“You don’t seem so easy and breezy about it today. What do you think is going to happen with Ethan?” Page asked, mistaking his worried look for anything that had to do with his supposed half-brother. Randall didn’t care what happened next, he knew that he was going to have to do something about it all,just not yet. Let the anger dissipate a little bit before he jumped in feet first. Or that was the idea that he came to anyway.
“I am not worried about Ethan; he is basically human. I am worried about your father and my brother. I know that if they caught up with us right now, it wouldn’t end well. So, I guess I was just thinking about how it might go down later. It still won’t be pretty, but Ben will give me the opportunity to work with him and come to some kind of arrangement. Trust me, Page, it’s all going to be okay. We’re together now and no one is going to change that. You remember that.”
Page nodded that she would, and she brushed her lips against his, to remind them both that what he said was true. Page was nervous, she said as much, and it tightened her delicate features. Randall knew that they would have to deal with it soon, as Page wasn’t going to be good at ignoring it. He worried about what that would mean later.
They got to the B&B where they would be staying, and Page was quick to rinse off in the shower when they got situated. He wanted to go in there with her, but first he had to call his sister and find out what was going on there with Ben and the pack. He wanted to make sure that Ethan was out of his bonds. Randall didn’t have a desire to hold him there any longer than he had to. When no one answered, Randall was desperate to call someone else and figure out what was going on. He would have called Ben if the circumstance was different. Why did it feel so strange to him? He shouldn’t be bothered by his sister being flaky. She was a lot of times, but no answer for a whole day? Randall’s stomach knotted up with the possibilities of what could be keeping her.
Chapter 12
Page
Page felt like something was off with Randall and when she asked him about it, he just kind of waved her off like he didn't want to talk about it. For someone that was so quick to jump into marriage, he certainly wasn't acting like they were partners. Sure, they were together physically, but there was so much more emotional that she missed. They were going to be on the run together all this time, so Page figured it was about time that they actually got to know each other better. Ten years changed them both.
“What is going on with you, Randall? You have been really quiet and reserved,” Page finally asked. She couldn’t take the wondering that her mind was doing on its own.
Randall apologized for being distant, but he didn't give a reason why. Page waited for an answer, waited for him to say something and when he didn’t, she wasn't sure what to do. “Are you really not going to tell me what's going on?” She finally asked, a little annoyed with his silence. It was clear that he had a lot on his mind, and Page wanted to know what it was. They were married, of course, and she wanted to know everything about him, what made him tick. Was she wrong to want what they’dhad before, as well as all the open communications when things were less complicated?
“I just don't think there's much to talk about.”
Page scoffed, “I have to disagree, there is so much to talk about. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind? It's obviously something.”
Randall shrugged. “I'm just worried about what's going on in my pack. I can't get hold of my sister, and my brother has been known to go sideways when people don't do what he wants. I wish I could get ahold of her and then I would know what's going on. Your real fiancé is still in lockup as well. My sister is the one taking care of him, so I worry that something happened to her and now something is going to happen to him, which would be on my head. Anything else happens and it will be my problem. My brother doesn’t believe in accidents.”
Page shook her head in disbelief, “You are way more complicated than I remember. You want to go save Ethan?”
Randall agreed, even though he said he didn't realize that's what he wanted. It was though. He did not want Ethan’s demise to be his fault. Especially if it wasn't what he wanted. Ethan was his half-brother after all, and the last thing that he wanted was for something to happen to his family, even family that he didn't care for. The thought made him think about what to do next, and he asked Page what she thought about it.
“I'm with you, I don't want a man’s death on our hands. That can't be the first thing we do as a couple. Do you think we can go there and release him without being seen? And what's going to happen if they see us?”
“I think I can get us in and out, but I don't know how Ethan’s going to react. He acts like he is good, but I don't know if it's an act or not. I don't know him well enough to reallyknow what he's going to do. I am not comfortable with all of the unknowns. I wish I knew more.”
“You should let me go in and get him out then,” Page suggested.
Randall didn't want to hear anything like that. Instead, he shook his head vigorously and told her that wasn't going to work. “There is no way that I am sending you in there with him. No way in hell,” Randall reiterated. Page told him that it could be for the best, but he really wasn't going to listen to it. Instead, he said that he would go in and whatever happened, happened. Page didn't like the sound of that, but she was pretty sure that he wasn't going to let anything else occur. That was the plan, whether it sounded a little messed up or not.
“I don't even want you going in at all, if I'm completely honest. Something could happen, and I would never be able to forgive myself.”
Page waved him off and told him that he had nothing to worry about. She didn't feel like that was true. There was nothing she could say to change his mind. Page figured that she would just do what she wanted and ask for permission later. It always seemed to work out for the best when she did things that way. Likely, it was because Page hated asking for permission.
***
It took the two of them a couple of days to get back to where Ethan was locked up. Page was impressed by the village and what she had seen there. She couldn’t wait until everything had died down and they could hopefully go there to live for good. She knew that her own home would likely never be a place that she wanted to go back to. Her eyes had been opened, and Page wasn't going to let her father or anyone else take away her choices again. That just meant that the only way that the two ofthem were going to be happy was as far away from her clan as possible. She hoped that he would be different, and deep down she knew that he was. Randall was someone that she trusted to keep her safe. He had given up everything for her. How could she do any less for him when that's exactly what he had done for her?
They were creeping around outside the small village tucked out of the way, hidden from humans. Page was trying not to envision herself there, not yet, but it was hard not to. They had the cutest underground houses and the whole place was so tranquil. Page didn’t know why, but she immediately felt like she belonged there. She liked the idea of it. She wanted to stay and belong there. She decided nothing else would matter and she meant it.
“Are you going to tell me why you are so quiet now?” Randall wanted to know. She was the one that had pushed those questions before. She wanted to keep her feelings closer to her chest because they were mixed and so strong. Then, he used her own words against her, and she had to say something. She gave him a dirty look, but he knew his trick and just beamed back at her like he knew exactly what he was doing.
“I was just thinking that this would be a nice place to live, you know for the kids,” she said hesitantly. Page felt weird showing him those type of emotions. Was it too soon?
Randall got serious for a moment, like he hadn't actually thought about it, and then his eyes went to her stomach, looking at her with a bit of wonder, as well as worry. He was looking at her stomach like she was carrying a time bomb and maybe that was an accurate representation of what their children were at the moment.
“Right, our kids,” Randall finally said slowly, like he was trying to get used to the sound of it on his tongue.
Page shook her head. “You know that I'm already pregnant, right? I mean, I don't have to tell you how this all works since you seem to have all the experience.”
Randall smiled a little bit more and that made her nervous. What was he smiling about? She knew that it was likely something that she didn't want to hear, but she couldn't stop herself asking what he was all gleeful about.
He started to say something and then he just stopped. “I guess I am just happy about the thought of you carrying my children. Of course, I know that's what's going to happen.”
