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“I haven’t,” I whimpered. “But I’m doing better now I’m with the guys here. They’re helping me so much.”
“Are they there? I’d like to thank them for all they’ve done,” Dad said, his voice a little steadier.
“We’re here, sir, but you don’t have to thank us. We really haven’t done anything,” Harris said.
“You have an amazing daughter and sister. The way she’s coping with all of this is astonishing,” Kailan added.
“We know. She’s one of a kind,” Mom sniffled. “But Grant is right. We have a lot to thank you boys for. Knowing she is safe with you means more than you can know.”
“Evie, have you seen a doctor since…since you got away?” Xander asked carefully.
“No, but I’m okay, Xander. Everything has healed now and I…I’m good.”
“Everything?” mom whimpered.
“It was just some cuts and bruises. I’m alright, mom,” I tried to reassure her.
“You should still get checked out. Kyle and Kade said he drugged you. You need a full set of bloods at least,” Xander worried. “Do you have any pain? Have you lost weight?”
“Xander. Stop worrying,” I cut him off. My parents were hurting enough. I didn’t want to add to it. “If I need to see a doctor, I’ll see one, but right now I’m good.” I made the mistake of looking to Harris as I said that and he was looking to me with a disapproving shake of his head.
“Harris?” Xander began, but I cut him off again.
“Don’t you dare do that Xander King!” I barked. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need the men around me taking over. Do you hear me?”
“Sorry. We’re just worried about you,” Xander sighed.
“And I’m telling you I really am doing as well as I can right now. I’m dealing with what happened. It’s not easy and I’m far from perfect, but I’m okay and I’m not alone. I have the guys. I’m going to get through this,” I said firmly and confidently.
“We know you are, honey,” mom agreed. “You’re so strong. Your brothers know that.”
“Don’t worry, Evie. We’ll keep them all in check until you come home,” Livy assured me playfully, making me smile through my tears.
“Good luck with that,” I chuckled.
“Hey, we’re all standing right here, you know!” Kade grumbled.
“As if I could forget.” I rolled my eyes. “I can hear your overbearing worry down the phone.”
“Admit it, little bit. You’ve missed us and all of that ‘overbearing worry’ we have for you,” Kyle teased, but I didn’t laugh. A sob slipped free before I could stop it, and I clamped my hand over my mouth before more could escape. I had missed them so much. I would never take for granted the way my family all cared for and protected me again. I would never complain about my brothers being overprotective or my parents fussing about my safety. I had almost been ripped from all of them. I would be grateful for every second I got with them from now on, and I knew it.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. This will all be over soon and you can come home where we can all take care of you,” dad soothed.
“More like drive her crazy,” Cole joked, making me smile.
“I can’t wait to have you all driving me crazy again,” I whimpered.
“Careful what you wish for,” Matt warned teasingly.
“I agree. If you thought they were overbearing before, wait until you get back here, Evie. I think Kyle plans to fit you with a tracker,” Livy added.
“He can try.” I sniffled. “I can still kick his ass.” I took a deep breath as I quietly tried to get a hold of myself and calm down. My emotions were overwhelming and I was struggling to hold them all back.
“We think it would be wise to get rid of these burners when this call is finished,” Kade spoke up, changing the subject. I looked to Aleks, relieved I could have a moment to gather myself.
“I agree. I have another burner, but I think we should keep calls to a minimum for now until we know exactly who we’re dealing with,” Aleks said.
“That’s what we were thinking too. When this call is finished I’ll text the number of the new burner to this number. You do the same, but we’ll only use the new numbers for emergencies or if you find something concrete. That good with you?” Kyle asked.
