I swore Armand was just about to say the same thing but he was one of the people I needed the much needed break from.
I was relieved when Pa nodded his agreement.
Frankie stepped forward first and started walking. I followed next to him.
Once we got a little distance away from them he set an arm around me and I found myself leaning into him for support. Support and comfort.
“Frankie I can barely walk, I feel like I’m dying.” I tried to stave off a fresh bout of tears.
“Princess, I need you to not die on me right now. I need you to have a little more strength just to get out of here.”
I lifted my head not quite following what he was saying to me.
“Frankie, Pa’s going to kill Xander…” my voice trailed off.
“No. He won’t. Don’t worry about Xander.”
I wasn’t sure how he could tell me that when he knew Pa was serious. We all saw today that Pa had every intention of killing Xander.
“I’m worried sick and I feel like I’m going to die if I step on that plane.” My voice shook as did my legs and he held me closer as I stumbled.
“Calm doll,” he leaned nearer to my ear. “Lucky for you, you won’t be getting on that plane.”
I tensed and shuffled to face him as we walked but he held me still, tightening his grip around my waist.
“Don’t,” he broke in quickly with a rasp. “Just walk with me and act normal. Please.”
God, my heart…
It raced a hundred miles an hour. It galloped.
Was this hope? Could I hope?
Frankie was the only person among Pa’s knights who would have known that just being here was killing me inside. He was the only person who knew how I felt about Xander.
He would have known that me stepping on that plane meant me signing my life away. It was death. It would be. Nothing else could describe it better than death. Death to my body and soul. All that was left of me.
Jesus please… Please let this be hope.
We went down the escalator and continued to the signs for the toilets. We went through the section and he went into the ladies division with me. The custodian on duty went to say something to Frankie, but one hardened look cast his way and the man backed down without a word.
Frankie was the kind of man I wouldn’t have wanted to mess with either.
We walked the whole way down the cubicles and headed to a door that said staff only.
He moved his hand away from my waist when we got there and took my hand instead.
He walked faster and I followed.
I followed and my brain caught right the hell up. I caught up to what we were doing, what he was doing.
We went through the door and the night air graced my skin.
Frankie didn’t falter in step, he kept going with me, pushing forward ahead in a straight line, never looking back.
We verged on the parking lot and I saw his truck. It looked like someone was in the back.
“Princess, jump in the back seat as quick as you can, now,” he ordered, letting go of my hand. We ran to his truck and he headed to the driver’s seat. I did as he instructed and jumped into the backseat.
