Chapter Thirty Nine #2
“And tell them what? That your boyfriend did an illegal wiretap and hacked bank records of every Harrison Clyde out there until he found the right one?” His green gaze is as heated as the searing warmth of his palm pressing against my pulse.
I’m not used to seeing emotion rippling just beneath his surface, his cool facade taking a rest. All of which puts me so much more on edge.
“We could send the information anonymously,” I almost plead, although for reasons I can’t disclose, I don’t pull my wrist away from his hold. This time, it’s Thiago who shakes his head with barely any motion behind it.
“Even if they take the tip-off seriously, it will take them far too long to investigate and get a search warrant.” His features pinch with something akin to sorrow.
I know he’s smart enough to have already fleshed out this incredulous idea from every angle, but there has to be another way.
Evidently playing their own version of good cop/bad cop, Everest releases my wrist, his patience officially running out.
“I figured you were tough enough to see this through,” he comments with a disappointed sigh. My mouth drops, all of the panic flaring within churning into something else. It flares hot within my veins, searing through my mind until I’m sparking on all pistons.
“How fucking dare you. You have no idea what I’ve suffered at the hands of that man.”
“No, I don’t,” Everest agrees, setting his jaw, “but you do. Laura is suffering that same fate now. Are you going to be the tenacious captain I know you to be, standing up for your girls and stopping at nothing to keep them safe? Or are you going to hide away in your private dorm on your fancy new computer?”
I swallow, using everything in me to not drop his gaze.
He’s goading me, but he’s also right. I fucking hate that he’s right.
Laura doesn’t get to hide. She doesn’t get to drown herself in distractions or pretend none of this is happening.
She’s out there, with him, and every second that passes is another second she has to endure the nightmare I barely escaped from.
My breathing stutters unevenly as I press my palms flat against the table.
Everything narrows down to that single thought.
That single, horrifying image of Laura, scared, trapped, and calling for help that isn’t coming.
The echoes of my nightmares slam into me all at once, her voice overlapping with my own memories.
The shouting, the helplessness, the suffocating fear I still slip into at random intervals.
My chair scrapes back harshly against the floor as I push to my feet, pacing beside the table while my hands fist at my sides.
To my surprise, the chest I bump into isn’t Thiago’s. Everest’s arms band around me, his biceps crushing but I don’t shove him off. I use the cage to steady my racing thoughts and pounding heart. His chin settles on top of my head, a rumble transferring through his chest and into my cheek.
“You won’t be alone,” he says quietly. “Not for a second.” Bracing my hands on his sides gingerly at first, I shudder and without much thought, my nails bite into his jersey.
Everest stands tall and strong, his cologne invading my senses, his heart beating against my ear.
He waits until I’m not leaning on him so heavily before he speaks again.
“Pack a bag, we’re leaving at nightfall. ”
Peeling away carefully, as if I’m a wild animal preparing to bolt, Everest pauses long enough to capture my eyes and give a nod.
I mimic it, my head dipping and sealing my fate.
Stepping away, Everest grabs his phone and disappears through the bookshelves without looking back.
That leaves me with Thiago, my shaky hands reaching for him.
He pulls me closer with just enough force to tip me into his lap.
“We-we should go to yours to pack first. You have most of my overnight stuff anyway,” I grind out, anchored by my own stubbornness.
My jaw aches as I resist the urge to cry, too many emotions to name starting to overflow.
We’re actually doing this. We’re going to confront Harrison. We’re going to save Laura.
“Oh, Amorzinha. I’m not coming,” Thiago breathes into my hair.
I physically flinch, a sharp inhale slipping between my lips.
Taking my hand in his larger one, Thi rubs small circles against my skin.
“I need to stay here to cover for you both, but I’ll be watching the entire time.
If Harrison moves, I’ll be able to track his every movement.
If the police get a heads up, I’ll hear it on the encrypted systems first and I can warn you guys to get out of dodge. ”
I squeeze my eyes shut. Agreeing to do this was a feat in itself, but to go without Thiago?
That’s an added challenge I wasn’t prepared for.
Tipping my mind into override, a voice screams between my ears.
It takes me a moment to realize it’s my own, dragging me back to a place that broke me.
I can already feel the ghost of his hands, the suffocating dark, the helplessness that swallowed me whole.
“Thi, I…I can’t do this,” I whimper, not having the same desire to mask my emotions from him. He would see through it all anyway. Cupping my face in his hands, Thi pulls my forehead down until it meets his.
“I think you’ll surprise yourself. And deep down, you know I’m of more use here.”
I do. I just don’t want to admit it. A thousand questions are at the tip of my tongue. What if I freeze up? What if I see Harrison and I fall apart all over again? How in the hell can I trust Everest to see me through this?
Thiago’s thumb brushes my cheek, his lips a whisper away from mine.
Tilting my head, I close the last scrap of space between us.
Warmth spreads through me, the soft press threatening to shatter the rest of my resolve.
I melt into him, my fingers curling into the front of his hoodie, holding on as if he’s the only solid thing left in my world.
Just like he always has been. When I was at my lowest, he was there.
Now I’m on the precipice of diving back in, he’ll still be there. Just virtually.
Shifting his hand, Thi tugs my jaw to open wider, permitting his tongue full access to sweep inside.
Caffeine taints our kiss, his taste consuming my senses.
He’s everywhere, his touch seeping through my skin, his lips a soft reminder of my own strength.
Thi believes in me. My breath catches as I pull back, letting the noise in my head go quiet until all that’s left is him.
“I’ll bring her home,” I promise in a quiet, defiant voice.
“And I’ll be here waiting when you do,” he replies instantly.
Clasping his hand that is still cupped around my jaw, I press a kiss to his palm.
Thi doesn’t rush me from his lap, simply waiting until I’m ready to move.
And when I am ready, he is by my side every step of the way back to my dorm, his fingers interlocked with mine.
My strides grow in confidence, my spine straightening as the reality sets in.
Laura is out there, and I won’t fail her a second time.