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“I’ve worked with them over the years and know the owners. They owe me a few favors, and I’m glad I can call them in. Ethan is one of the best on their team. We’re lucky he was in the area. I trust him to take care of you.”
“So, Ella. We’ve worked out a plan from here on out,” Ethan begins. “But before that, can you tell us what happened after you last spoke with Rhia when you were still on the De Marco island.”
It’s strange to hear Tiero referred to as De Marco. It’s so impersonal which I guess is the point for these guys, but it hurts my heart having to distance myself from him like that.
Fuck, I miss him…so badly.
And it’s only the beginning.
Crap, if I start thinking about never seeing him again, I’m bound to cry more.
Don’t go there, Ella. Don’t freaking go there.
So I hold it together and tell them all that had occurred since the return from Tiero’s island, focusing on the various kidnapping and escape attempts. I leave out the part where we kissed and had sex again, not wanting them to judge me for my choices.
The guys listen without any emotions showing on their faces. Ethan takes notes the entire time and asks a few clarifying questions.
Rhia, however, is another story. Everything she’s feeling is playing out on her face, and it’s mostly horrified.
She’s taken my hand into hers, squeezing it tight. I can tell she wants to explode a few times, especially when I get to the part where Tiero lost it and wanted to belt me. It makes her jump up and pace the room.
There’s silent communication happening between her and Lex that’s telling her now is not the time to go ape-shit, and miraculously she holds it together.
When I reach the end, though, she can’t help herself. “God, I want to punch Gualtiero so badly! Twist his nuts in a vise and castrate him for eternity.”
God, I love her. She’s always on my side.
“Wow. You had a lot happen in only two weeks,” Ethan says. “You’re doing amazingly well for someone who’s been kidnapped and drugged multiple times.”
Am I? I sure don’t feel like I am.
Hearing myself tell the story has made me realize just how much danger I’ve been in, and some of it my own doing.
Rhia pulls me into another hug.
“Fuck, El. You could have died so many times. Your guardian angel is doing a damn fine job of keeping you alive.” I couldn’t agree more.
“Now, Ella,” Ethan says to get my attention. When I untangle myself from my best friend and look at him again, he continues, “We want to get you to Atlanta. That’s where Freemont Security is based. There’s a company apartment waiting for you where you can stay until you get back on your feet, and Gary, our boss, is happy to give you a job.
“Lex told us you’re a dog trainer, and Freemont Security has a canine unit. You can have a job there, but it’s only for half the week. The rest of the time, if you were amendable to it, they would appreciate help in the office.”
I stare at him and then Lex, lost for words. All this planning has been going on behind the scenes on my behalf when I thought the whole time that I was in this alone. Fresh tears roll down my cheek, and Rhia rubs my back reassuringly.
“And best of all,” she adds, “we’ll be able to talk to each other through secure channels. And because Lex will have to travel to Atlanta regularly, no one will raise a brow if I accompany him, and we can see each other. He got the job long before you were kidnapped. So it’s the perfect cover.”
“You’re not coming with me,” I mutter to myself as the realization hits that Rhia has to stay in Dublin. I knew this, of course, but in the joy of seeing her, it got pushed to the back of my mind.
My heart twists in pain at the thought of leaving her behind, and the tears stream faster. Rhia’s eyes water up again too, and she pulls me in for a hug.
“No, she can’t,” Lex confirms. “But you will see each other a few times a year and talk often. Until Gualtiero gives up on his search for you or is taken out by his enemies, we cannot take the risk of you two being seen together.”
I nod sadly… I’m just not used to not having her around.
“In fact, we shouldn’t even be here. It’s too risky,” Lex continues. “But as you can imagine, there was no stopping this troublemaker.” He looks at Rhia with so much affection, and she smiles back at him.
Yes, he wouldn’t have had a choice but to make this trip happen. Once Rhia has decided on something, there is no stopping her. And I know Lex would do damn near anything to make her happy.
“We only have a few hours before we must return to Dublin,” he says. “Thankfully, it’s Saturday, and it can be justified why we didn’t leave our apartment, but we need to show our faces, so they don’t suspect we left.”
