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Tomorrow I have another fight. After that, it gives me a week to find a way to get Emma and Alexis out of the house, and somewhere I can pick them up without too many faces.
* * *
“Yo, Trevor,”Steel claps me on the back as I enter our security company's office building.
The whole area is pretty much a mini compound in and of itself. The front of our building is similar to a warehouse, but once you get inside, it’s completely renovated. In the fenced-off portion behind the main building are several other facilities and areas for training and storage. We had bought up the whole area and slowly have been transforming it to fit our needs. Eventually, one day, we plan to make this the main base of operations where most of our equipment is stored, with several smaller bases of options spread out across the country. It would make it easier when we take on larger jobs. We’ve already been looking at areas near arena venues that concerts tour at thanks to our contact with Damned Embers.
“Grab Knox and Sky. We have work today.” I shake out of his hold and head toward my office. It won’t have everything that Sky will need to start working, but it will give us the space we need to start planning.
A few minutes after I take a seat and get my computer booted up for the day, all three of them are walking into the office with Knox shutting the door behind them. Both my brothers sit on the couch by the door, leaving Sky to choose from the seats in front of my desk.
“Want to tell me what has your balls in a twist?” Steel grumbles as he looks at me. I know he's referring to the fact I should be in a much better mood after finally seeing Emma today.
“The girl,” I start looking between each of them. I know I can trust them with the information I’m about to give them. I also have a feeling it may just leave them shocked. “Alexis is my daughter.”
As I suspected, Sky gasps and covers her mouth. Steel’s eyes widen, but Knox just gives a solemn nod. Between the three of them, I had expected Sky to be the least shocked with all the information I’ve had her sorting through. Robert really must have done a job to keep all records of Alexis sealed to the point even Sky couldn’t find them. She could tell the information in the papers she found was forged, but she never found the originals. I wonder if there are any originals anymore.
“Well, I didn’t see that one coming,” Steel remarks.
“That explains the forged documents,” Sky adds.
Knox just pinches the bridge of his nose before looking at me. “You want to change the plans now, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I answer simply. “We now need to account for getting Alexis out as well. The safe house will still work for both of them. We just need to adjust when to pick them up. Our original plan of getting her out when she is brought to the next fight isn’t going to work because we know they would never bring Alexis there.”
“What if we grab them at the school?” Sky questions, already opening her laptop that was sitting on her legs and getting to work.
For the next hour, we shoot ideas back and forth on when we can grab both of them. The problem is the only place that seems to work the best would be the school, which has way too many prying faces. Steel suggests having the school host another event that would get the kids and parents at the school. At first, it would have been a good idea, but it runs the risk of Robert being the one to bring Alexis that day instead. By the time we are done, it is circled back to collecting them from the school at either a drop-off or pick-up time. The guys agree to watch the school for the next three school days, and then we’ll make a plan. Hopefully, by next Wednesday I will have both my girls with me where they belong.
FOURTEEN
EMMA ~ 12 YEARS AGO
Trevor and I struggled to survive my sophomore year. There were so many ups and downs between us I thought I was going to lose my mind. One second he was staying away from me, claiming it was to protect me, and then the next, he was beside me promising to never leave me again. Those around me knew something was wrong by the end of the year because I got tired of constantly hiding my emotions. I stopped caring what my father thought about my relationship with Trevor and was all in. Even when he beat me so badly that I missed three days of school towards the end of the year it was worth it in my eyes. When I returned back to school, though, Trevor was back to putting distance between us blaming himself for me getting hurt.
That beating hadn’t been because of Trevor, not that he let me tell him that right away. I received the beating because I had spoken back to my father, wanting to quit cheerleading. With Nora graduating I didn’t want to continue in her footsteps; I wanted to find an extracurricular I would love for myself. My father disapproved of that, though. I wasn’t allowed to have my own thoughts in the house or about my life.
It’s been four months since that happened. Four months of Trevor doing his best to avoid me. I thought giving him time would lead him back to me, but it didn’t. I am tired of being the one constantly needing to chase him. Is it so bad to just want him to chase me for once? I don’t think it is, but I do know one thing. Guys are stupid when it comes to protecting someone they care about.
With it being summer, it has been hard trying to corner him. My father is keeping a watchful eye on me, and I can only get away so often, claiming I have summer homework and need to go to the library in town. It isn’t a lie, but it isn’t the full truth either. The library is close enough to the edge of town that Trevor and his friends live in. I continuously sneak out hoping to find one of them to talk to, but I haven't had any luck.
I’m not sure why, but I thought today I would have some luck. After about thirty minutes I am able to convince my father to let me go into town. My sister has been visiting and agreed to drop me off and pick me up about three hours later. That will be plenty of time for my plan to work.Hopefully.
The drive to the library is made in silence on my side. Nora rambles on about how amazing her honeymoon was and that she can’t wait to see what type of stay-at-home mom she will be. I don’t think she is pregnant yet, but I really don’t care at the moment either. Everything she says to me goes in one ear and out the other. I am on a mission, and her words are just background noise.
“I’ll call you when I’m finished with my homework,” I call out right before I shut the door of her car. She waits a moment before pulling out of the lot. Knowing I need people here to see me, I walk inside and browse through some stack of books before heading downstairs to exit through the back door.
The walk to Trevor’s street doesn’t take long, but with it being the heart of summer, I am sweating by the time I knock on his front door. I probably look like a disheveled mess, but there isn’t anything I can do about that now.
“Well, hello there, Miss Delcoure,” Trevor’s father says as he answers the door. “He’s out back with his friends. Please stay for a while if you can, it’s been so long since you stopped by and I’ve missed your smiling face around here brightening up the place.”
“Thank you, Mr. Griffin,” I smile, heading through the house and out towards the back. As I open the back door, I see Trevor and one of his friends roughhousing while two others call out moves. I guess there’s a fight tonight if they're practicing. With a sigh, I step off the porch, following the stone path through the yard until I reach them. The two calling out moves have unfolded some chairs and filled a kiddie pool to soak their feet in while they watch. Trevor and his other friend are set up in front of them barefoot on the grass.
“Emma,” one of his friends calls out, shocked, standing immediately from his chair when I reach them. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, all of you are avoiding me, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.” I place my hands on my hips and stare each of them down before coming to a stop on Trevor. He looks pissed, and I don't actually care. His eyes darken with his anger, and if I wasn’t so pissed at him for avoiding me, I would probably get turned on by the look he is giving me.
“Emma,” he growls, stalking towards me. I have to look up at him when he reaches me, our chests almost touching as he towers over me. Most would cower under the look he is giving me. He’s beyond livid. I can see the rise and fall of his chest as he stares at me. He doesn’t say anything else, just stares. Both of us are stuck in a battle of wills, neither wanting to say a word until the other does first.
