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With the gun pointed at the floor, I ran into the bathroom. Then I faced Liam, waiting for instructions.
“Lock it!” he yelled, not taking his eye from his door.
Bam! I slammed the door before locking it. Then I rushed to the tub. Opening the curtain, I tried to pull Ev from me to lay her in the tub, but she whisper-cried, “No-no-no-no…” Her body was violently shaking. Far more than the night our mother died. But I needed her protected by the tub in case we were shot at. I didn’t want her in the line of fire with me. So I stepped into the tub, swearing I wouldn’t leave her, but needing her to get down.
She finally listened but still clung to my foot after lying down.
I don’t know for sure why, but I grabbed a white towel hanging on the wall and covered her. Maybe the twins would believe she wasn’t there.
Gun aimed at the door, I waited… My ears ringing…
I heard Liam answer his phone. “Here… Yep, got them both… Wings?...” He exhaled. “Okay, we’ll stay put.”
My gun was already coming down when Liam said, “It’s not them for Ev, but we’re not to leave the room.”
My shoulders folded in relief until I felt my foot shaking, yet my body wasn’t. “Liam?” I called out while peering down at the trembling towel.
His voice was right outside the door and sounded concerned. “Talk.”
I doubted my eyes. “She… Ev… She’s—”
Bam! The door burst open. “What?” He rushed in. “She okay?”
In disbelief, I pointed down, so he ran forward, quickly sinking to his knees to uncover Everleigh.
She was still on her side, curled around my shoe, but staring… at nothing.
I couldn’t move, either. I’d never seen someone act like this. Totally… disconnected.
Liam had. He quickly took my gun, placed it on the bathroom counter, then started running water in the tub. As soon as it warmed up, he plugged the drain.
His voice was now so different, as if trying to disguise his alarm to sound soothing. “Lynx, we are staying calm. Feel me? We are going to have you sit with your sister when she lets you. We are going to let this warm water warm her little body. She’s gone into shock. Got it?”
I could only swallow. Everything inside me said my sister was in trouble. The water was slowly filling the tub, but she had yet to move or blink. She just… shook.
Liam? He kept his wits. “Hey, baby girl. I’m just going to pick you up a bit so you can sit with your big brother, okay?” he told her while gently sliding his rough, large hands under her upper body. “There you go, sweetheart.”
Fully clothed, I numbly sat in the water, a leg on each side of her. My mouth gawked as he leaned her to my chest.
“You’re doing so good, sweet girl. So good.” He grabbed a plastic measuring cup that Penny had been using to help wash Ev’s hair. Filling it with warm water, he slowly poured it over her shoulders. “Such a brave girl.” He refilled it and repeated. “So proud of you.” Without taking his eye off Ev, he asked me, “My back clear?”
I looked to the doorway, then nodded. No one was there.
After more soft talking and reassurance, Everleigh stopped shaking as hard. Her tiny balled-up body started to ease and sink into me.
Liam had the towel I had used, soaked in warm water, and over her for comfort. I watched as her black hair, which I used to hate, now floated above the towel, a stark contrast of light and dark.
Liam and I both sighed when Ev took a deep breath.
He asked her, “You think you can give me one of those adorable smiles, baby?”
Ev’s precious hand moved slightly to cling to my wet shirt. “Hi, Duuuke.”
Liam’s head fell to the rim of the tub, then he took deep breaths. “Thank you, Jesus.”
I wrapped my arms around her, again feeling like a piece of shit for ever blaming anything on this baby girl. “Hi, Ev. Welcome back.”
It was a car that had hit a tree in front of the clubhouse that had made such a sound. I wasn’t told what exactly happened, or why a female body was pulled from that mangled car, neither to ever be seen again. Or why many bikes roared off to search for something. All I knew was that I was eventually glad it all happened. Soon I learned that Wings had a son, and he was now living with us.
