Page 17 of Rescuing Air

The look of determination and rage on Jay’s face made me thankful that I was on his side, because that man could be one scary motherfucker.

eleven

Lailah

The guys had been gone all of ten minutes and I was a nervous wreck. “How will we know if something goes wrong? There is no way for us to reach out to them without causing problems.”

“Angel, please come play cards with us. It’ll take your mind off of things and help you settle,” Brayden suggested, waving me over.

“Do you really think I can focus on playing a card game right now?” I grumbled as I sat down with a huff. “It better be something simple like Go Fish or I’m never going to have a chance.”

Hudson chuckled. “If you want to play Go Fish, then we can play Go Fish.”

“How are you both so calm?” I demanded, tossing my hair up in a messy bun, tired of dealing with it. “It’s like you don’t even care that this is crazy dangerous and we are sitting here playing kids games?”

Brayden grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the face. “I understand you’re worried but don’t take your feelings out on us. Neither of us deserve it.”

He was right. I was anxious and lashing out at them because they were here and safe. I knew they would forgive me if I snapped at them, but Brayden was right, they didn’t deserve that from me. “I’m sorry. I just don’t like us being apart.”

Pulling me with his hold on my chin, Brayden brought me to his lips where he kissed me slowly and deeply. I moaned into his mouth, reaching out to him, needing this contact, to know that they were here with me. When he pulled back, he grinned at me, knowing he’d managed to settle my nerves somewhat. “Angel, trust in your men. We’ve been training for this all our lives and they will come back to you.”

“You really believe that?” I asked, surprised at Brayden’s confidence.

“Without a doubt. Those three will come back to you no matter what,” Hudson assured me as he moved to stand behind me.

“Three of them… so you don’t think all is lost with Parker?” I inquired, pulling out of Brayden’s grip, and looking up at Hudson.

Out of all my men, Hudson had been the one to keep his thoughts on Parker to himself. I knew he had an opinion but Hudson wasn’t one to share his thoughts until he clearly understood all the facts and could make a judgment.

“This is my humble opinion, but yes, I believe that things between you and Parker can be worked out. He did something that hurt you down to your very soul, but I don’t think the connection between you both has been severed completely. The wound will take time to heal but the man I see Parker turning into is willing to wait and work for your forgiveness. The old Parker would do anything and everything to bribe you back to him, using his charms, money, or whatever means he could get ahold of. Now, I’m not you, my sunshine, but I do know how big your heart is,” Hudson explained, kissing my temple. “The choice is yours, whatever you decide to do. We will follow your lead.”

“Yeah, some more willing than others, but if you choose to give Parker another shot, we won’t get in the way,” Brayden agreed. “It’s your relationship and no one else can tell you how it should work, not even the angels. So if you don’t think things can be fixed, don’t feel pressured either.”

Both of them were presenting me with opposing sides of the same argument, but they were trying to support me either way. “I’ll keep what you said in mind. Right now, I just need us to get through this next part so I can have them safe and sound where I can see them.”

With that settled, they talked me into playing a few rounds of Speed with them, the fast-paced nature of the game forcing me to give it my full attention. My focus was so fixed that when a booming knock came at the door, I almost fell out of the chair that I was kneeling on.

“Police! Open the door!” a man shouted.

I gaped at the guys as I felt like my eyes would pop out of my head. I was so shocked. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know but I don’t like it one bit,” Brayden said through clenched teeth. “Stay back. I’m going to take a look.”

The man pounded on the door, repeating the same thing over again, his voice even louder, if that was possible. Brayden peeked through the peephole in the door and swore. “Shit, it is the police. Don’t say anything and let me handle this.”

Hudson wrapped an arm around me, holding me tight to his side as Brayden opened the door. No sooner had he turned the handle then a swarm of men dressed in blue uniforms with police written across their Kevlar vests entered. One grabbed Brayden, slamming him up against the wall, pulling cuffs out and slapping them on his wrists. “You’re under arrest for the bombing of Pride Resourses.”

“What?” I blurted, not understanding. “Was there a bomb there? Do you know if everyone’s alright? Did everyone make it out?” I demanded as I was dragged away from Hudson and had my own hands cuffed behind my back.

“Shut the fuck up. We don’t owe you any answers,” the cop snarled, dragging me out of the room.

None of this made sense. Why would they think we were the ones to set a bomb off there? How did they even know we were here in this hotel? The guys had used fake names for the booking and we’d flown in on a private jet. Nothing we did should have been traced that fast... unless. There had to be someone in the Elementi spilling our secrets, and they had to be extremely high up in the system to do it. Beth and Cami were the only ones we’d talked to, but I refused to believe it was either of them. This had the Dark Lord written all over it. He was pissed that his plan didn’t work to just kill me off. Now he had to get rid of me another way, and it seemed he found it.

“Where are you taking us? I’m an American citizen,” I stated, hoping that would mean something here, but I didn’t put much hope in it.

“I believe I already told you that I wasn’t going to give you any answers. Now move it or be dragged the rest of the way, your choice,” the officer barked, shoving me forward.

Knowing this was a losing battle, with so many of them against the three of us, I complied. They led the three of us out of the hotel and shoved us into the back of a van with police written on the outside. Two officers got in the back with us, making sure we didn’t cause any trouble while two more got into the front seats. They put the sirens on and blasted out onto the streets as if the hounds of hell were coming after them whi,ch made no sense to me. If they were the police, there would be no need for them to make a mad dash from the scene like that... unless.