Slater’s house.

I know it.

The moment we step out of the car, I look up. I tip my head back and stare. It’s run down, and it’s old, but I know this house. I know it and the familiar feeling it brings me nearly brings me to my knees. It feels like home. A strong sense of warmth washes over me, and I want to run inside it and never leave.

My head turns to the left and I stare at the house next door.

I stare at it, and also, I feel such a strong sense of familiar. But not as heavy as this house. This house, this house is home. I know it, and I feel it so strongly that I stop walking, and I just stare, and stare, and try to make my brain work with me. I want it to open up, to just let me remember. Not just this, but everything. No more scattered memories.

I can tell you a few things about my life with my parents, I remember when they died. But every part after that is hazy. I only have maybe a handful of clear memories, the rest are kind of...distorted. Like I can see them, only they’re really fuzzy, so I don’t know what exactly they’re about. I dream a lot, though it’s never me in the dreams, they seem familiar somehow. Like my brain is trying to show me, and I don’t want to let it.

And of course, I remember the horrid years I spent with him.

I wish my brain would let me forget those.

Though the beginning of my time there, is a foggy mess.

I remember seeing Charlie, and being scared and confused, and trapped in a basement.

And then that’s it. Drugs, and abuse, and hell filled my life for so many years after that, I don’t recall where I was, or what I was doing, just flashes of horror.

Only in the last five or six years with him, did I start to regain some of my mind back.

And that’s only because he laid off the drugs, and I started to get a better idea of what was doing on, but it was already too late for the rest of the memories. Those were already locked away in my mind, in a safe place, refusing to come back out.

“Y-y-y-you...you lived here...didn’t you?” I whisper when Slater stops beside me.

He tips his head back, and looks up at the house, almost as if seeing it for the first time himself.

“Yeah,” he murmurs. “And you lived next door,” he points to the other house. “With Bob and Marlene Robertson. They died two years ago.”

Bob and Marlene.

Frustration bubbles in my chest that an instant image of them doesn’t just pop up like I need it to.

Anger grips me.

“I can’t remember anything, and yet it seems so familiar to me. Like my body knows what my mind doesn’t.”

Slater looks down at me, just as the other trucks and bikes pull in. They’re all here to talk about what happened.

“Let’s get your hand cleaned up. I’ll call Erin again.”

I nod, and we walk into the huge but run down old house. I step through the front doors, and that feeling of home only gets stronger. My eyes move around the huge living area, and settle on a large bookshelf, full of old frames. Photos. I walk over, without hesitation, and stop, staring.

And my eyes burn.

They burn.

Because there are so many photos with me in them.

Me with what is very clearly all the guys when they were younger. Me on Damon’s shoulders, Finn and I dressed up for Halloween laughing with a beer in our hand, no doubt a beer we shouldn’t have, Lincoln and I at a football game and I’m giving a big thumbs up, and then Slater and I. So many photos of Slater and I. Laughing, kissing, on a boat, in a cabin, hiking...we look so...so...happy. And so incredibly in love.

I can see it so clearly.

Even in my own eyes.

And my chest aches. It burns.

I forget everything else that’s happening around me, and just stare at the pictures.

“Good photos, huh?”

I turn my head and see Damon standing and staring at the photos. Slater must have called his brothers, too. He’s grown now, no longer the young, care free guy he is in these pictures. He’s a man now, and yet I can still almost feel a certain level of playfulness coming from Damon. He’s not as hard as the other three. I like that about him.

“Yeah,” I say softly. I’m still clutching Slater’s shirt over my sliced hand. “I wish...I just wish I remember them. I look, and I feel such a strong sense of familiarity, but I just can’t get the memories to surface.”

“You know,” Damon says, turning towards me a little. “Maybe they’re not going to. Maybe you’re putting so much pressure on your mind to remember, that you’re not listening to your body. Your heart, Ellie, is the best part about you. If you stop fighting what you know, and what you don’t know, and just let your heart and body guide you, you might just find it’ll lead you to what feels right, and the rest will fall in place.”

I blink up at him.

Because, maybe...just maybe, he’s right.

My body and my head always feel two different things.

Sometimes my body warms with comfort and warmth when I’m around these guys, but I fight it, I fight it because...well...because I don’t trust myself.

“I’m not sure I trust my body anymore...how will I know it’s telling me the right thing?”

Damon looks down at me, and oh my, he’s so incredibly handsome. “Because your body won’t lie to you, Ellie. If you trust it. When you saw this house, what did you feel?”

“Home,” I say immediately.

