Page 61 of Revived
Dom: I’mcoming over.
Xavier: Same.
Knox: Be there in 30…. Seconds not minutes.
Sully: I’m on the way back.
“You made it believable?” Mac asks from the living room, which causes me to roll my eyes while grabbing two bottles of water out of the fridge.
He asks the dumbest questions sometimes, especially when I just walked into the house ten minutes ago with eyes clearly swollen from crying. She safe worded me. I know we needed this to look real, which is why I provoked her, but she pulled out her safe word. She has no idea that we’ve figured out what’s going on. My brother Mac is practically half computer. As soon as I got the text and she wasn’t answering my calls, I called him.
That’s how I ended up less than forty-eight hours later with Mac, his wife, Flynn, and my best friends, minus one, crowding my living room. Dammit, that took my breath away just thinking about it.
“Don’t ask stupid questions, Mac. Did you see him when he got here? Obviously she believed him. He fucking believed him.” Dom answers him.
“Thanks, asshat.” I toss Mac a water bottle. He catches it before it hits his wife in the head, but still casts me a menacing glare. I shrug and collapse into my recliner. “I wasn’t going to hit her. I knew you’d catch it. What do I do now? When can I go back to her?”
“When this is finished. He’s going to slip up now that he thinks it’s just her and McKenzie. Hopefully it’ll be before next week...” Mac lets his sentence trail off as he tucks Lee into his chest.
“Even if it isn’t, nothing, and I do meannothing,could keep me away from being there for her last trials.” They can’t seriously think that I’d miss that?
I’ve been to every single competition that Elena Rossi has been in. I’ve been to the two Olympic games that she’s been in, and I’ll be at these trials no matter what anyone says. My heart may be aching, and I may struggle to breathe the entire time, but dammit, I’m going to be there. We aren’t over. She did what she had to do to make sure everyone stays safe, and I’ll fix the problem before coming back and sliding the engagement ring I’ve had for months on her finger.
“Alright, alright. I hear you. We have a week. Let’s get to work and get this done so Sully can go get his girl as soon as possible.” Mac smirks. “I had to wait for mine too, remember? I know how hard that shit is.” He reminds me as he buries his face in the top of his wife's hair.
My big brother and his now wife went through Hell and back to get their happily ever after. It’s hard to even think about the pain and torture that Mac went through for over half of his life before he found her again. When I put myself in his shoes, it’s easy to remember that he gets it.
“It’s not just hard on him.” Xavier grumbles from his spot on the floor.
He’s always preferred to sit on the ground. Right now his back is resting on the couch with one leg bent at the knee and the other extended. He’s been quiet since we were all frozen out when Elle left. He still responds to our calls and texts, but he’s hurting; hell, we all are. However, Xavier and Elle were raised as close cousins; some may even say siblings. They’re all hurting, but this is killing him almost as much as it is me.
“I know, and I’m sorry she’s freezing you guys out because of me. It’s not fair to you.” I let my head hang simply because the stress, heartache, and fear of it all are too much.
A hand clamps down on my shoulder and squeezes slightly. I don’t need to look up to know it’s Flynn. “It isn’t your fault. Let’s catch this bastard so we can get your girl back where she belongs. I want a new sister-in-law.” I glance up in just enough time to catch his gentle smirk.
“Yeah, alright. Let’s do this.”
Chapter twenty-nine
YSA
I’ve been biding my time since she was in high school, watching, waiting until the perfect moment. I’ve never been able to get her to shake her guard dogs long enough, but as I watch her sit in the hallway of her gym and cry to her friends about losinghim and her friendsI know I’ve finally won. The long game is finally paying off, and the elusive Elena Rossi will be mine for the taking. I have her right where I want her.
I watch her for a little longer, just taking in her beauty. Her curly brown hair, twisted back into some sort of braid, which gives me a clear view of her face. She’s breathtaking. Even now as sobs wrack her body, all I can see is stunning green eyes and perfectly soft features. It’s going to hurt to do what I have to do, but I have obligations.
I put off my next task just a little longer and watch the way her body caves in on itself. She’ll look so pretty as a good little housewife. We’re going to get out of this god forsaken town and start our lives all over. Sure, she’ll fight it at first, but that’s only because she likes to be chased. It’s why she lethimchase her all these years and just recently caved. Anger surges through my blood at the terrible mistakes she’s made. That’s okay though, I’ll correct that quickly. Spare the rod, and all that. With that thought I pull out my phone and send off the text that has me as giddy as a schoolgirl with her first crush.
S: We’re ready to move onto the next phase.
A: What about her new ‘room mate’?
S: Casualties happen all the time. Just ask the hockey player.
A: Good point. Consider it done.
Yeah, it won’t be long now. Come on, Elle. You’re almost where you belong.
Chapter thirty
