Page 30 of Unbreakable
"Alright, let me make a few arrangements, then we can get on the road." Kissing my forehead, he leaves me standing with Finn.
"You know how dangerous this trip will be, Grace. If he knows where you are he won't let up," Finn says with a sigh.
"I know, but I can't keep going on this way. He's taken too much of my life already, and I won't allow him to keep me in fear and on the run any longer. I damn sure won't let him hurt the people I love and if that means putting myself in harms way then that's what I'll do," I finish as I keep my eyes on Jake, who now has his phone to his ear.
As we stand to watch the fire diminish under the pelting of the water, I feel a calm wash over me. For some reason, at this moment I think this is a pivotal turning point in my life. I've got my life back, and I'm prepared to fight for it. I won't let demons from my past take up space with their existence any longer.
Jake slides his phone into his back pocket and walks back our way. "I've got things sorted here for now. Demetri and a couple of his men are coming with us. They have a couple large sized SUV's we can ride in," he tells Finn and me.
"And Remi?" I ask.
"We can stop by the clubhouse on our way, Little Bird," Jake says as we load into his truck, and Finn climbs into his to follow us.
The ride out to the compound is filled with silence. Both of us lost in thought.
When we arrive, I can't get out of the truck fast enough to check on my daughter. Jake grabs my hand in his and leads me inside pass a few members of the club milling around near the bar talking and straight up the stairs. We stop in front of a bedroom door, and he lightly taps on it. A second later Lisa opens the door and lets us pass. "How are you guys holding up?" She asks with a weary, tired smile.
"We're doing alright, Lisa. I take it everyone hasn’t made it here yet?" Jake runs his hand through his messy hair and questions her.
"No. I imagine they should start showing up within the hour. You know it takes time to load up a whole family in the middle of the night. They'll get here soon enough," she pats him on his forearm.
"Where's Bennett? I need to talk with him before we leave," He asks Lisa.
Remi finally emerges from the bathroom and makes a beeline towards the bed where I have just sat down. Throwing her arms around my neck she embraces me and I hug her close. I can't imagine how frightened she has been with all this commotion going on. When she finally pulls herself from me, the scared look on her face breaks my heart. "Peanut, I need to go check on Aunt Glory. I need to know you'll be okay while I'm gone," I push her hair from her eyes.
"What's happened? Mom, is Aunt Glory in trouble? Is she okay?" she anxiously asks and pulls her legs into a criss-cross position on the bed.
I won't lie to her. "She's in the hospital. I need to go to her. She isn’t alone. Her mom and dad are by her side." I explain.
"I want to come with you," her hand reaches out and grabs mine.
Shaking my head, I tell her, "No. You will be staying here. I'll make sure you can call me anytime. I don’t know how long we'll be gone."
Her face gets stone cold. Anger takes the place of her fear, and she turns her head to stare at the wall. "He did this, didn’t he?"
I don't answer her. I don’t need to. Jake returns with Lisa trailing behind him.
"Our ride is here, babe. We need to get on the road soon," He softly speaks letting me know time isn’t necessarily on our side. Sighing I try to console my daughter, "You are my number one concern. The safest place for you right now is here with Jake's men. They will keep you safe," I rub her arm, so she'll look at me. Turning her head, she lets her shoulders slump. "I can call you whenever I want." She clarifies.
"Anytime.'' I pull her in for one more hug and a kiss on her forehead before standing. Lisa gives me a look of knowing and understanding. Leaving is hard, but I know she will be taken care of. Our new family would lay down their own lives for one of their own, and we happen to be lucky enough to be a part of them. Looking over my shoulder, I glance at Remi one last time as Lisa tucks her into bed and strokes her hair for comfort.
On our way downstairs, we pass Gabriel. "You ready?" Jake asks him.
"Just got Alba and the kids settled. Let me grab a few things from the shed out back, and I'll meet you and Demetri outside," Gabriel informs Jake.
A look passes between them, then they nod at one another, and we continue to head downstairs. "Where are you going to put everyone?" I ask curiously.
"We have plenty of room. The members with families will occupy the upstairs, and the men who are single will put a cot where they can find the space. The main reason I bought this old warehouse was to make sure we always had space for any situation. It's not the Ritz, but as long as everyone pitches in, we can manage to make the experience bearable for everyone." He says in a tired breath as he rolls his head and rubs his neck. A couple of feet from the door Logan walks in with Bella, Sofia, and a sleeping Breanna.
"Hey, Prez, you about to head out?" he asks switching the car seat in his hand from the one to the other.
"Yeah, brother. You've got command until I get back. Keep me posted on what you and the guys find whenever the authorities get done with their investigation of the fire. And don’t let my mom and pop overdue anything." He orders.
"Got it," he answers before following his family up the stairs. Pausing, he looks back, "Oh, I believe Quinn is on his way. Once he gets here, we will have everyone. I'll do roll call soon and let you know if we are all accounted for."
Jake nods, and we walk out the door. One of Demetri's men opens the door to the SUV, and we climb inside where Demetri is seated already. "Your man, Gabriel opted to drive the other vehicle in front of us, along with Mr. O'Rourke." he motions with a slight nod of his head out the front windshield to the SUV.
"Yeah, he's not much for being the passenger. You bring some extra protection in the form of artillery?" Jake asks.
