, we made our way down the hall to Cotton’s office.
When we walked in, he was sitting at his desk talking to Guardrail, and neither of them appeared to be in the best of moods.
In fact, they looked fit to be tied. His expression softened, and Cotton sounded sincerely worried as he asked, “You okay?”
“Yes, sir. I’m fine.”
“Good. You had us worried there for a minute.” His eyes narrowed as he asked, “You wanna tell me what happened today?”
“Yeah, sure, but like I told Wyatt, there’s not much to tell.”
“Still wanna hear it from you.”
“Yes, sir.” Wyatt gave my hand a gentle squeeze as I told him, “He pulled me into the closet and started saying all this crazy stuff about you guys being dangerous and that I needed to get away from you. I told him he was off his rocker, and I might’ve pushed him.
That’s when he showed me his gun and told me he was taking me with him. ”
Cotton glanced over at Guardrail, then back to me. “Any idea where he was planning to take you?”
“No, sir. He didn’t say.”
“Anything else?”
“He mentioned something about me answering his questions, but I have no idea who he was talking about. He forced me out of the closet, and when we stepped out of the building, that’s when Stitch appeared.
And our conversation ended there.” I nervously bit down on my bottom lip before saying, “I’m really sorry.
I should’ve listened to Wyatt and gone back to the clubhouse the second he texted me. ”
“Yes, you should have.” His tone turned fatherly as he scolded, “Things could’ve turned out very differently today, and none...”
Before he could finish his thought, Two Bit stepped into the office and announced, “He’s ready.”
Cotton nodded, then turned to Wyatt. “We’re done here. Take her back to her room and then come find us.”
“You got it.”
With that, we all filed out of the office and into the hall. Cotton and Guardrail followed Two Bit towards the back door while Wyatt and I headed back to my room. When we walked in, I looked up at Wyatt and asked, “I don’t guess you’re gonna tell me where you all are going?”
“No, but I can tell you that I won’t be long.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “Try to stay out of trouble until I get back.”
“I’ll do my best.”
He took one last look at me, then turned and walked out of the room. I won’t deny that I wanted him to stay. I wanted him to hold me in his arms and calm the storm of thoughts that were racing through my head. But sadly, it didn’t matter what I wanted. The brothers needed him, and that was that.
My time would come.
I just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.