Page 60 of Betraying Bexley

He nodded. “Yep. I think you’d like them.”

Bex nibbled on her bottom lip. “S-Sure.”

“I need you to listen though, okay? You’re going to see some stuff and it might freak you out, but you’ll be safe and with people who are going to be your friends too.” He reached across the table and took her hand. Her fingers were cold and trembling. “I’ll protect you. Always.”

Her brown gaze met his and he could see the fear already churning within their depths. “S-Scared.”

“Nah, don’t be. It’ll be an adventure. You’ll see.” He squeezed her hand. “Afterward, we’ll grab a pizza with everyone, and you can tell them about what you saw today.”

“O-Okay.” She grinned. “Adventure.”

Alé followed the abandoned road leading to the airstrip. They were five minutes out from either making or breaking the mission. He glanced over at Bex who'd fallen asleep at some point during the drive. He wondered what happened to her for her to be so tired, then shook the thought off by asking a simple question, what hadn't happened to her. He pulled through the gates before nudging Bex. He didn't want her to miss the abandoned airstrip or the way the road lowered into the parking deck of their base.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Did you have a good nap?" He cocked a brow while smiling at her.

She nodded rubbing her eyes. “W-Where are w-we?”

“This is a special place. Check it out.” He pointed to where the strip became a ramp. “Hang on.”

“Alé...” The breathy sound of his name sent a bolt of lust through him.

“It’s safe. Trust me.” He slowed to a crawl as they descended into the parking garage. “See?”

"W-What is t-this?" Bex sat forward, staring out the windshield. Her eyes were wide, and any lingering edge of exhaustion had been wiped away. "H-How did—do you k-know about t-this place?"

“You’ll see.” He turned off the Impala after he parked in his spot. “Remember, I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you here.” He got out first then came around the vehicle and opened her door. “Come on, let me introduce you to my friends.”

The doors to the elevator opened and AJ, Scotty, and Asher stepped out into the parking garage. When Bex lifted her head, she stiffened beside Alé. He tensed when she gasped. The soft sound she made tore at him. Alex and Eito were right. He'd fucked up. He'd been ready to grab for Bex if she decided to bolt. However, instead of her trying to run for the exit, she limped-run awkwardly to Scotty. When she let out a cry and wrapped her arms around him, Alé relaxed marginally. He couldn’t let down his guard though. She would have loads of questions for him and he’d have to answer them truthfully.

“Y-You.” Bex hugged AJ next. “M-Missed y-you.”

“Us too.” AJ hugged Bex tight. “Noah came to say hi too.”

“S-Scary.” Bex hiccupped. “W-Why?”

Alé joined them then. “I have a lot to tell you Bex, but I wanted you to see them first.”

“Good to see you kid.” Noah pointed at Bex’s leg. “Nice paint job.”

Bex smiled and fuck if it didn’t steal Alé breath. She didn’t do it often enough for his tastes, so he savored it when she did. “T-Thank you.”

“Welcome to the home base of R.O.O.T.,” Asher said. “Would you like a tour?”

Bex glanced back at Alé, pleading mixed with her excitement. “P-Please?”

“Of course,” Alé said. “It’s why I brought you here.”

“Times a wasting,” Asher said. “We’ve got places to see and people to meet.”

Alé placed his hand on the small of Bex’s back, guiding her into the elevator. She stood in the middle of their group, her gaze taking in everything as the doors closed and Asher pushed the button to the medical floor first. It made sense. While Bex was there, Doc Rae could look her arm over and check on her leg too.

“You’re going to meet my wife first,” Asher said. “Then the team.”

“T-Team?” She looked up at Alé.

“Yep. Team. You should know, Alé took a gamble on bringing you here.” Asher glanced at Bex. “He thinks you’re ready for this leap. So, I have one question for you, Bexley. Are you ready to jump?”

Bex stared at Alé then Asher while fiddling with a pleat from her skirt. If she said yes, all of them would be throwing a shit load of stuff at her. He wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to bolt before the tour even began. “Y-Yes.”

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