Page 46 of Vail

I wanted to crumble it up and burn the fucking thing but it was evidence, which I worried I’d need more of. This was further proof Gil was alive.

“Vail?” Hartley asked, drawing me back to them where I should be focused instead of trying to think of ways to find Gil.

“I’m okay.”

“You’re not,” I said. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Barry followed us, as well as Reghan. The other men would wait for the next elevator and return to their posts or would retire for the night.

I turned to Barry. “No more couriers. Refuse them.”

“If it’s for you?”

“Tell them to contact me another way. The people I work with have my number or yours. They can get ahold of me. I don’t even want to see a fucking carrier pigeon.”

“Yes, sir.”

The elevator stopped along the way to let Barry out.

My concern for Vail grew the longer he stayed in the current state he was in. Like he was here, but wasn’t. How many times had he retreated into his mind where he tried to save what small part of himself he could from Gil? How many days and nights did he wonder when it was going to get worse again? Or if the next blow would kill him?

Reghan stayed by the elevator while we went upstairs. Normally, I had whoever was here for the night move downstairs, so they wouldn’t hear us, but tonight, with Gil having a note delivered again, I wasn’t taking chances. If anyone ever got this far, I had multiple guns stashed in the home. I’d kill whoever tried to get to my men.

Hartley, Vail, and I entered the shower once I got the water hot. I was hoping us cleaning him would bring him back. It didn’t. He stayed in his state until we crawled into bed, putting Vail between us and holding him. Nothing more. It was a way for us to tell him without words we were here for him.

About a half hour after lying down, Vail came around, shifting in our arms. He lay on his back as tears filled his eyes. “Why won’t he stop? He didn’t bother me for so long and now he’s at it again.”

“It’s because of Hartley and me. He sees us as a threat. We’re blocking him from getting to you.”

“I won’t go back to him.”

“We know.” What I didn’t say was willingly. Vail wouldn’t go back to him on his own accord, but if he was taken, abducted, forced against his will, then Gil would have him. It was why I had my men in place. I didn’t want Gil within a block of Vail.

“I have to show him I’m not afraid. That his words don’t hurt me. In here I can let it out. In front of everyone else, I have to appear like everything is fine.” He turned toward me. “I want to go to the cabin in the morning. I want to destroy it.”

I nodded and reached for my phone on the nightstand. Lana would still be awake. I had to verify the property was now legally in Vail’s name, so Gil couldn’t file some bullshit destruction of property claim against him.

Lana replied that she’d get back to me.

“Tomorrow,” I told Vail, hoping everything was in place and I could take Vail and every tool he needed to tear the home apart. I was also bringing plenty of people with me. I wanted the surrounding area scoured. Gil could be out there. Another worry was cameras. If there were any, I’d tear them down.

Heavy equipment would be needed to do real damage, but I could arrange for it afterward. Vail would be given the first swing. If it made him feel better to take his aggression out on a location that held horrible memories for him, I would do whatever I could to make it happen.

Vail was the first one out of bed in the morning. Hartley and I were up most of the night from Vail tossing and turning, waking up in tears multiple times. I wasn’t sure if he was aware he did it. We were there for every instance, holding him, assuring him he was safe. Now we had to drag our asses from bed and witness him tearing apart his past. I could sleep later. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a sweater over it, Vail looked like he had the best night’s sleep. Energy poured from him before he left the room. If I thought his smile was genuine, it would have been infectious. But Vail was trying to show us he was okay.

Lana had texted to say the property was Vail’s. At least that was one hurdle out of the way. Gil couldn’t come at him for destruction of property or breaking and entering.

In the closet, I found a suit I wouldn’t mind if it got ruined and put it on. Vail could be the only one ripping into the walls, but if he wanted help, Hartley and I would join him.

Hartley entered the closet to grab a pair of jeans. Vail was already downstairs. He said he wanted to assist Irene with breakfast.

“Do you think this is a good idea?” Hartley asked. “What if he gets hurt?”

“Physical wounds will heal. If this is what he needs to help mend the internal ones, I’m all for it.”

“True. I just hate seeing him like this. He went from one extreme to the other.” Vail had told us he’d been through countless therapy sessions. I was glad he had a person to talk to about what had happened to him.

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