Page 23 of Ending the Game

Carys takes pity on me and gently lays Elodie down in the bed, then stands in front of the door. “I’m going to be here for another month, and we’re going to talk before I leave, Coop. I refuse to accept that we’re over. I’m not letting you throw us away, like I did.”

I reach around her to grab the doorknob, and she moves to the side.

I take one step through the door before she stops me again. “Oh... Axe wanted me to tell you that you’ve got something of his, and he wants it back. He was being weird about it. I kinda thought he was talking about me.”

An eerie chill settles against my skin as I turn around slowly. “When did you see Axel?”

“He sat with me this morning while I was having tea in the cafeteria. He was acting strange, but it’s Axe. He owes me a blueberry muffin.” She crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the doorframe.

I run a hand gently over the back of her hair, without any thought to the possessive move as I work through a million different scenarios at once, drawing on every ounce of training I’ve ever had. “Carys... baby, I need you to tell me exactly what he said.”

Her eyes grow wide with confusion. “Coop, what’s going on?”

“I can’t explain everything right now, but I need you to tell me exactly what he said.” I wrap my hand around the back of her neck, desperate to get her the hell out of here.

“Umm... He called me baby momma, asked if you and I were back together yet, and said something about how him and I could have been good together. Then he told me to tell you that you had something of his and he wanted it back. Like I said, I thought it was a joke and that he meant me.”

“Shit.” I drop my hand and take a step back. “I have to find the guys. Do not leave this room unless one of us is with you. Understand?”

Carys wraps trembling arms around herself. “You’re scaring me.”

“Good. Then you know I’m serious. If you see Axel, I need you to call me, then call security. Understand?” I can’t believe this motherfucker followed us back here and was able to get so close to her.

Carys nods in agreement, and I rush down to the waiting room to find the guys standing across the room. “We’ve got a problem.”

“What?” Ford steps forward.

“Axel was here.” My blood rages when I think about him near her. “He approached Carys in the cafeteria and told her I had something of his.”

“Fuck,” Rook grunts.

Ford pulls out his phone and steps away while he warns Jessie. Once he shoves it back in his pocket, he looks between Rook and me. “So which one of you wants to move in with the girls?”

“Like I’m gonna leave her fucking side,” I growl, ready to flay Axel alive for going near Carys.

“I’ll help too, man. You can’t cover everything twenty-four seven,” Rook offers. “And the old man has to keep Jessie safe.”

“Rook, get that flash drive to your brother. Go now. We need to know what’s on it.” Ford clasps my shoulder. “You glue your ass to Emerson and Carys until we know what the fuck’s going on.”

Like I’d trust anyone else with her life.

“Go home,Carys. You look like hell.” Jessie carefully picks Elodie up from the bassinet and coos before she moves to Emerson’s bed, where she’s lying on her side, awake but not paying any attention to us. “You’re missing bonding time, Em. How about you sit up and hold her?”

“I’m tired,” Em moans.

I could have told her that wasn’t going to work.

I’ve tried, and that’s as much as she’s said all day.

But Jessie plays dirty. “Sit up, Emerson.” Her tone is sharp, leaving no room for argument.

Em’s eyes flash to Jessie. “It hurts, Jess.” The agony in her voice conveys so much more than physical pain, so I instinctively sit next to her, on the opposite side of Jessie, and push the button to move the bed up. Trying to give her support in any way I can.

Jessie sways from side to side with Elodie as she begins rooting around, looking for something to eat. “Emerson Madden-Alexander, we love you and this beautiful little girl. And we all loved Linc. Do you think this is what he’d want? Would he want you to be so heartbroken that you ignored the last piece of him in this world? Because I don’t think he would.”

Emerson’s big blue eyes fill as her lips tremble. “He’s supposed to be here,” she cries. “He wanted the baby. He wanted to get married. He loved me more than anything in this world... and I...”

Sobs wrack her chest as I gather her in my arms. “And now,sheneeds you more than anything in this world, Em. I know it hurts. But none of us can control that. What you can control is what you do now.”

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