He smiles down at me, “Exactly. And I’ll tell you something for nothing, this is your home. Your body knew that. Your mind knew that. Your heart knew that. You are the one fighting against yourself. Listen more, think less...”

Slater appears in my line of vision, with a first aid kit in his hands. “Time to clean up.”

His eyes scan over the photos, and then meet mine. And I just stare at him, and try to forget my mind, and just listen to my body. My body, oh, my body says run to him, curl yourself into his arms, and never let go.

And that scares me.

Because...Damon might be right. My body just might have the answers my mind is refusing to give me.

And that’s terrifying.

“Okay,” I say, shaking the thoughts from my mind, and walking over to where Slater is now sitting.

We’re also joined by Lincoln, Finn, Malakai and Maverick.

A group effort, I see.

I give them all a weak smile and my cheeks flush, as I sit down beside Slater.

“Give me your hand,” Slater says, moving closer, so close his big body presses against mine when I give him my hand. My breath hitches, and I pray he didn’t notice.

Sitting this close to him makes me almost...giddy.

And nervous.

Like a teenage girl.

I swallow. My body is telling me far more than I think I’m ready to hear.

Slater starts cleaning my hand, and I grit my teeth to stop from wincing. I’ve dealt with worse, far worse. But I still hate pain. Pain reminds me of the life I lived, and I don’t like living in that nightmare any longer than I already do.

“Okay, Ellie,” Malakai says. “Know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but we need to know as much as you’re willin’ to share. That bastard got a little too close tonight, and we can’t risk it happening again. That okay with you, sweetheart?”

I like Malakai. He’s big, and really scary, but he’s kind. So kind.

“Okay,” I say, nodding. “I’ll answer as much as I can.”

Malakai smiles, and it’s comforting, because it makes me feel safe.

“You said you don’t know his name?” Maverick asks, glancing at me.

“No. I don’t know his name. But...one time...he did make me call him Paul. I asked if that was his name, and he got angry. I don’t know if it was some sort of...mental thing, or if it has anything to do with him and who he is...”

“Got to help. We’ve looked into Riley, but found nothing. You don’t know where you were kept?” Malakai asks.

“No,” I say softly. “And when Riley helped me escape, it was on the terms that I didn’t know where I was. So, he got me out, but I didn’t see anything. We just drove, and drove, and then I got on a plane in Los Angeles and flew home. Where we came from, I simply do not know. I don’t even know if Riley ever went back, or if that was even his real name. I just know he helped me. But he made sure I couldn’t trace it back to them. So he was protecting him...and I have my suspicions as to why.”

“Why?” Lincoln asks, his voice not as warm, but not hard, either.

“Because I think Riley is his son.”

They all stare at me.

I go on. It’s about time I started letting some of this out. If they don’t find him, he’ll find me...and I know this time he won’t let me escape. I know it.

“Riley wasn’t around, at least, I don’t remember him being around, until the last few years. He kind of just showed up, like he trusted him to see me. Riley was...I don’t know...broken kind of. He did everything he could to try and get Masters approval...”

“Do not fuckin’ call him that,” Slater growls, his hand tightening around mine.

Shame crashes into my chest, and I withdraw.

“Fuckin’ hell, Slater,” Lincoln barks. “You don’t fuckin’ talk to her like that. She don’t know him as anything else. Go easy.”

Slater looks to me, and the rage and pain in his eyes has me turning away, cheeks red from embarrassment.

“It’s all good, Ellie,” Finn says, glaring at Slater. “Let’s call him Paul, yeah?”

I nod, swallowing, trying to fight back the tears. I jerk my hand out of Slater’s and stand up.

“Not done,” he says, looking angry and yet equally as pissed at himself.

“I am,” I whisper, moving over and sitting beside Damon.

“You okay?” he asks me.

I nod.

“When you’re ready to keep going,” Malakai says. “No pressure.”

I swallow, and then keep talking. “As I was saying,” my voice is low, and a little timid, scared about what might set Slater off next. “Riley looked for...Paul’s approval. Which made me think it was his son. He did everything Paul said, and for years, Riley hated me. But one day something changed, I heard them yelling and screaming at each other, and after that, Riley seemed...less concerned about pleasing Paul, and started to actually notice me.”

I stop and gather my thoughts.

“So I started talking to him. It took months to get more than two words, but I tried, every day he came in and gave me food, I spoke. Eventually, he started talking back. And, I don’t know, something changed. Riley became my friend. And eventually...he helped me leave. He said I deserved my life back, and that he was going to help me get it, but he couldn’t let me see where I was, he couldn’t let Paul get taken away. So, I guess, in a sense, he was still protecting him. Still, he got me out.”

