“I got you, baby. I’m here. You’re safe now,” I keep whispering into her hair as we go back downstairs the same way we came up. In the elevator, Hero cuts the zip ties around her wrists and ankles. As soon as her hands are free, she wraps her arms around me, pulling me even closer. The rest of the way to the car, she holds on to me like I might disappear.
Once we’re there, Hero opens the back door for me, letting me and Grace enter the SUV, but he doesn’t get in. Instead, he leans against the hood of the car, waiting for the others, giving us some privacy.
For a moment I just hold her, stroking her hair, relishing in the feeling of having her in my arms again. She sobs into my chest and I hold her tighter. Once her sobbing subsides a little, I try and talk to her, keeping my tone soft. “Did they hurt you, or touch you in any way?”
“No,” she murmurs into my shirt. “You got there in time. He was about to…” She trails off, her crying intensifying again, but I can’t help but feel relieved.
“It’s okay. No one will ever hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.” I continue holding on to her like my life depends on it, and maybe it does.
Not long after that, Damon and Xander return to the car. Grace flinches when the doors open and close, but I hush her, whispering reassuring words into the shell of her ear.
“My men will deal with the rest, let’s get her home,” Xander says, the engine roaring to life a moment later.
“Thank you for doing this,” I say into the air, but really to all of the guys.
“Don’t mention it. You’re family, and that makes Grace family now too, and we protect what’s ours.” Xander tells me, and even though I’m thankful for it, I can’t help but wonder if it’s good enough. Grace wouldn’t have been in trouble, to begin with, if I wasn’t part of this family.
Shame and guilt mingle together, and for the first time since I started working for Xander, doubt creeps in. How can I keep doing what I’m doing and still keep Grace safe at the same time? I know what I’m going to have to do, to protect her from all of this, from a future of fear.
15
Grace
I don’t even realize that we aren’t driving back to our house until we are getting out of the car. Luke is still carrying me, which I’m grateful for because honestly, I don’t know if I could stand upright on my feet right now.
“We’re going to stay with Xander for now. It’s the safest place in the city,” Luke tells me as he carries me up the front steps. The door swings open and two women appear; one of which I recognize immediately. Elyse. What is she doing here?
“Oh, my goodness. Grace, are you okay?” Elyse rushes over to us, her small hands brushing over my forehead softly.
“Yeah, I think. What are you doing here?” I ask, confused.
“Hero didn’t want to leave me and the kids home alone, so he brought me here,” she responds, smiling at the mention of her family and I just now connect the dots. Hero, one of the men who came with Luke is with Elyse. I remember Luke and Sophie talking about them, but with everything happening it didn’t click in my brain until just now.
“Let me get her inside,” Luke tells her, his voice sounds strained as if he is mentally exhausted.
“Of course, yes come on in. We already have a guest room ready for you,” Elyse takes a step away, leading the way inside. The second woman at the door hasn’t said a word yet, but out of the corner of my eye, I see Xander walk up and kiss her. This must be Ella, his wife.
We follow Elyse up the stairs, leaving the rest of the guys behind us. She leads us into a large fancy bedroom and I just now notice that this place is a mansion. The room is lavishly decorated and in the center is a canopy king-size bed. If this is the guest bedroom, I want to know what the rest of the house looks like.
Luke places me on the bed gently, and I watch Elyse give him a quick hug, before exiting the room. When the door closes, and it’s just us, Luke sits next to me.
“I was so fucking worried about you, I thought they had hurt you, or worse.” I knew Luke loved me, but hearing him speak like this, his voice nothing but raw emotions, has me really seeing it for the first time.
“I was really scared, but I knew you would come for me.”
“Always, I will always find you. I won’t let anything happen to you, ever.”