He would be busting to check over every inch of me, but not here. And despite a few knocks on the head, sore spots on my body, I know I’m not in any great danger. I just need to go as far from here as possible.
Tyson helps me lie down on the bed someone set up, covering me in blankets, before he checks on his brother. As soon as King hops in the driver’s side, I shuffle to rest my head on his lap, and he settles his hand around my waist. Tyson scoops my hand to hold in his, resting his other between my thighs and Maverick reaches for my other hand.
I fall asleep, all of us touching, breathing in Steel’s scent.
My eyes burst open, Rex still chasing me, and King’s touch gets firmer. “You’re safe.”
The truck is quiet as I sit up. It’s the dead of night, and I lean through the gap to pull part of Steel’s blanket to cover Maverick before using someone’s hoodie as a pillow for Tyson. Once I’ve fussed over my sleeping pack, and everyone is as comfortable as I can make them, I sit up, snuggling under King’s arm. He leaves one hand on the steering wheel, the other sits under the top of the hoodie, his skin on my skin.
We don’t say a word for miles, until he breaks the silence. “Tristan, you need to check in with the girls. It’s been too long.”
I already saw my bag before and someone had placed my phone on the charger. My heart races, worried about the thousands of messages and missed calls from my girls, but as soon as I realise it’s barely a few I settle back against King and read through them all.
“Not much has happened. How is that?” I ask him.
“Probably felt longer than what it was,” King answers but there’s a detachment to his voice and I twist around to look up at him.
“I will be okay,” I promise him.
He huffs a noise under his breath like a laugh, but it’s not. “Not fucking sure I will be.”
An alert hits my phone interrupting us, and I read it once before closing my eyes and getting ready for an epic showdown with King, and no doubt the others. Once I’ve tripled checked the dates and times and compared them to the date and time on King’s car computer, I take one last breath before looking at my Alpha.
“I have to be at Verdune in four hours.”
“Bullshit!” King roars, scaring the fuck and waking everyone up.
Chapter
Fifty-Three
TRISTAN
We make it to Verdune in time. We would have been here sooner but I had a bit of a meltdown when the four of them agreed so readily. It felt like pity but after we yelled at each other a bit we all felt adult enough to talk, and it wasn’t pity at all, it was them trusting me that I was doing what I wanted, what I needed to.
Despite what I had gone through, I would not miss Heidi doing something so important. It felt wrong not to but I knew in my heart it was not right for me to be there too considering I just escaped Rex. My head was a mess, bad thoughts looping louder and louder. Unquestionably it made me feel and act manic, but that was better than feeling and acting like a victim.
King’s silence when I ran out of the bathroom, fully dressed, telling him, Tyson, Maverick, and Steel that I’d booked room and food for all the Fallen travelling with us was like a bucket of cold water. And King being King, he didn’t stop telling me it was too soon. He pushed me to reconsider, and I nearly agreed but that would have felt like I was losing even more.
Tyson and Maverick coming with me were non-negotiable. King couldn’t accompany me considering the Scorned Girlsknew exactly who he is. Steel wasn’t in any shape either. Steel is okay though. Tyson stitched him up like only a doctor in ER knows how to, and now all he needs is bed rest, lots of food and time to recover. Which is coming, after I do this.
“Her security is next level,” Tyson says quietly as we enter the foyer of Verdune Pharmaceuticals.
And he’s not wrong. There’s guards and security along with the media milling around waiting.
“Heidi’s had a team of guards surrounding her since the day she was born, Ty. But yeah, there are extra people around today.”
Simona pushes through the electronic doors behind us, and before anyone can stop us, we make a run for each other. Her gentle nature wraps around me and before I know it, I’m fighting back tears.
“Tris, what is wrong,” she whispers, holding me so carefully like I’m about to break.
The concern and empathy in her eyes nearly sends me running. I shouldn’t have expected anything less but at the same time I had hoped I’d be able to hide it for a little longer. At least until after we saw Heidi.
“I’m okay, I promise. I will be okay, Sim.” I say quietly.
Tyson and Maverick both flood our bond connection with their own concern and it mixes with Simona’s compassion making me stronger in a sense, but struggling more on the other hand. I sink into her touch, letting her brush away my emotions. And fix me back up, temporarily at least.
I know Simona won’t push for answers, not here, so instead she ensures I remember she’s here for me, and always will be. Behind us a door opens, and she lets me jump at the distraction, turning the situation from something about me to the reason for our presence.