“So you’ve no idea where you were? No hints, no nothing?”

I shake my head. “No names, or places, but I do know that when I got away, the one time I tried to escape, I realized I was in a church. Well, under a church. I know that doesn’t help, but he’s a man of God.”

Maverick scowls. “Piece of...”

“Calm down,” Malakai orders. “Ellie, do you remember anything about that church? Structure? A picture? Anything at all?”

I try to remember back from when I was running, and I do recall seeing a huge glass window, the big colorful ones, and it had a big design filling nearly a whole wall. I don’t really remember what was on it, except for it had a huge flurry of birds flying off in the top corner. I’ll never forget them, they were all blue, and they stood out because there was so many of them.

“I do remember a big glass wall,” I tell them. “As I was nearing the front door. It was the biggest one I’ve ever seen. And I don’t remember the picture, except that it had a mass of blue birds that looked like they were flying away, up in the corner. That’s all.”

Malakai nods, and turns to Maverick. “Get the men onto looking up every church in every major city. If there are none that sound similar, give them all a state and start searching the towns. See if we can find it.”

Maverick nods.

“And Slater,” Malakai looks to him. “Look up Paul, Riley, see if there is any sort of relation to those names, and a church. You can do that while you watch Ellie. He’s close, and he’s going to be looking for her a whole fuckin’ lot harder than he has been previously. Gotta get him, and do it fuckin’ now.”

“We’ll start throwin’ names around underground, too,” Lincoln says. “Couldn’t get fuck all out of the man we took a few nights ago. He maintained he was paid to look for her. That he doesn’t know who wanted her, just that he got given a fuck load of cash to find her.”

The man at the club.

I had almost forgotten about him in all the chaos.

“You deal with him?” Malakai asks.

Lincoln nods.

They hold their gaze, and then look away.

I know what that means, I know it as well as everyone else in this room.

These men might be kind to me, but I know, out there, in the world, they’re brutal. And they’ll go to any length to protect those they love, including taking a life.

“Slater, you make sure she’s got watch. You’re with her, or someone else is. To and from work, and anywhere she goes. She does not go alone,” Malakai orders.

“If you think I’d let her out of my sight after tonight, you don’t know me well, Malakai,” Slater growls.

Malakai holds his angry glare. “Just makin’ sure, brother.”

Slater’s jaw clenches, but he exhales and clenches his fists, looking down.

“We’ll take turns, if you need,” Damon says. “Finn and I will be more than happy to hang out here with Ellie.”

Oh thank god.

Not that Slater scares me, he doesn’t, but the thought of it just being him and I, everywhere I go, terrifies me. He’s intimidating, and I wouldn’t know what to say half the time. Staying here, well, that’s going to be weird enough. I know I don’t have much of a choice, and I also know Erin won’t like it, but I know I have to do it. I’m not safe. And the only person going to keep me safe is going to be living in this house with me.

I’m terrified.

I find it hard enough fitting into social situations, and Erin has become somewhat of a comfort bubble.

The very idea of having to stay here is scary.

I know I’m not overly comfortable, but, as I said, I also know I have no choice.

I try to push it from my mind, because the more I think about it, the more I’ll stress.

And I have enough to stress about.

Maybe Erin can stay with me a few nights?

Or Scarlett.

Or one of the other girls.

Someone.

My phone rings, and I reach into my pocket and pull it out, seeing Erin’s number on the screen. I answer it immediately.

“Oh thank god, I just got all the messages,” she says as soon as I answer. “What happened? Slater said I need to call as soon as I get the messages, and Tatiana tried to call, and you...tell me you’re okay, Ellie.”

“Not really. I’m at Slater’s house. Come past and I’ll explain everything.”

“What happened?” her voice is low and frantic.

“He came to the bakery, when I was there. I’ll tell you more when you get here, please, I need you to hurry over.”

“I’m coming, right now. Send me the address.”

I hang up the phone and send the address.

Slater stands and walks over, kneeling in front of me with a bandage. He wasn’t finished cleaning my hand when I moved. I don’t say anything, I just stare at him, not noticing everyone else staring at us.

“He’s not goin’ to get anywhere near you again, do you understand me?”

I hold his eyes.

He holds mine.

And for a moment it feels like the rest of the world disappears.

I nod.

“Do you trust me, Ellie?” he asks.

I hold his gaze, and this time, I don’t hesitate at all.

“Yes, I do.”

And I do.

I have to.

He might be the only thing to save me.

~*~*~*~