Chapter 30 #2
“This sport has some serious issues,” she mutters, shaking her head. “I’ll radio to maintenance to close off the public facing entrance. Caelia, you were close to the staff sections. If you’d kept going, you’d have been safe.”
“He grabbed my hair,” I explain, pulling on the pins of my ruined buns so that it comes tumbling down. Maybe it’ll help hide the fact that my face is so bruised. “I never would have made it.”
Marilyn bites back whatever she has to say, turning away as she pulls out her radio, speaking into it to seal the hallway.
Miles crouches in front of me where Addie sits close to me, his fingers on my chin to push my face up. His thumb rubs over my cheek, blowing out a breath as he gazes at me.
“I can see the red spot on McCreuger’s face where you headbutted him,” he mutters. “You’re insane, you know that?”
My lips twitch in amusement, because he’s not wrong. All I wanted to do was hurt McCreuger and survive my run-in with him. I feel as if I’m going through a rollercoaster of emotions right now, and none of it makes much sense.
“Fuck, I don’t think I’d be able to survive if something happened to you,” he says, hugging me. Santo pushes my hair off my shoulder so he can bury his face where my scent is strongest behind me.
“Me either,” he says.
“Me three,” Addie sniffles, which makes me burst into tears. “Sorry, that was my fault. We always trigger the other person when we start to cry.”
“It’s true,” I wail, leaning against Santo’s chest.
“Write it all down,” he says, pressing the clipboard into my lap.
“Maybe skip the incriminating parts,” Addie adds, making me laugh. It’s unhinged and slightly hysterical, a testament to how shaky I feel. “Keep breathing for me, okay?”
Nodding, I take the pen from Santo as well and begin writing down what happened to me when I was eighteen. The tears flow as I remember it all, and Miles sits beside me with his back against the wall. McCreuger remains passed out, his tooth on the ground still, where I try not to glance over at.
It’s disgusting and freaking me out.
“Caelia,” Levon says worriedly, running down the halls to join us.
“She’s okay,” Miles says. “Sit down but don’t bug her.”
“She’s not okay,” he growls. “McCreuger is laying on the ground and bruised all to shit. Who did that?”
“She did, and I finished it,” Miles says calmly. It’s a false calmness, and I twitch violently as I think about that. My writing is messy scrawl at this point, and I have to hope that it’s even legible as I keep the majority of the tears from falling on the paper.
Taking a shaky breath, I continue to write as Levon drops onto his ass in front of me.
His fingers run over my ankle, helping to ground me in the midst of so much chaos in my mind.
I’m trying to make sure I get down all of the details of what happened while also desperately hoping that Miles doesn’t get in trouble for this.
Swallowing hard, I flick my gaze up to meet his fierce dark blue eyes.
“Do we need to take you to the hospital?” he asks softly. There’s no anger there about why I didn’t tell him about the men who hurt me, just concern for me.
“I hate the hospital,” I admit, shuddering violently.
“You have a huge knot on your forehead,” Santo says. “Did you lose consciousness at all?”
“No,” I say, allowing Miles to take the clipboard from me. “I don’t think I’d be sitting here if I had. He was going to rape me again.”
“If I knew it wouldn’t change how you look at me, I’d kill the fucker. Instead, I want to dump McCreuger's ass at the police station, but I need this to be visible on his body,” he grumbles.
I hate to admit it, but I don’t know that it would change how I look at the alphas who have told me over and over that I’m theirs. Theirs to protect and adore. I don’t want them to kill for me though. I’d spend the rest of my life, waiting for someone to take them from me.
“Would this work to pin it to his shirt?” Addie asks, taking a large safety pin from her jeans. As she holds it up, I see that it was holding one of the patches in place. “I had a wardrobe malfunction on the way here.”
“That’ll work,” Miles says, rolling his body up to stand and take it from her.
My head drops back on Santo’s shoulder with a small sigh, feeling as if I’ve aged years in the short period it took to write out my story.
“Marilyn has the path to the nearest exit cleared out,” Levon says, standing. Instead of wearing his suit, he’s in the same clothes he left the house with his slides. “Let’s haul McCreuger out the back door.”
Miles pins the confession to McCreuger's shirt, wrinkling his nose.
“Why does he have to weigh so much,” he groans.
“Your back,” I remind him. “There’s no way that you can drag him out.”
“I mean, it would serve McCreuger right to get dragged along the ground,” Addie grunts.
“Go get the car, Miles,” Santo says. “Addie, can we drop you at your car?”
“Yes,” she nods. “I don’t really want to walk alone right now.”
