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Ella grabs her phone, and answers it right away. Her shoulders relax as she listens to what I’m assuming is Xander on the other line.
“So everyone is okay?” She asks into the phone and then looks around and gives each of us a reassuring smile. I exhale a sharp breath, my chest filling with oxygen, my heart beating normal again.
“Okay…I love you too.” She hangs up the phone and places it back down on the table.
“Everyone is okay. They are on their way back here as we speak,” she announces to the room. Elyse gives me a reassuring smile. I’m so glad she’s alive and here with me right now.
Twenty minutes later, one of the guards comes to tell Ella that Xander and the others have just come through the gate. My legs are jelly as we all get up and walk to the front door to wait for them. It’s such a strange thing to know that all our significant others are apart of something darker, and unworldly. They each have killed for someone they love, and would most likely do it again.
Moments later the doors open. Xander appears first, a smile gracing his lips. Damon is right on his heels, and then Hero. Ivan walks in next. All the guys walk up to their girlfriend and wives, but Roman still hasn’t walked through the door and that scares me.
Ivan passes me and just before he takes Violet into his arms, he gives me a weary look that I can’t quiet gage. My first thought is that something happened to Roman, but surely someone would say something to me if that were the case.
I’m about to ask him where he is when someone finally steps into the doorway. I take a big step forward a big smile spreading across my lips when I see Roman. That smile slips the moment I see who is walking beside him.
“Luke?” Elyse gasp, letting go of Hero’s arm as she sprints forward, and toward our brother. She throws her arms around him and pulls him to her chest so tightly I think she might squeeze the air from his lungs. “Oh Luke, I can’t believe you are here! How are you? Oh my gosh!”
Roman appears by my side, putting an arms around me and kissing the side of my head. I take a deep breath, trying to figure out how I feel about him being here. He is the one who pushed me to get married. He spent hours, upon hours, trying to talk me into it and I never understood why. We used to be close, I thought he loved me and then suddenly he wanted me gone. He never hurt me, and he sheltered me from a lot of bad that happened but in the end he couldn’t save me, no one could.
Looking at him now I see not much has changed, he’s still tall, handsome, with brown hair that looks like it needs a brush, and blue eyes that glimmer with happiness. His body’s lean, but tone from all the work our father made him do.
“Why is he here?” I whisper to Roman, who starts rubbing my back as if he is trying to comfort me. It soothes the ache forming in my chest, but it doesn’t stop my rampant thoughts.
“I know it doesn’t make sense right this second, but you need to hear him out. I wouldn’t have believed him either, but we have the proof. Everything he’s saying is true. You know better than anyone I wouldn’t do anything to put you in danger. If I thought he was a threat, he wouldn’t be here.”
“He pushed me to get married. He worked directly with my father. He is one of his men.” Roman forces me to look at him, calming the storm brewing inside me.
“It wasn’t like that, Sophie. It might have seemed like that at the time, but he was trying to get you married so you wouldn’t get sold. He was trying to protect you, the only way he knew how. If he wanted to hurt you, he wouldn’t have done all he did for you to marry out of that place.”
I swallow and nod. I know he’s right. Luke never once raised a hand to me. He tried to stop the beatings and saved my ass numerous times, which made the betrayal all the more hurtful when I found out he was working with my father. I don’t know if I can get the thought of him working with my father out of my head.
“Men, let’s go have a drink or five, and leave them to figure this out,” Xander announces, walking toward the kitchen. Elyse releases Luke with a sad look, and walks back over to Hero.
“Come on, lets go sit,” Roman tucks me close to his side and ushers me to one of the living room. Luke follows closely behind and knowing Roman seems comfortable enough to turn his back on my brother is a little bit of a relief. It means to Roman he isn’t a risk, so he isn’t one to me either.
