“I ... “she hesitates.
“Is there any way we could do this tomorrow? Surely our version of events is enough to keep them locked up for tonight and she can give her statement in the morning after she’s had some rest,” Max has always been the most diplomatic and level-headed one of us.
The officer lets out a long sigh. “I suppose so, but first thing tomorrow morning, yeah?”
Max agrees, shaking the officers hand. He starts making his way back to his vehicle, when Charlie suddenly pulls free from me and shouts, “Wait!”
The officer turns around, shooting her a questioning glance. “I think he killed someone,” Charlie rushes out. “He told me he beat a woman. And he kept looking at the freezer in the basement. I think there might ... “
Charlie trails off, and another wave of sobbing comes. She looks like she might collapse. Max wraps his arms around her and holds her against him.
“I’ll go look miss. We’ll be scouring the whole house regardless. You just go home and get some rest, okay? And I will see you bright and early tomorrow.” The cop waves the remaining officer over, and the two re-enter the house, leaving the four of us alone on the porch.
Oh shit, Ben is crying now too. He walks over to Charlie and scoops her out of Max’s arms. Pressing her close, I can hear him mumbling in her ear, “Charlie, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry,” over and over again while he peppers kisses to her head.
I make my way down to my truck and get it started so it warms up. By the time I’ve made it back to the porch, Charlie is standing on her own in between my brothers. I can’t speak for them, but I sure as shit won’t be letting her out of my sight anytime soon. “You wanna go home, sweetheart?”
Charlie nods numbly at me. I look to Max and Ben. Max has managed to remain stoic this whole time, but I know better. Underneath the calm facade is a mask of fury. Ben, on the other hand, isn’t crying anymore but I don’t think I’ve seen him this visibly upset since Mara died.
“I can bring her home.” Ben voice is gruff. “I don’t want her out of my sight.”
“Me either,” Max agrees.
“Same,” I add. “My truck is already warming up. How about we all go home together, and we can get the other truck tomorrow?”
A few nods of agreement and some grumbling between us about seating arrangements later, I’m sat in the back of my truck with Charlie in between Ben and me. We all wanted to sit with Charlie and check her over, but since Max is probably the most stable of all of us, we made him drive. I hold one of her hands, and Ben the other. She’s not crying anymore but remains quiet for most of the drive. Right before we turn into the driveway though, I hear the sweetest mumble.
“I love you guys.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
And I do. I’ve known from the moment she came on my tongue for the first time that Charlie had me wrapped around her finger. I would do anything for this girl and now that I know she loves me too, my next mission is to get her to stay here permanently. I can’t let her go now.
“I love you too Charlie,” Max echoes from the front seat.
Ben remains quiet. Neither Max or I have had a chance yet to ask him how things were going between him and Charlie, but I just know that he has feelings for her too. He’s got some shit to work through, but I know he cares deeply for her. I look over at him to see Charlie giving his hand a squeeze.
“It’s okay if you don’t say it,” Charlie whispers in Ben’s ear. Ben smiles in return and presses a light kiss to her lips.
She’s our girl, and she’s staying.
Chapter 44
Charlie
True to their word, the police showed up at the guy’s front door as soon as the sun rose. Between the nightmares and three massive dudes trying to share a king-sized bed with me, I did not get much sleep. None of the guys wanted to leave me alone and all three of them were by my side for the rest of the night. It was so incredibly sweet, if not a little bit suffocating. But mostly sweet.
The questioning was fairly straight forward. They asked me to recall the string of events and other than my time in the trunk still being hazy, I could remember the basement in vivid detail. They also asked me about my relationships with Chuck and Brad and after I explained, one officer even muttered “you sure know how to pick ‘em.”
Don’t I know it.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Brad was in on it. I can’t recall ever even mentioning Chuck in passing to him. Those two meeting was some sort of cosmic fluke and just goes to show what kind of luck that I have in my life. I don’t know what I did in a past life to deserve these kinds of things happening, but I do know that I don’t want to burden the men I love with my fucked up history that seems hell bent on destroying me.
My boys have not had a day of peace since I came into theirlives. I love them all and don’t want to leave them, but I think they’d be safer if I wasn’t around anymore. What if Brad or Chuck get bailed out? The officers helped me file restraining orders before they left and while Brad would probably leave me alone, there is no way that Chuck would. If I went back to Van, at least Chuck wouldn’t be able to find me.
We’re all in the kitchen after the cops leave. Ben is cooking us all eggs and bacon while the rest of us sit at the table drinking coffee and Andy scrolls on his phone.
“I think I might go back to Van early,” I finally say out loud, letting my errant thoughts free.
