I take it they’re referring to Dash, Kemper’s partner, and Felix’s allegedbest friend, according to what he said on the phone.
But now they’re saying Dash’s dad is also here, and Dash is with him…?
Oh, fuck. Speaking of dads.
Pulling Joy’s phone out of my pocket, I hand it to her. “Your dad’s been blowing it up…”
She gives me a bemused look, snatching the phone.
“Trevel gave it to me. Turns out he had it,” I explain, leaving out the part about her father coming here.
I take it she’ll figure that out pretty soon.
Rook’s head cocks. “You and Fenwick pals again?”
“He actually saved me,” I tell them, noting the unease breeding rage in Felix’s eyes as he observes the bandages all over me. “The Ivory had me down here being tortured by those fuckface doctors, and Trevel… took them out.”
Joy pauses scouring her phone, eyes jump to mine, brows lifting as if she’s impressed.
“We gotta get the hell out of here,” she breathes, tucking her phone away.
“I’m not leaving Dash,” Kemper says firmly.
“Me either,” Felix adds, his certainty seeming to ease Kellan’s mind and un-hunch his shoulders a bit.
“We might need to wait it out for a few, anyway.” Rook peers through the gate. He peeks at Kemper. “Especially now that you’re here.”
“I guarantee, if he hasn’t already, The Ivory’ll have a team out scouring the woods looking for you any minute.” Joy grips the back of her neck.
Felix straightens, and announces, “I’ll stay.” We all gape at him. “Seriously… As far as they know, I’m still in the west.”
“If you think I’m leaving you…” My voice drags in its thickness. I gulp down the emotion he obviously caught, because he brushes my jaw with his fingers. “I just got you back.”
“I know, Want,” he hums, biting his lip. “But you’re all jacked up…”
“We have tons of medical supplies in the armory,” Rook says.
Uncertainty is being swallowed up by stubbornness as I mumble, “I’m fine.”
“Lemuel,please,” Felix sighs. “You’ve been locked in a dungeon for however long. You need food and water and… new bandages!” His emphatic fawning over me brings a fuzzy warmth to my chest. “Kemper will bring you to the armory…” He aims that pleading gray gaze at Kellan, who really looks like he wants to protest. “I’ll stay here and make sure Dash is safe. Trust me, I won’t let anything happen to him. He’s my best friend…”
An innocent pout forms on my fiancé’s lips, and it’s just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. All I want in the world is just to lie down with him in bed. Cuddle up and watch movies, touching and kissing, like we used to.
I’m hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion just thinking about it, which probably means he’s right, and I need to reboot. At least get some food and water and tend to the various burns and punctures on my body.
“You know it’s the smartest play, Kel,” Joy murmurs. “We can’t risk them grabbing you. We need you too bad.”
I’ve never seen her showing any sort of emotion, but her affection for him is visible on her face.
“We just got you back,” she whispers.
That gets him. Kemper expels a steady sigh, wrapping her up in his arms. “Okay. I’m not going anywhere.” He glances at me and Felix as he releases her. “I’ll bring you to the armory. But you have to promise me you’ll get Dascha… If anything happens to him—”
“If anything happens to Dash, there’ll be a mountain of bodies higher than Mount goddamn Everest,” Felix rumbles. Fully serious, though it placates Kemper enough for him to chuckle.
“Agreed,” he replies softly. “Let’s not let it come to that.”
Felix cracks one of his timid smiles, biting his lip. He peeks at me, and I wink.
