He blinks, tearing his eyes from Nick. His brow furrows at my tone, which I’d wager is what finally makes him focus.
“The sheets. Mattress protector. All of it. It’s coming with us.” Without knowing the exact amount of damage we’ve inflicted on Nick or what the possible ramifications of our actions could be, I’m positive Elliot would tell us to take as much of the evidence as we can. Unfortunately, the biggest lump of it is that jackass, and he’s going to have to stay here. I’m not hauling Nick’s sorry ass anywhere, as much as I’d like to fuckin’buryhim.
Cannon’s eyes lock on the bloodstain.Ah, fuck.He really must be out of it if he missed the entire conversation Archer and I just had. His chest rises and falls at an alarming rate as he digests what he’s seeing before him. His head swivels to look at me with Elliot in my arms.
“It’s not what you’re thinking. She’s going to be fine, but I need your head on straight. Get the bedding off the mattress, and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Spurred into action, Cannon quickly gathers everything from the bed and rolls it into a big ball.
I nod to him. “I think there might be a trash bag in the back of the SUV, tucked in that side compartment from when we were tailgating. Get that in there, would you? We’ll burn it later.” Once he’s gone outside, I nod to Archer. “Take the spare towel out there and start the car.”
“Yep. I’ll help you get her into the back and then drive us.” He reaches out, brushing his hand gently over the back of Elliot’s head. “Hang in there, Peaches. We’ll get you home.”
She swallows hard before nodding. “Please get me out of here.”
“You got it.” Archer glances at Nick one last time, gritting out, “You’re lucky you didn’t get a chance to force yourself on her. Otherwise, we’d be leaving a corpse.” He shakes his head and hurries out of the room.
My mind twists, wondering what it was like for her in the time Nick had her. How long did he taunt her? My gut says she remained unconscious until he got her here, otherwise he would have had a lot more difficulty getting her into a room and tied up. And the only way she’d be out that long is if he drugged her.
I have an awful feeling he toyed with her for a while before cutting her. My eyes crash shut, and my breath heaves painfully from my chest. I know without a doubt that he made sure she was awake for every second of his sick brand of torture.
My gut clenches. Christ,we’reso fuckin’ lucky we got here before the situation escalated. I hesitate before asking anything of her, because I don’t know what her reaction will be. I wet my lips, then murmur softly, “Elle. What do you want me to do with him? Should we leave him here?”
I’m startled when her voice comes out cold and low as she speaks with her face buried in my chest. “I don’tgivea shit.” She pauses, her gaze skirting toward her ex. “Kick him again.”
“Okay, baby. That’s all I needed to know.” I walk over to him with Elliot in my arms, then grunt out, “Nick, you alive, you pathetic fuck?” I nudge him with the toe of my shoe.
He groans but doesn’t coherently answer.
I deliver one final, bone-crushing kick, smashing my foot into his ribs.For her.He howls. “Fucker,” I grit, “you’re going to wish you weren’t alive. I hope you remember every bit of this agony, and with every pained move you make, you’ll think of Elliot and how you’re never going near her ever again.”
SIX
ARCHER
I wishI had a clearer picture of what’s happening with Elliot. That bastard kidnapped her, tied her up, made her bleed, which is enough to send anyone into a state of shock. And he’s her ex, so there’s a history, most of which we aren’t aware of—but somehow this seems like so muchmore.It bothers me that I’m in the dark. Kingston has information Cannon and I don’t. I feel like shit that it bothers me, but there it is. I’m not usually the jealous type. But with her… fuck, I guess all bets are off.
For whatever reason, she’s entrusted him with her secrets—some of them, anyway. I do feel like there are other things our girl has kept under wraps, and I’d imagine if Kingston were aware of the entire story, we wouldn’t be in this position at all because he’d never have allowed us to wait to deal with Nick in the first place. So. I guess all we can do is let her explain what the fuck is going on whenever she’s ready to.
Glancing in the rearview mirror as I drive, I take in the way she’s huddled on Kingston’s lap, reminiscent of the way Cannon held her after she was knocked out. He has her head tucked under his chin, arms wrapped around her tight. I don’t believe it’s the physical pain of what’s happened that’s sending shiver after shiver through her body. She’s dealing with the emotional trauma of what Nick put her through. Words he said, yes, but the more I think about it, the more positive I become that whatever else he did to her held significance.
My eyes flick to Cannon, seated in the other captain’s chair behind me. His big body is swiveled to the side, and he holds her small hand in his larger one across the aisle. I let a frustrated breath escape me, both because I want to be back there with them, making sure she’s okay, but also because I’ll be spending the next fucking week digging up every last detail I can on both Nick and Elliot because shit like this shouldn’t happen. Ever. We don’t need another skeleton popping out of her closet or to find out after the fact that she’s hiding anything else of importance.
As we approach the outskirts of the university, I give them the heads-up. “Five minutes out. How’re you doing back there, Peaches?” She lifts her head, meeting my eyes in the rearview. She doesn’t say anything but gives me a thumbs-up.
Fuck.What does that mean? Her normally sassy mouth has gone on vacation again, and the other two don’t seem to be doing much better. I exhale carefully, feeling like getting us all home and taken care of might fall squarely on my shoulders.
With everyone still in their own heads, I make the turn onto our quarter mile drive and proceed up the hill through the trees. Peering at them again, I clear my throat. “Does anyone have a specific plan in mind, or are we winging it?”
Kingston grits out, “One of us should go in first and clear the way. She doesn’t need anyone gawking at her.”
I glance in the mirror in time to see Cannon raise his hand. His jaw is locked up tight, and I imagine if these dickheads don’t comply with his demands, there will be hell to pay.
With a clearing of his throat, Kingston shifts into leadership mode. “Okay, good. Cannon, you run interference for us, I’ll carry her up to her room. Archer, can you get the necessary medical supplies? I know you’ve got ’em.”
I pull right up to the house and put the car in park, peering into the back of the SUV at the three of them. “Yeah. Don’t worry, Peaches, I’ve been bandaging up these two brawlers for years. I’ve got you.”
Elliot gives me a weak half smile that simultaneously worries the shit out of me and makes me proud of her. She’s trying so hard to be strong. But she doesn’t have to be. We’ll be her strength if she needs us to be.
