Page 100 of Fight
"I know."I didn't know what else to say.
"I'll get on this.I'll get a hold of you if and when I find anything."
I spent a few minutes talking to my brother, catching up on family news and home town gossip before we rang off with the promise to call if either of us found out anything more.
I sat down my PCD and was standing to go wash my face when Devon came into the bedroom.
"How's it go-" He cut himself off when he got a good look at my face."What's wrong?"He wrapped his arms gently around me, instantly concerned by the tear streaks running down my face."Why are you crying?"
I shook my head but didn't push his arms away."It's nothing.I just got a little emotional talking to Raine."
"Did he say something that hurt your feelings?"He rubbed one hand up and down my back in a soothing motion.
"No."I laid my head on his shoulder."I just had to tell him what's happened up here to get him to look for Brandon for us."
"You told him about being taken."He said, suddenly understanding.
I nodded against his shoulder and his arms tightened around me.
"Is he going to tell the rest of your family?"
I picked my head up and stared at his face, shocked."Oh, god.It never occurred to me to tell him not to."I knew if my parents found out, they would be upset and that was the last thing I wanted.
"Relax."He soothed me by running his hands over my face and pulling me back against him."Go wash your face and then talk to Alexis for a few minutes.I'll call Raine and make sure he doesn't tell your family."
My knees went weak as relief flooded through me.I stayed in his arms for a few more seconds, until I was sure my legs would hold me before pulling away.
"All right."I nodded."I'll do that."I went into the bathroom and closed the door, not wanting to overhear Devon as he talked to my brother.
When I finished in the bathroom, I quickly slipped through the bedroom and out into the main room.Alexis was sitting on the sofa, and Caden was nowhere in sight.Since we had decided that no one goes anywhere alone, I assumed he was in the other half of the suite.
"Have you heard anything from Ridges yet?"I sat in one of the chairs near her.Her attention was focused on the PCD in her hand.
She looked up briefly before looking back down at the device and touching the screen a few times before setting it aside.
"Not yet."She turned to face me."What did your brother say?"
"He's not real happy about it, but he'll see what he can do to find Brandon for me."
"Good, hopefully it will help us find him and determine if he's behind this."
I took a deep breath and looked across the room.I was avoiding meeting Alexis' eyes, I knew she would see too much."I hope so too."
"You don't want to believe that your friend could do something like this, do you?"
I shook my head slowly."The Brandon I knew never would have done this, but he's done a lot of things that Brandon would never have done.I'm afraid that the Brandon I thought I knew either never existed or doesn't exist anymore."I turned back to her, meeting her direct look."And if he's behind this, then I've killed because of him.That's something I will never forgive him for."
She was quiet a moment."Do you want to talk about it?"She asked softly.
"No, not really."I shook my head, looking away again."I had to tell Raine what happened in order to get him agree to look for Brandon.I forgot to tell him not to tell the rest of my family I'd been hurt.Devon called him back, that's what he's doing now."
She watched me a few minutes."Which bothers you more?That you did it, or that it was probably someone you considered a friend who put you in the position where you had to?"She cut right to the heart of it.
The drapes were open, giving me a great view of the city and sky, I watched the clouds move out the large glass wall across the room as I thought.
"That he was someone I thought was my friend, I think.I know I did what I had to do in order to get away.I don't see how I could have done it any differently and still have escaped, not considering the circumstances.But if he's the reason I had to, if he's the one responsible for putting me in that position to start with?That I can never forgive.
Ridges arranged for us to use the same piece of land that we'd used for our run to shift Reese.It was convenient since we already knew where it was, maybe Ridges thought of that, I didn't ask.
