Page 7 of Needing More
Sapphire stepped out into the hallway and paused. To her left down the long hall, all the way to the end was the front door. On either side of the front door were two other doorways with double pocket doors leading into what she could only assume were big rooms for such big doorways. Then there were the stairs that sat against one wall of the hallway. They were the kind of stairs that had plenty of room underneath for a small room, reminding her of Harry Potter. Turning her head to look back at her part of the hall, Sapphire noted the three doors in front of her. One underneath the stairs, which was ajar showing her a peek of a half bath tucked into the slanted space. The other door directly across from hers was open and showed the massive kitchen she has spotted earlier and the third to her right was presumably the back door leading outside.
Taking a few steps into the kitchen, Sapphire was disappointed to see the same oppressive dark blue was in this room too. With its dated appliances and impressive cabinetry, the kitchen wasn't that bad. It had some real potential to it with its old-world charm and colossal size. It was just the terrible color that drained the joy from this place.
Turning, Sapphire walked slowly down the hall toward the front, mindful of her head pounding with each step. The house was eerily quiet. No mysterious banging noise from upstairs like earlier and no sounds of Vic or any life anywhere. Stopping in front of one set of pocket doors, she slid them open and sighed in relief at the sight of the living room. Just as spartan as the bedroom, the huge living room made her wonder just how long Vic's dad had lived here. Inside there was just an old sofa sitting in the middle of the room, a shabby wingback chair, and a TV sitting on a stand in front of the fireplace.
Leaving the door open, she walked over to the couch before plopping down with a sigh.
"You're supposed to be sleeping," a voice spoke.
Sapphire jumped and turned in her seat to see Vic standing at the door. Still wearing the same shirt and jeans from earlier, he walked through the door, sliding it shut behind him with a tired smile.
"I woke up and started worrying about Joel and Hayden and couldn’t go back to sleep," she replied, resisting the urge to rub at her mouth again. All she could think about was him possibly seeing her drooling in her sleep.
Vic nodded understandingly and sat down on the other end of the sofa. "They're fine. Joel texted me an hour ago."
Sapphire's heart jolted with hope as she gave him an expectant look to continue. She needed every bit of detail he had.
Seeing her expression, Vic sighed. "Let's just say they tracked down Tyler and leave it at that."
"I…I don’t want them to do anything illegal." What were they going to do when they found Tyler? A shiver ran through her at the thought. She knew exactly what they would do. She didn’t even want to imagine Hayden's anger.
"It's way too late for that, angel." He shifted in his seat until he was in a comfortable long-legged slouch in the corner of the sofa. "We've been breaking the law in all sorts of ways for years now."
"Yes, but that was back then when you were all part of the LeBlanc gang, not anymore," she reminded him.
Vic raised a brow giving her a challenging look. "You sure about that?"
"Yes." But the word lost some of its edge as her confidence deflated at his steady expression. "I mean…I thought so."
Nestled into the corner of the couch, both of his arms rested on the couch, one on the arm of the couch and the other on the curving rise of its back. "There isn't much those two won’t do for you." His eyes caught hers and she felt the truth in his words. Somehow it warmed her to know that even Vic knew the love the three of them shared. "That's why I made sure you didn't tell the sheriff and his dogs any more than you did. Hayden and Joel needed a head start before Sheriff Owens came sniffing around."
The throbbing pain in her head increased and she closed her eyes. "I never wanted them to do that," she whispered weakly.
She felt the couch shift next to her and the gentle thump of his work boots against the floorboards. Sapphire opened her eyes with a start as she felt his arm across the back of her shoulder and his hand tighten on her arm. With a gentle pull, he leaned her against him, settling her under his arm.
"They'll be fine, I promise," he yawned.
She remembered Tyler's cold eyes as he pointed the shotgun at her at the gas station. "You can't promise that. They could be hurt or-"
Unshed tears blurred her vision and made her throat close around her words.
Vic pulled her closer and reached for her chin, tilting her face up until she was looking up at him. "I care for those two bastards," he said gruffly even as his thumb swiped away a fallen tear. "They're family. You think I would let them go alone into a situation they can't handle?"
Sapphire didn't say anything as she considered his words.
Vic's eyes searched hers and she could see his Adam's apple bob. Clearing his throat, Vic let go of her chin and settled back against the couch. "Besides," he began, his voice a little rough. "Hayden's possessiveness will get him through a tornado at this point. I know he thinks I’ll steal you away from him while I'm looking after you, so trust me, he's coming back."
Sapphire couldn't help but smile at that. That was definitely something Hayden would think. Exhaling, she relaxed in his friendly embrace and thought of those two out there somewhere in the night. She wanted them back. She wanted Joel to hold her while Hayden glared at them. She wanted them to take her to bed and hold her. Dear God, when did she get this sappy?
Straightening up she wiped her face and looked down to see that she had cried on a portion of his sleeve. "Sorry," she mumbled. Heat crept up her neck and ears and she averted her eyes. "I'm sorry for wetting up your shirt."
Looking down at where she was looking, Vic examined the spot and shrugged. "If Joel were here, I could just see him making a joke about wetting up his shirt anytime."
Sapphire laughed. "He so would."
Vic reached for the remote and pointed it to the TV. The screen blinked to life, showing a screensaver of a beautiful rainforest.
Feeling emboldened by the comfortable atmosphere around them, Sapphire voiced the question she had been thinking of for a while now. "Why don't you live with Joel and Hayden anymore? I mean, I know you're taking care of your dad but it seems you don't like your dad very much at all. And neither Hayden nor Joel tells me much about you. And I just know they've shared all my details with you, soo…" She let the word stretch out between them.
