Page 61 of Thick as Thieves
There are flashes and people shouting shit at us, some okay, but others are vile comments about Evie. I see Marcus about to let loose at some really nasty comment, but Levi grabs him and pushes him to the car. I hear my name shouted, asking if I’m the dad. I hear the same shouted to Gabe and Levi.
Fuck, what a mess. What have I done to them all? If I was less selfish, less in love, I would walk away. I should walk away, make this end for them all.
Marcus pulls me into the car. It’s got blacked-out windows and we pick up a police escort. Jackson certainly works fast.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Marcus spits out to me, looking into my face. “Don’t, Xan. We fucking need you here. Shewill need you here. Don’t you fucking dare.”
I look at him, this man who has let me into his life in every way, and all I’ve done is cause shit for them. They were happy, they’re a family.
“Xander,” he shouts sharply at me. “Eyes on me.” He grabs hold of my arms and pulls me face to face. “Xander, you need to think, don’t react. We’ll get them home and see what’s been said.” His eyes are pleading with me not to check out.
Gabe touches me. “Xander, stay with us.”
I must look catatonic, they’re all staring at me.
“I’m okay,” I say, forcing the fog to clear a bit. I need to get a grip, for them, for us all. I see Marcus puff out a breath, fuck he’s worried. I can’t leave the building now, he needs me. I need to step up. I wanted it, I pushed it.
I see the line of paps outside our house, but the police make short work of them. We get into the house and the police are outside in the street, keeping a visible ring around our home.
The windows are open and I hear them before I see them all. A chatter of Spanish voices. More than went with them all pile into the house. Evie’s in the middle of the crowd. Wow, James wasn’t kidding when he said there were a fair few of them. She grins at me from the centre of the melee.
“Phew, that was close. They never found us. Valentina’s family hid us in the middle of them all. Texas had to bend double to hide her height. Only time being short is a benefit. James put on Valentina’s grandson's shirt and hat and walked with a stoop.”
She’s a hundred miles an hour, and comes for me first. I must look the worst. I can’t get any words out, and she pulls me into a downstairs room. “Xander, we knew it would come out. It’s fine here, we can control a lot here. I spoke to Jackson, he knows Miguel, he’s in the police and they can help us here.” She’s touching me, my face, my hands, she smiles as she kisses me. “Xan,” she breathes into me.
I hold her waist and lower my head onto her shoulder. “Fuck. I can hardly breathe. If anything would’ve happened to you, any one of you, because of me.”
“Hey no, no, Xan, it’s not because of you. It’s all of us. We love each other, it just is, and we have to stick together. Please, Xander.” She has tears now brimming in her eyes. “Please don’t think it’s your fault. I love being with you, with Kellen.”
We turn as the door opens and Kellen comes in, closing the door firmly behind him.
“Have you sorted him out yet?” He comes over to us both and puts his arms around us. “Don’t, Xander. We need you here, we’re a family.” He kisses Evie. “I’m glad you're all safe. Well done. Who spotted the paps?”
“Texas. She nipped to the loo and came back and told Tommy and Darryl. They were showing photos around to people in the park. Valentina’s ten-year-old grandson was sent to send them in another direction whilst we got out. Jonno phoned, then Jax, so I knew we needed to move.”
“Wow! Texas? She would’ve sold you down the river not so long ago,” I exclaim in amazement.
“She loves the twins, and she’s really good with them.” Kissing us both, she says, “I need to go sort out Valentina’s family. They’re having tea and then going. They want photos with you and the boys. They love James’s band, but they know who you are so…” She smirks at us. “Not past it yet,” she slips out.
Marcus and I are left alone. He steps forwards straight away and kisses me. “Stay with me. We both need you.” He’s pleading with his eyes. “I know what you’re thinking, I see it in your face. But know this, fair enough you asked, but we agreed, both Evie and I. It’s what we wanted, so this is not your fault. We wanted it, I want it. Please, Xander.” He’s holding my face.
“I’m not going. I was thinking about it though. I don’t want this hassle for you both, for us all. But I suppose we need to see what story is out there. I don’t see why we need to announce anything about us either way. It’s nobody's business but our own.”
I look into his green eyes, mine now clear. I carry on, my voice full of the love and confidence these two give me. “Fuck them. Fuck them all. I love you. I love Evie. I love our whole family. I won’t let them take it away from me. It’s been too long waiting for it. Eighteen fucking years we lost, I won’t let anyone take any more.” I feel the fight in my heart and soul. I won’t let anyone take them.
Marcus smiles at me, his whole face lighting up. “Thank fuck for that. I thought you’d disappeared, you’re normally mad protective. I’ve noticed recently that you're worse than normal though. Gabe can’t believe what you’ve turned into. Said he's known you all these years and never seen you as bad as this.”
“No idea. I just feel like I need to pick them up and keep them with us, all the fucking time, even James and Bucky,” I tell him.
He nods at me. “Let’s go join the hordes. As ever, Evie has drawn a crowd.” He laughs and pulls me to him for a hug, slapping me on the back, and we walk out of the room and straight into Tim.
“I need to talk to you both. Can we step in there?” He points back into the room Kell and I just left. “There’s lots of people upstairs all doing food, we can’t talk there,” he explains as he moves with us.
The door is slammed shut yet again and I know I am not going to enjoy this.
“I know you’ve said you’re not bothered about who knows about your arrangements, but I’ve just heard from the UK and US press. Someone has leaked on the back of this story”—he points to his phone—“that you are in fact a ‘throuple.’ Fucking horrible word, if you ask me, so I’m asking, what do you want to do about it?” He pauses whilst we both digest the implications of everything being out in the open. “Do you want to make a statement or anything? We could go public, or you could say nothing? But people will want a picture of you all doing something that proves it either way.” He sighs, knowing his job is getting harder at this point. “So it’s up to you, which way we go.”
We’re all stood facing each other in the small room. The air feels stifling. I try to take a deeper breath, but can’t.
