LUCAS
Not knowing where she is and if she is okay drives me insane. I can’t think straight; I can’t sleep, eat, or talk to anyone without screaming. After I yelled at Celia for offering me a drink, Nic made me go to one of the guest rooms to cool off like I’m a fucking teenager.
So now I’m pacing through this room instead of his office. Sitting still is out of the question.
I have no idea how going after her was ever a question. If someone would ask me to let her go now, I would probably rip his face off for making such a suggestion.
A part of me wonders if the only reason I’m so obsessed with getting her back now is that Brookshire is the one who took her. Do I only want her back because he has her? Is there really something between us, or is this my subconscious’s way of making up for letting Aspen down?
Where is Lauren when I fucking need her to make sense of this mess?
My burner phone rings, and for a second, I wonder if it’s Lauren. Did she hear me thinking about her? Glancing at the screen, I find it’s Xander calling. Not sure how he got this number but considering my current mental state, I think about not answering. Then I remember who we are talking about here. Xander is not someone who calls back later or leaves a message. He would find another way to get to me right now.
Swiping to unlock, I lift the phone to my ear. “Hello, Xander.”
“Lucas, I hear you left Corium in a hurry. Everything okay?”
“Yes, just grabbing Delilah. Then I’ll take her somewhere I can keep my eye on her and head back to Alaska.”
“I see. Wouldn’t it be easier to simply dispose of the issue?”
“No,” I growl, tightening the grip on my phone. I’m not surprised he wants me to kill Delilah, but I am surprised by how angry the thought makes me.
“No? Why not?”
“I…” Shit. What am I going to tell him? Fuck it, I’m going with the truth. “I want her.” It’s the most honest answer, one I hope he can live with.
“Lucas…” Xander sighs into the receiver. “I don’t like loose ends, and that girl is one. I took out her entire family, and Quinton kidnapped and held her prisoner for weeks. This girl can’t be trusted. She is a danger to my family, and I can’t let that go, no matter your infatuation with her.”
“That’s why I’m getting her from Brookshire and taking her somewhere far away.”
“How is that going to help? Who’s to say she won’t come back for revenge?”
“She won’t. You have my word.” The words come out of my mouth before I can even comprehend what they mean.
A moment of silence hangs between us before Xander breaks it. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Like I said, I just want her.”
“Want or need?”
“Maybe both.” Jesus, this is more uncomfortable than talking to Lauren. “Look, I’ll keep an eye on her. I will make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid again. I was too lenient while she was at Corium. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“I don’t know if that’s enough.”
“It has to be.”
“You do realize you are putting both of our children in danger, right?”
“There isn’t any danger.”
“So Delilah didn’t try to kill Aspen?”
I finally stop pacing, feeling the need to sit down for a moment. I take a seat at the end of the mattress. “Marcel was the one who tried to hurt her, and I dealt with him.”
“You sent him away. That’s not the same as dealing with him.” Any other day, I would tell him that Marcel will soon have an unfortunate car accident. Today, I don’t have the patience to explain my plan.
“You’re just going to have to trust me on this.” Xander has been my friend for years, so I hate leaving this tension between us, but my mind is reeling, and I can’t deal with him right now. “I’ll call you back once I have her. I have to go now.”