After leaving the hospital, accepting himself for who he was had been the hardest for him. He guessed he still had some work to do.
Having Calla by his side helped. She gave him confidence. Was it just because she wanted him? No, she saw him for who he was.
“Can we watch the video?” Calla asked as the guys broke up.
Sharp nodded. “If you want. It may get intense.”
“I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
“I can watch and tell you if anything happens,” Thario said. He trained for intense and knew what could happen. He could also shield her if anything went wrong.
Calla blew out a breath. “Okay, I trust you.”
They were in a terrible situation, but her words made his heart expand. That she trusted him in one of the most desperate moments of her life meant a lot to him.
Sharp pulled him aside before they left, and Bud came over to talk to Calla. He guessed Bud was distracting her.
"Hey," Sharp said once they were far enough from Calla that she couldn't hear them. "This could get intense."
“I know. I won’t let her see if things go south.”
“Good. We’ll try not to kill him, but things happen.”
"I get you. I'll call the police once you tell me it's okay to call them."
“Thank you. You know I can’t promise anything?—“
“I know. It’s okay. I’ll make sure she understands that things can go wrong, and you will try your best to make sure nothing bad happens.”
Sharp walked away and joined the other guys. Thario moved to Calla and pulled her to him. She melted against him, and it felt good to support her. He liked being the one to hold her up so she didn't fall apart.
Calla clung to Thario,glad she had him by her side. If he was leaving to go with the group, she would be okay with that, but she liked having him hold her while she tried to keep it together.
“Will she be okay?” Calla asked.
He leaned back and held her gaze. “The guys will do everything they can to keep her safe. But Brent is?—“
“It’s Brent. He could go off.”
“He could go off. He could kill her before anyone shows up there. Stable people don’t kidnap their siblings or hold them for years on end. They don’t traffic other people. The guys will do everything they can to keep her safe.”
Calla nodded, her gaze drifting for a moment before she met his gaze. “I know they will be careful and do what they can.”
“I’ll watch the feed and tell you what is going on. I just don’t want you to see something terrible.”
Thario’s words were a splash of cold water. This might all go south, but this was Abigail’s best chance of getting free.
The men left, and she clung tighter to Thario. “How long until they get there and go in?”
“Soon. We’re only two blocks from where he’s holding her. The guys will make their way over and then make a decision on when to breach.”
Calla nodded, unsure how she would hold it together. She had no idea what had happened to her sister after Brent had killed their parents. She just knew Abigail had never come home again.
For a while, she’d thought her sister had died. Now she knew her sister was alive. She hoped everything would go down how the guys wanted, and her sister would get free.
Time seemed to have stalled. She clenched her hands and paced around the room, wondering if this was for real. Could she hope that she would actually see Abigail?
For a while, she’d felt like Abigail had abandoned her, but that didn’t matter now. She was sure her sister had a reason for staying away. That could all be worked out later. For now, she just wanted Abigail to be safe and for Brent to be in jail.
