Page 115 of Twisted Bonds
"It looks like we have a welcome home party going on,"Bain says, and I glance out the window to see Cayley rushing down the steps and Chloe standing at the top.
We've barely come to a stop, and Cayley is flinging open Bain's door, "Dad! It's about time you got back, sheesh! You better take me next time; I want to meet cousin Dominik, too."
"I'm sorry, baby girl. I will take you some time, I promise."Bain rubs the top of her head, earning him a glare.
All four of us walk up the steps together, where Chloe greets us, but I notice right away that something is wrong, and so does Bain. Knowing we have young ears around, he addresses his ex-wife, saying, "Chloe, will you come to my office? We have something to discuss with you."
"Yes, of course,"she replies and then turns to her daughter. "Cayley, will you go keep Baxter company until I get back?"
"No fair, I haven't seen Dad all week…"
"Cayley, listen to your mother."Bain's stern voice has the young girl huffing and storming away. Bain returns his attention to us and then tilts his head toward his office, and we all head in that direction.
"Okay, what's going on? Did something happen while we were gone? Sergio didn't come here, did he?"Bain starts asking question after question as Chloe continuously shakes her head back and forth.
"No, Bain. If you would stop talking for a minute, I can tell you what happened, so you don't have to keep guessing,"she chuckles.
"Uh, sorry…"Bain's sheepish apology is the cutest thing ever. He sits behind his desk and waits for Chloe to start.
Beau and I are sitting on the small sofa not too far away, also waiting to find out what Chloe has yet to tell us. When she begins, we all perk up at the mention of Erik Harrison's name.What the fuck does he want now?
"He insisted that he do another sweep of the grounds to make sure his wife wasn't here and said it would be the last time he would check. Since youweren't at home, he thought we would be caught off guard and that Liv would be hanging around, I guess. He even went down to the two housing units."Chloe is practically out of breath by the time she finishes, having to hurry through it before Bain interrupts her.
Harrison was on this property again?"Beau asks incredulously. Did Captain Campbell not have a talk with him, then?"
"Idon'tknow, but I just let him look instead of causing a fuss. I had two guards go with him, so he was never left alone."Chloe goes on to explain, and Bain nods.
"Good thinking."He sighs and rubs his face.
"I'm sorry for bringing all this down on all of you,"I say. "If Liv wasn't my friend, we wouldn't be dealing with such an asshole."
"No. Don't do that, Ryan; none of this is on you,"Beau states, squeezing my hand.
I don't believe it for a minute, but there is no sense in arguing with any of them. I nod, and then stand, informing them that I'm tired. "I'm going to head up to my room."
"Okay, I'll be up shortly,"Beau says. "I'm going to talk to Dad first."
I nod again and lean over to brush my lips against his. I then go to Bain and do the same to him. I don't care if Chloe is standing there. She's made her choice, and I have decided I will no longer walk on eggshells with her.
"I'll be up shortly, too, pretty girl."
Smiling, I say goodbye to Chloe and head upstairs. I need a few minutes to wrap my head around this shit. Why is Erik still coming around? I'm sure his captain told him to stay away. At least he wasn't causing problems this whole week. We will have to go into town and talk to the captain again, because it's evident that Harrison didn't take his captain's words seriously.
Going through my nightly ritual for getting ready for bed, I've washed my face and brushed my teeth. I've changed into one of Beau's t-shirts to sleep in tonight, although it will probably end up on the floor, but at least I can wear it for a little while. They both said they were coming to my room, so it seems that this past week hasn't been enough for them. I'm okay with that.
I stare at all my scars like I do every night, paying homage to every one of them. They have all made me who I am today, and I'm beginning to understand why some say I should be proud of them. They have all given me a purpose. All the hardship I went through on my journey has led mehere. I study the scars on my wrists and know that I'm also a miracle. I should be dead. Closing my eyes, I say my next words out loud, like he can hear me if I do so.
"Thank you, Xavier, for saving me many times over."
"I see mypoppethas finally met my brother…"
My eyes snap open and staring back at me is a pair of brown eyes that I still see in my nightmares. I'm afraid to say his name because then it will seem too real, and this can't be real—can it? However, my mouth says it anyway.
"Sergio…"
Sixty
Ryan
