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“Do you want someone else to do this?” Colt asked.
He wasn’t sure if his connection to Aria outside of this situation would hurt or help her and he wanted to do what was best for her.
“No,” she said softly, glancing at the ground.
“Okay. Well, however you want to do this. We can have a seat,” Colt offered, glancing toward the ambulance that had now joined the cop cars.
Aria shook her head. “I just want to get this over with.”
“Should we get you checked out first?” Colt asked, tipping his head toward the ambulance.
“They didn’t hurt me physically,” Aria said matter-of-factly. Her words and tone made me want to cry for her. These men might not have physically maimed my friend, but they’d still caused a deep wound. Part of me wished they were still around. They deserved another punch or ten.
“Okay. Start at the beginning. Whenever you’re ready,” Colt said. He shifted back a couple of inches to give her room.
Aria took a deep breath and closed her eyes while she collected her thoughts. Slowly she began to share her story, relaying what the past hours had been like for her.
It was incredible to me that she’d been missing for less than twelve hours. It felt like we’d lived three lifetimes.
“Is this still the same night?” Aria asked when she had finished telling us about the men swarming her room.
I was still trying to swallow back my nausea. These men were sick. And I would stop at nothing to hunt them all down.
Colt nodded.
“It feels like years,” Aria whispered.
I couldn’t agree more.
With a shuddering sigh, she returned to her story, relating her harrowing escape and finishing with the moment she found me.
“Do I want to know if you actually needed to confront those guys?” Colt asked.
“She had to,” I answered for Aria.
Colt nodded in acceptance and paused a moment in case she had anything else to say. When she didn’t, he said, “Thank you, Aria.” He didn’t add that she’d probably have to share her story again in a courtroom, or that this was just the beginning in so many ways. He didn’t remind her that almost all of the Beast Boys were still free.
He stepped back, letting her have a moment to breathe.
Suddenly all of the events of the night rushed toward me. The severity of the situation had been lost in the moment. I’d thrown myself into my work and my fears had taken a backseat. But now they all swirled around me and one thought pressed into my mind above all others. We’d almost lost Aria . . . for good.
I bit my lip, refusing to tear up as horrifying thoughts of an alternate reality ripped through me. This could have ended in so many other ways.
But it hadn’t. I used that thought to calm my racing heart.We were here. I used that thought to slow my breath.Aria was safe. With that thought, my body finally relaxed. Aria was back. And we were never going to lose one of our own again.
SEVEN
aria
“Aria!”Bella’s familiar squeal hit my ears just before her body slammed into mine. Her arms wrapped tightly around me as Officer Jordan and Shai backed away, a smile on both of their faces.
“Bella,” Mom said sternly. She trailed behind Ava and Marie, my dad bringing up the rear.
I grinned, blinking back tears at the sight of my family. Was it just an hour or two earlier that I’d worried I might never see them again?
“Your sister could be injured,” Mom continued to berate Bella, who ignored her, along with my other sisters. All three squeezed me equally hard. Thank heavens I hadn’t been injured.
At least no injury aside from my knuckles, which were pretty torn up from bashing in the face of the man who’d licked me. I knew I’d have nightmares of that moment for a long time to come. Hopefully beating him to a pulp would help me through those forthcoming moments.
