Chapter 46 #2
I’m practically tackled by several people as soon as I walk through the door.
Rachel smothers me with one of her signature bone-crushing hugs that leaves me wheezing while crying about how happy she is to see me.
Lauren gives me a compassionate squeeze, a slight baby bump beginning to show through her clothes.
Shockingly, even Jerri comes over, and while she doesn’t hug me, she tells me how glad she is that I’m back.
Rhys gets attacked by his sister, who tries to climb him like a koala.
Thankfully, Matt, her husband, stops her before she can, and instead gives her brother an enthusiastic hug while being careful of his ribs.
The look of shock on his face is priceless, but he eventually softens and hugs her back.
Matt hugs him next, doing that weird manly hug where they thump one another on the back before stepping away.
Anthony and a couple of the security guys come over to welcome Rhys and me back, with Anthony giving me a hug and Rhys a pat on the shoulder. The councillors linger off to the side, watching with a mixture of guilt and relief as the guys and I are finally let into the room.
Charles is the first to approach, his body stiff as he stops in front of us. “It’s good to see you both alive and well,” he says in a stilted voice.
Adam and Katherine approach next and echo his sentiments, with Katherine even offering a small smile and a pat.
I stand there awkwardly, not really sure how to react to these people.
I don’t know them very well, and it’s obvious they’re feeling somewhat responsible for what Rhys and I went through as a result of Elsa’s betrayal.
While it wasn’t their fault, I can’t help but feel a bit of resentment towards them since they allowed this to happen right beneath their noses.
Not that I’m comfortable telling them that.
Rhys, however, has no qualms about glaring at the three of them. “No thanks to any of you,” he says as he sidles up next to me and drapes an arm over my shoulders.
The three councillors blanch, with Charles even taking a step back before they nod and hurry away to take their seats.
Rhys pulls me against his side and presses a kiss to my hair before directing me to a seat near the front of the room. Across the table, Rachel practically squeals in delight as he bounces in her chair.
“I fucking knew it!” she shouts, causing several people to turn to her in confusion. “I want details!”
My cheeks burn as I glare at her, silently telling her to shut the fuck up.
She simply meets my eyes with a wide grin, and I just know she’s going to hunt me down and demand answers later.
Alex and Theo laugh as they take seats on either side of me, both of them moving so close that I’m practically in their laps.
Rhys shakes his head with a rueful smile as he goes to stand at the head of the table.
The moment he places his hands on the wood, the chatter in the room stops, and every set of eyes turn to him. The fact he can command a room by merely existing shouldn’t be as hot as it is, and I find myself squirming in my seat a little.
Theo catches the movement and smirks. “Behave, baby,” he murmurs, his lips ghosting over the shell of my ear. “You can jump him later.”
Alex presses closer on my other side. “And if you can’t, I’m more than happy to help.”
“That’s not helping,” I hiss at both of them.
Their chests vibrate with silent laughter. Assholes.
Rhys cuts a sharp glance at us and cocks an eyebrow, silently telling us to behave.
I sigh heavily. Yeah, the way he’s looking at me isn’t helping either.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Alex says, brushing an apologetic kiss against my temple.
He doesn’t sound sorry. Not at all. Dick.
“Alright, since everyone is here, let’s get this over with,” Rhys says, having turned his attention back to the room.
“We know Elsa is working with the two gangs and as such, we should expect them to know every single weakness Haven has. That includes our storage sites, weapons caches, and especially the secret exits.”
“Do you know why she was working with the Scourge?” someone from the security team calls out. “Or even how she got in contact with them?”
Rhys shakes his head. “No, and at this point, I don’t think her reasons matter. What does matter is how we’re going to deal with the incoming attack.”
“Incoming attack?” Charles asks, looking even paler than he did before. “Where did you hear that?”
Rhys pins him with a stare. “Nowhere, but it doesn’t take a genius to know that their next plan will be to attack Haven using the intel Elsa and the others gave them.”
A few people murmur, shock and fear on their faces.
I don’t blame them; the Scourge are a terrifying gang who are as ruthless and bloodthirsty as their reputation paints them.
Add in the numbers from the Lodge and it becomes a nightmare.
But I don’t understand why they’re shocked by this news.
Surely people know they’re going to come back?
Their very first invasion was a success and they’ll be hungry for more.
The chatter gets louder.
Rhys holds up a hand, silencing everyone. “I get that this is shocking news to some of you, but if we want to survive this, we need to plan as soon as possible.” He turns to Anthony. “What’s the status on the perimeter wall?”
Anthony, who’s leaning against the far wall, straightens.
“In need of repairs in several places. While you were held captive, we mainly focused on patrolling the other secret exits, since one has already been compromised, while fortifying the front gate and gathering intel on who the traitor was.” He flicks his gaze to the nervous-looking councillors on the other side of the room.
“We didn’t want to panic the civilian population more than they already were, so we kept it quiet.
At least, not until we found evidence of more traitors.
After that, our main focus has been the imprisonment and interrogation of said traitors. ”
Rhys nods, his expression contemplative. “How long do you estimate it’ll take to patch those holes and fortify the wall?”
“Less than a day for patching the holes and probably three days for fortification. That’s if we can round up a few civs that are known skilled carpenters.”
“Alright. I want that to be your main priority and to push the interrogations to the back burner, at least until the wall has been taken care of. And while you’re at it, patch up the exit you know and the compromised one.”
Anthony inclines his head, and Rhys moves on to the next subject: training.
“I want every person in this place to know how to hold and shoot a gun and how to wield a knife. I know we don’t have enough guns for everyone, but there should be an ample supply of knives, and they’re important skills to have in case shit hits the fan. This includes everyone in this room.”
No one argues. Probably because most people in the room are more than comfortable handling weaponry.
Rhys continues the meeting, instructing several of us to take an inventory of all our supplies; from food to weapons to building materials.
He wants everything documented, which is a huge undertaking considering how much stuff is here.
Luckily, there are more than enough of us to make it a little less daunting.
By the end of the meeting, everyone has their marching orders, and I’m still trying not to show just how much commanding Rhys turns me on. Although judging from the knowing smirks on the guys’ faces, I don’t do a good job.
But unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it. Rhys and Theo are still injured, and we have a ton of work to do if we want to survive the incoming attack. Even if I’d much rather drag the three of them back to the cabin and beg them to fuck me.
Sometimes life sucks.