Page 14 of Escape From Me

“I don’t know. I don’t know why I asked you to help me get away. Who would do that, right? I’ve lost my damn mind. But if this is insanity, maybe it’s okay. Maybe I’d rather have a moment to live life my way before I’m thrust into a world where every day my soul dies a little more at a time.”

And then he pulled me into his chest and just held me. No more words. Just me crying as quietly as I could. Because showing weakness wasn’t okay. My mother had taught me that. So then why had I not only shown my cards with this man, but asked for help?

SEVEN

zeiden

The alerton my phone told me my brothers were back. Daisy had me confused. So many feelings that I didn’t know how to feel were winding themselves around the cavity in my chest that shouldn’t have any more space in it. Shouldn’t be able to hurt.

I looked over at her sleeping figure and tried to pull out my arm from under her. Here I was, Zeiden Rossa, third in command of the Spectors, stuck in my bed because of some little weepy girl. Except she wasn’t just a girl. She was a woman who might need me. Might want me. Might see me.

She let out a little squeak and I paused, but when she took a deep breath, I knew she was still sleeping. I moved my arm out the rest of the way and looked around at the bed. I grabbed my pillow and tried to slide it under her arms, making her hold it like she’d been holding me. I picked up her wrist gently and paused when she made another noise, and I stood there hunched over, waiting. When I was certain she was sleeping still, I wrapped her arm over the top of the pillow.

There. She’d be fine, at least while I was in the other room. She was safe here. No one could harm her. No one but meanyway, and I didn’t have a lot of fight left in me when it came to her.

Fuck though. A virgin? That was sort of a thing. Like an attachment thing. You never forgot your first. I kind of wanted to, but nope. That bitch would always have that part of me, even now after she’d been rotting away in the ground for years.

I scratched at my five o’clock shadow. I really missed my goatee. That shit was coming right back now that I was done playing dress up.

I stepped out of my bedroom and closed the door quietly behind me.

“Hey there, Zeid. Everything good?” Cas asked as he held Rylee in his arms. She was giggly and tracing little hearts over his shirt, and for once, I wasn’t angry or jealous or even a little irritated. I loved that she loved my brother.

I looked back at my doors.

“Uh. Yeah. I got all the camera feeds downloading here. I also have a lot of audio, but it could take hours to parse out anything that might be useful. The facial recognition software has been able to match most of the players tonight based on jaw lines, lips, eyes, but the masks work well enough that there are still some I couldn’t identify.”

When X started closer, I backed up, making sure the doors stayed closed.

“Whoa there, sweetheart. What’s with playing guard? I just wanted to cross reference someone I think I recognized by something he said.”

I shook my head.

“Right. I’ll grab my iPad.”

X eyed me and Cass stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” I didn’t make a move to go back in my room though.

“Oh my god. Zeiden, do you have a girl in there?” Cali asked as she flopped onto one of the sofas.

Fuck if I didn’t freeze.

“No fucking way. Seriously, Zeidy baby? You have a girl in there?” Xander looked over my shoulder like he was going to get by me and through the door.

“Fuck off, Xandy. Maybe I do. And maybe she was a huge help in identifying some of the names of those rich fucks.”

The whole room was dead quiet. Something I’d like at any other time.

“You stole one of the wives from the party?” X’s face split into a smile.

I ran my hand over my face.

“One, no. Two, there were more than just wives, mistresses, and fiancées. There were daughters too. And before you fucking ask, yes, she’s legal. I already ran a background check.”

That got a long whistle from Cas.

“You already checked her out and she’s still here? Shit, Zeid.”

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