Chapter 48
Abraham
A loud mournful howl rose into the air, but I ignored it.
My only focus was getting to El.
I needed to make sure she was okay.
She had to be okay.
I shifted back quickly and slid on my knees to her side. Slipping my hands beneath her body, I gently lifted her into my arms and carried her out to my truck.
She moaned quietly, and I pulled her closer.
“No, please! Let me go!” she cried softly as she wriggled in my grasp.
I held her tighter and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’s me baby. You’re safe now.”
There was so much more I wanted to say to her. So much more that she deserved to hear, but that was all that was pertinent at the moment. I was here, and she was safe. I’d never let anything like this ever happen to her ever again.
“Abraham?” she whispered, opening her blackened eyes and searching my face.
I swallowed harshly. “It’s me, baby. I’ve got you.”
Her body went slack in my arms then, and I instantly panicked before I picked out the sound of her heartbeat over the chaos happening around me. As long as her heart was beating, everything else would be all right. As long as she was still with me, I could take another breath.
I walked over to my pickup and gently slid her onto the back seat. Her body was limp, but her heart was strong, and she seemed to be breathing just fine. We’d get her back to Doc Monroe as soon as possible and he’d take care of everything else.
I kept the door open, so I could keep an eye on her, but turned toward the scene so I could manage from where I was. There was nothing that could make me leave El’s side for even a moment.
Beatrice was the first that approached. She nodded at the truck. “How’s she doing?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “She was awake at first and she said my name, but then she passed out.”
Bea nodded seriously. “She’s just sleeping, Abraham. Her body suffered trauma today, and it’s protecting itself by keeping her asleep while she heals. She’s be fine.”
I released a big breath. “When did you get so smart?”
She grinned. “I had a great big brother as a role model.”
My lips twitched into the smallest smile. “Thanks for being here with me, Bea.”
She shrugged. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
“Can we see her now?” a voice yelled from the other side of the yard and I turned to see Evey, Callie, and Del were being held back by Huxley.
I was grateful my sisters hadn’t been anywhere near the altercation with Calvin, but now that the danger was over, all I wanted was my family.
“Hux, you can let ‘em go,” I called.
He nodded once and took a step out of their way, his balls probably shriveling in his pants from the look Evey was giving him.
If I wasn’t so exhausted and emotionally drained, I would have laughed at someone so small intimidating someone so large.
The girls came rushing over and Beatrice stepped in their way before they could make it to us.
“Get out of the way, Bea,” Del yelled from the back of the pack.
My eldest sister shook her head. “Ellie’s been hurt.” There was a round of gasps and Beatrice just barely held them off again. “But, she’s okay, and she’s sleeping now. You all need to be quiet.”
My other three sisters nodded solemnly and walked the rest of the distance to me and El much quieter than before. Once every sister had gotten the chance to see her for themselves, they took a step back, the weariness clear in the slump of their shoulders.
“What about Calvin?” Callie asked.
I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head. Thankfully, they all seemed to understand what that meant because they didn’t ask for further clarification. Which was lucky for me because I don’t think I could have said the words out loud.
I killed my cousin.
Even thinking them resulted in a wave of grief that threatened to crush me.
How had it come to this?
How had things gone so wrong?
And worst of all, how had I missed it?
I felt another presence approaching us and looked up to find Clyde just a few feet away. His eyes were haunted, and his shoulders were drawn. I’d never seen him look like this and it renewed my own grief.
I took a hesitant step forward, not knowing if he’d want me anywhere near him. But, when he looked up, I saw the unshed tears in his eyes and knew I couldn’t stay away. I closed the distance between us and pulled him into my arms.
Clyde paused for only a second before he reached up and squeezed me back. His hold was so tight, I felt certain it was the only thing keeping him together at the moment.
Because despite everything else, Calvin was his twin brother. I couldn’t imagine the loss he was feeling right now.
I tightened my arms around my cousin and whispered in his ear. “I’m so sorry, man. I didn’t want to do that. I tried not to. I–”
“I know,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I saw it all, Abraham. I know what happened.”
I sagged with the smallest bit of relief. A big part of me felt sure Clyde would never forgive me for killing his brother, but it seemed he already had. Or that he never blamed me to begin with. Either way, I was immensely grateful.
We pulled away just as a bright red pickup screeched to a stop at the base of the drive, dirt billowing in the air behind it.
“Where is he?!” Conrad bellowed before he was even out of the truck. “Where is my son?”
Clyde took a step forward and Conrad waved him away. “Not you. You’re not my son. Where is Calvin?”
I winced at Conrad’s words and couldn’t imagine how they felt to Clyde. But, I can’t say I was surprised. Conrad disowned the both of them the moment they left here and joined my pack. When things turned around for him and Calvin, I wasn’t sure, but it was clear Clyde was not in on the reconciliation.
I took a step forward, making sure I was still close enough to touch El. “He’s dead,” I called.
Conrad’s furious eyes met mine. “You killed my son?”
I shook my head. “He wouldn’t submit. I had no choice.”
