Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
SPENCER
I scramble to quietly dive under our king-size bed. Once again, my ass barely makes it under in time. My head is on the side facing the doorway and I peer through the few inches of space.
Anthony makes an appearance and lingers in the doorway.
“Oh, Floooooower.”
A sob threatens to leave me, but I bite my tongue and swallow it down.
His feet carry him to the bathroom. “Clever, Flower. Very clever.”
Shit. I must have left the cabinet open.
I squeeze my eyes closed and cover my mouth again. I let out a silent, shaky breath as he knocks around items in the bathroom.
He hasn’t found me yet. He hasn’t found me yet.
“Hello, Flower.”
My eyes bug open, and I finally let out the scream lodged in my throat as Anthony grips my hands and drags me out from under the bed.
When I wake, I’m alone, and silent sobs wrack my chest. My cheeks are wet, and my throat feels scratchy. I sit up, bringing my knees to my chest, and rock back and forth. The motion doesn’t bring me any sort of peace, but my mind and body are on autopilot.
I wish they were here.
Darkness blankets the world outside.
I can’t believe I slept so long.
A headache threatens to take over, but I ignore it. Releasing the tension from my shoulders, I notice that the blankets are on the floor, my shirt is rumpled, and I no longer have pants on.
Umm. What the hell? Where did my leggings go?
Rio and I spent the day getting lost in each other. It was beautiful and perfect—everything I needed. But I know when we fell asleep in Zane’s bed, I had leggings on.
Maybe I kicked them off in my sleep.
You did use a lot of energy in your activities earlier.
Ugh.
Rio and Zane’s voices float up the stairs, and a fluttery feeling warms my chest. With a pair of sleep shorts on, I head down the stairs when a familiar voice, a voice I haven’t heard in three years, pulls me up short.
Stopping at the bottom step, I spot Zane, Rio, and Asher gathered at the bar in the kitchen, huddled together. Anthony’s voice streams from the laptop in the middle of their circle, and a chill sweeps over my skin.
“ I lost a very prized possession. She slipped through my fingers, and I’ve been doing everything in my power to get her to make the right choice and come home. She’s proven to be more stubborn than I originally believed her to be, but the things keeping her here won’t be a problem much longer .”
This can’t be real. My lips tremble, and a light sheen of sweat coats my cold skin.
The implication is clear.
He’s here, and he’s not leaving without me.
A whimper slips free, causing all three heads to turn to me. Zane hits the pause button immediately, grimacing.
“What’re you doing up, Angel?”
My voice lowers to a whisper. “How did you get that?”
Asher shows no emotion while Rio makes his way to me. He reaches for my hand, but it’s too much. I slip out of his grasp and speak more clearly. “How did you get that?”
Rio gulps audibly. “We found him.”
“And he just let you walk away? He shot at all of you, for heaven’s sake! What made you think this was a good idea?”
Oh my God.
I grip the banister for balance. “Promise me you won’t go near him again. Please.” I look each of them in the eyes, and they all give me the same look.
They’re going after him.
My grip on the banister turns my knuckles white, and blood rushes in my ears.
“Spencer?”
The room fades away as an old familiar one surfaces. Expensive marble countertops, polished tiles, top-of-the-line appliances. The smell of cigars wafting through the air and lasagna in the oven fills my nose.
I’m not there. This isn’t real.
“Spencer? Angel? Talk to me.”
Glass breaking. Two gunshots.
I’m not there. I got out. I’m never going back.
“Princess!”
My eyes snap open and I’m no longer hanging on to the banister. Instead, two large hands cling to mine. They’re warm and rough.
Three large bodies surround me. Three bodies that have done nothing but make me feel safe. Even when I found them in the basement, I knew they wouldn’t hurt me.
I’ve always known that.
“Mama, look at me.” A bronze hand with black ink guides my chin to the right to look up into a bright face.
Rio.
“Talk to us.”
Tears spring in my eyes. “I can’t. I can’t go back there.”
“You’re not alone this time, Angel.” Zane’s cedar scent drifts to me from my left, and something in my chest settles.
Peering up at Asher, who still has a hold of my hands, I wet my lips and shake my head. “I?—”
He drops my hands and takes a step back. “How long are you going to lie to us?” His tone is deep.
“What? I haven’t lied about anything!” My pulse increases, and my face flushes.
This frustrating behemoth is going to make me explode.
“You’re not telling us everything—or anything at all! If you really wanted to keep everyone safe, then you’d tell us what we’re up against.” His chiseled jaw visibly tenses.
Explosion incoming . . .
“If you would have let me leave like I had planned, none of you would be in this mess! You can’t make decisions for me and then get angry with me about the consequences!”
The vein in his temple pulses. “If you would think things through, then I wouldn’t have to make choices for you.”
“Ash,” Zane cautions.
“No, Z. We all know something happened. She’s terrified of him, but she won’t tell us why. She has nightmares, and now we know she has flashbacks. If you’re that dedicated to helping her, then you need to know— we need to know.”
Can they actually help me? Is that something I’m willing to accept from them?
Asher turns his menacing scowl on me. “Maybe you should just go.”
My heart stops.
This is what I wanted—what I’ve been trying to do. So why can’t I agree with him? Why can’t I get the words out?
Because you don’t actually want to leave.
“No!” Rio shouts.
Zane balls his fists. “You can’t kick her out. We all live here.”
“Someone needs to remain neutral when she’s the reason everything goes to shit. You two are in so deep that you don’t know what’s up and what’s down.”
Asher gathers his gun and wallet from the table by the front door. Before he leaves, he turns his attention back to me. “I have to go to a crime scene. When I get back, be here or don’t, but either way, your choice needs to be final.”
Zane’s knuckles turn white. “You’re only leaving because you don’t want to be here in case she leaves.”
Asher takes a deep breath. “If she wants to leave, don’t stop her—she’ll only resent you in the end. But if she stays, you better find a way to get some answers. You won’t like it if it’s me who questions her.” With that, the door shuts behind him.
The silence in the room creates a suffocating pressure.
Rio turns back to me, grabs my hand, and caresses it with the back of his thumb. “What’s it going to be, Mama?”