“Yeah, there’s no way we’d let that happen,” Miles says, already jogging down the hallway.
I get up off the floor, letting Addie take my hand as we watch Levon and Santo pick McCreuger up by his arms and legs. Levon also puts the alpha’s tooth in his pocket so we’ll leave less evidence behind.
Moving together like slightly drunk people, we make it down the hall and through the main staff area. Santo has McCreuger's arms and hits the alpha’s head on purpose as we pass a table leg. He also suffers from a few more mysterious injuries as we pass through the exit door.
Addie and I pretend not to notice, and she begins to talk to me to help my nerves.
“I think we need a massage after all this,” she says, watching as Miles pulls up and pops the trunk of the SUV.
“You do,” Santo says. “I’ll book one for the two of you. It’ll have to be when someone won’t call in a domestic violence case against us though.”
“You’d never touch her,” Addie says, appalled.
“No, but the massage people wouldn’t know that,” Miles says, watching as Santo and Levon toss McCreuger into the back.
“Someone on the team has a sister who works at a spa,” Levon grunts. “I’ll schedule there for this week and loop her into some of the details so you’re not pressed for information.”
“They’re handy,” Addie says, keeping things light as I get into the car with her.
“Go to the house,” Miles says. “I’m just going to roll him out at the entrance.”
“You need another pair of hands to do that,” Levon says, rolling his eyes.
“I’ll take the car,” Santo says, holding his hand out for the keys.
Levon gives them to him before climbing in with McCreuger, and then we’re set as Miles closes the door behind him.
“This is surreal,” Addie says under her breath as Miles gets into the car. I watch as Santo takes off toward Levon’s vehicle, and I have to agree with her.
“Where are you parked, Addie?” he asks.
She gives him directions to her car, and Levon perks up from the back seat as we arrive.
“You’re all set for your appointment,” Levon says. “I texted her. I’ll have Caelia send you the time.”
“You’re like a ninja of self care, Levon,” Addie says, giving me a hug. “Love you, babe. Text me when you get home.”
“Love you too,” I say, watching as she gets out and walks to her car. Miles waits until she’s in her vehicle and pulling out before driving on.
My alphas really are gentlemen.
“How are you doing, baby?” Miles asks, glancing in the rearview mirror at me.
“Tired,” I sigh. “I feel completely drained.”
“I’m not surprised after all of this,” he says. “The station isn’t far from here. Then we can all shower, break out some of Santo’s last batch of cookies, and binge watch a show. Was it Dreiten’s Creek?”
He butchers it so badly, I can’t help but giggle, and he winks at me through the mirror before returning his attention to the road. Miles did it on purpose to make me laugh.
The police station comes up quickly on the left, and Miles turns smoothly into it. The area is busy for ten at night, with officers walking back and forth.
“Levon, we’re going to have to be quick,” Miles explains. “I’ll open the trunk from up here and you’re going to shove the asshole like the garbage human he is.”
“The cops will be too worried about their little present to follow us,” Levon agrees.
Miles drives right up to the front door of the building, popping the trunk. Levon shoves McCreuger out, yelling, “Incoming!”
I clamp my hand over my mouth as an inappropriate giggle threatens to come out, and Levon grabs the inner handle and slams it closed. I look over my shoulder as Miles slams his foot down on the gas, watching as officers run toward McCreuger.
One stares after us, his feet planted as his hand reaches for his firearm. My lips open to warn Miles but his gaze meets mine. I know I have to look like a mess, and he looks concerned for a second.
Yes, but you were going to shoot at us, ass.
Miles flies around the corner and back onto the road a moment later, leaving the station behind. McCreuger is now their problem. Levon vaults over the back seat beside me, unbuckling my seatbelt to hug me in his lap. My ear presses to his chest as he purrs, and the tears begin to flow again.
“I knew that was going to happen,” he whispers. “You’ve been holding on pretty hard, baby. The bond feels really tense.”
“I didn’t want to make things worse,” I admit, sniffling.
“Never worse,” Miles says, driving home. “Your emotions are honest, and tonight was pretty awful.”
“If I could wrap you up in a bubble, I would,” Levon sighs. “I vote for that show to be done in bed.”
“Motion passed,” Miles grunts, making me grin.
God, I am so fucking lucky. It doesn’t matter how often trouble seems to find me, my alphas and Addie are there for me. My eyes feel heavy and Levon plays with my hair.
“Take a break, baby. Go ahead and close those pretty eyes.”
Taking a deep breath, I completely relax and do just that.