Conrad covered the distance between us, getting so close I could smell the moonshine on his breath. “You come to my lands and you murder my son? How dare you?”
I held up both hands. “Conrad, I didn’t have a choice. You can ask anyone here. I didn’t want to kill him, but he snapped his own neck in my jaw.”
Conrad laughed humorlessly, the sound slightly manic. “You mean to tell me my son killed himself with your teeth? You expect me to believe that?”
I clenched my hands into fists. “That’s what happened.”
Clyde stepped forward then. “I saw it all. What he’s saying is true.”
Conrad spun toward his only remaining son. “You shut up, traitor.”
I took another step forward. “Don’t speak to him like that.”
Conrad wheeled back in my direction, his light eyes sparking with fury. “This is my home! You don’t tell me what to do here.”
More of Conrad’s men were showing up, and I was realizing we were outnumbered. The fact that the sun was rising, and we’d barely slept in over twenty-four hours was another extreme disadvantage for me and my wolves.
I needed to get us out of this situation before more blood was shed.
“We’re on our way out, Conrad. Let us gather Calvin and we’ll be gone.”
He took another menacing step forward. “You’re not taking my son anywhere,” he hissed.
I took a deep breath and held my hands up higher. “Okay, Conrad. You can have him. Just let me and my wolves get out of your way.”
Conrad waved a hand angrily. “Where is he?! I want to see him!”
I nodded my head toward the cottage. “He’s in there.”
Conrad stalked off for the house and I motioned for my wolves. “Huxley, Mathias, you escort my sisters back to their car and then get in your own. We’re leaving, now.”
Everyone jumped into action while I walked around to the bed of my truck. Thankfully, I traveled with a spare shirt and shorts, so I wouldn’t have to drive back to Asheville naked. I pulled on the soft fabric and took a look around the clearing.
The sun was just coming up over the treetops, warming the day and waking up the birds and forest creatures. It was amazing to me that the world was still turning when mine had been flipped upside down.
I climbed into my truck when an idea struck me. I pulled a single key off my key chain and called over my shoulder, “Don’t let her out of your sight.” I knew Wyatt at least would heed my order. He’d been watching over her almost as long as I have.
I jogged over to Evey’s car and knocked on the window.
“Here’s El’s key. Why don’t you three head back to her place? You can sleep for a few hours and then bring Charlie back to Asheville with you when you wake up.”
Evey reached out and grasped the key. “Sure, Abey. Anything.”
She rolled her window back up and I watched as her and my other wolves drove away. Not wasting anymore time, I ran back to my truck and slid in the back. I nodded at Bea and she climbed into the driver’s seat. She drove slowly as she followed the other’s taillights down the dirt road and back into the main subdivision.
I held my breath as we traversed the streets of Conrad’s pack lands, only exhaling when we were through the gates of the compound.
A part of me had expected him to stop us at some point, but I was grateful we got to leave unhindered.
At the same time, a heaviness settled in the base of my stomach. I had a feeling that this wasn’t the last we’d be hearing from Conrad. He wouldn’t be satisfied with my explanation for what happened with Calvin. He’d want retribution and I could only hope we’d be ready when that came.
I pulled El onto my lap and held her the whole way home. My whispers in her ear were soft and meant only for her.
I told her how much I loved her.
How I was so happy she was safe.
That I’d never let something like this happen again.
That I would spend the rest of my life protecting her.
I hoped it gave her some solace, but I didn’t know because she slept the whole ride back to Asheville.
When we were a few miles out, I called ahead to the doctor and made sure he’d be in the lodge by the time we got there.
The last remaining minutes of our trip dragged the worst as I listened to El’s breaths stutter more than once. If we didn’t get there soon, I’d hop out of this truck and run her the rest of the way. With the way I was feeling, I could probably get there sooner than the truck could.
When we finally pulled up to the lodge, Kyle was waiting outside for us with a bag in his hands and a stethoscope around his neck. His mate Doreen was there too, and I was thankful for the extra set of hands. He directed us into the house and I carried her up the stairs to my bedroom before taking a step back to make room for Kyle to work.
I waited with bated breath while he performed his exam. He poked and prodded and checked her pupils while my whole world spun violently around me.
She had to be okay.
There was no other acceptable option.
Finally, Kyle stood back up and pulled the stethoscope from his ears. “She’s going to be fine.”
I released a giant breath of relief, feeling muscles I didn’t even know I was tensing suddenly relax.
But, Kyle wasn’t done. “She’s got a concussion, a few broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken arm and possibly a broken leg. She’s lucky though, there doesn’t seem to be any internal bleeding, and she’s already healing at a great rate. She should be up and walking in a couple days but will need to take it easy until then.”
“I’ll make sure she stays down,” I promised.
Kyle smiled. “I have no doubt you will.” He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of pills. “Give her one of these every six hours for the pain.”
I took the pills and set them on the nightstand next to El.
“Is there anything else I need to know? Anything that I can be doing?”
Kyle zipped up his bag and wrapped an arm around Doreen. “Make her rest and get her to eat or drink something if you can. She’s a little dehydrated.”
“I’ll get her some water and soup,” a voice called from the doorway. I spun around to find Bea and gave her a nod.
“Thank you so much, Kyle,” I said, holding out my hand and shaking his vigorously.
He smiled and squeezed my hand back. “It was no problem, Abraham. I’ll be by in a few hours to check on her once you all have had some rest.”
At the mention of sleep, my shoulders fell.
My bed had never looked more appealing. Especially now that my mate was where she belonged. There was a lot about this night that was fucked up, but El was here and she was safe, and she was going to be okay. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
The couple left and soon Bea was back with a tray. I directed her to put it on the nightstand and she left quietly after that.
I needed a shower, but nothing could have prevented me from crawling in that bed and touching El. I needed the affirmation that she was really here, despite the fact I could see her clearly.
I needed to touch. To feel for myself her heart beating strong and her breaths coming steadily.
I carefully crawled into bed, trying not to jostle her, but as I got closer, she stirred, and her eyelids fluttered open.
“Abraham?”
I closed the distance between us and picked up her hand. It seemed to be one of the only parts of her that wasn’t battered. “I’m here, baby.”
“What happened?”
I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “It’s taken care of, El. You’re safe.”
She gasped and tried to sit up in the bed, but her injuries prevented her from moving too far. She hissed in pain and I helped her lay flat again.
“Baby, you can’t move like that. You’re hurt,” I chided gently.
Her wide eyes met mine. “It’s Calvin! He’s the killer!” She looked around the room, her eyes darting back and forth like she was expecting him to jump out of a corner. “You have to be careful, Abraham, he’s crazy.”
Her body began to shake, and I clenched my teeth so hard I was surprised they didn’t crack. What had he done to make her this scared? How long had he been beating her before I showed up? What if I’d been another ten minutes? Twenty? What would I have found then?
I shook my head, hoping it would help clear those thoughts away. I couldn’t think like that. I had El here with me and that was all that mattered. The what ifs needed to be put to rest if I was going to keep some sort of sanity.
I slid closer and cupped her face gently. “He’s gone now, El. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Her wide eyes met mine, and they slowly filled with tears. “Abraham, you didn’t.”
I swallowed and nodded once. “I did.”
She pulled at me until I was close enough for her to wrap her good arm around my shoulders. Her tears ran freely, wetting my shirt as her small body shook in my arms.
“Baby, why are you crying? You’re safe now.”
She hiccupped and pulled away to look at me. “That must have been so awful for you. I’m so sorry you had to do that.”
She was sorry for me.
She was worried about me.
After everything she’d been through tonight, her thoughts were on how hard it must have been for me to have to face off against my own family.
I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved her even more.
I gently wiped away her tears and kissed her lips. “It’s okay, baby. It’s done now. Please stop crying.”
She sniffled again, and I watched as she tried to reign herself in.
I knew then that I’d never stop being amazed by this woman.
When she calmed down, I reached past her to the bottle of pills. “Can you sit up a little? The doc left you some pills that should help with the pain.”
She winced as she struggled to sit up in the bed and I did my best to help her without hurting her more. My hands shook as I saw how injured she really was.
If I could kill him again, I would.
I shook out a pill for her and grabbed the water from the nightstand. To my relief, she finished the glass before handing it back to me.
“Do you think you could eat something?”
She shook her head and slid back down the pillows until her head rested on them. “I just want to sleep,” she said softly.
I got rid of the glass and took my place next to her, close enough that I could feel her breath on my face, but far enough away that I wouldn’t accidentally hurt her.
To my surprise, her eyes were wide open and focused on me. She reached out slowly and rubbed her smooth palm across my cheek before cupping my jaw.
“You saved me,” she said.
“Of course, I did.”
Her smile was wide and beautiful as she looked at me. She took a deep breath and changed my world forever. “I love you. So much.”
A single tear slipped from her eye as I lay there shocked silent.
I inched closer, sure I’d heard her wrong.
“What?” I said stupidly.
She smiled wider and raised her other hand to hold my face. “I love you, Abraham. I’ve loved you for forever and I just didn’t know what it was. I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’ll tell you every day for the rest of your life to make up for it.”
My chest felt like it would explode.
My heart was so full I knew it was seconds from bursting.
Had there ever been a luckier son of a bitch than me?
I highly doubted it.
I reached out a shaking hand to cup her gorgeous face. “You love me?” I asked, still not believing what I heard.
Was this real?
Could this be a dream and I’d wake up to find it had all been false?
God, I hoped not.
She laughed softly. “I do. I love you so much.”
She swiped a thumb across my cheek and it was only then that I realized it was a tear she was wiping away.
I pulled myself as close as I dared and breathed her in. Pulled her into my lungs like I could make her a permanent part of me.
There were so many things I wanted to say. So many words on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them. There’d be time to tell her everything she means to me later. Even now, I could see the light fading from her eyes and knew she’d be asleep again soon.
But I needed to say something. She needed to know how much her words meant to me. I wracked my brain for what to say to her but came up empty. The only thing that kept resounding in my head was the simplest of statements. The truest thing I could tell her.
“I love you too, El.”