Page 72 of Beta Team-The Saviors: Part One

“Nolan thinks his mom might have been on that shipment and probably didn’t make it.”

I nod and finally push the door open. The little boy is sitting up in the bed while Betty reads to him. Now that he’s clean, he looks like a mini Tyler, making it hurt even more. Betty looks up from her book with a smile. “Hey, Gavin.”

“Hey,” I say hoarsely.

“Have a seat,” she says, gesturing to the chair beside her. The little boy keeps his eyes on me the whole time. “It’s okay,” she soothes him. “He’s my friend.”

Tyler sits on the other side of the bed. “Does he speak English?”

“He seems to understand. I’ve gotten very little out of the women that were with them. They’re still terrified.”

“The boss is still out there,” I say quietly. “Who does Axel have here?”

Betty pats my hand. “Quit worrying your handsome little head. He has two of his teams rotating every twelve hours. They’re safe here.”

“What about the ones that have been released?”

“They’re also safe,” she replies. “The hard part is over. It’s time for them to heal.”

I look at the little boy, and he’s still staring at me wide-eyed with fear. I can only imagine the damage this did to him, and he has every right to be scared of men. “Do they ever heal?”

“Maybe not entirely, but you gave them a chance at a new life that night,” she says. Tyler’s phone rings, and he leaves the room to answer it. Betty leans closer when the door shuts behind him. “Did I see what I think I saw when you walked in here?”

“What?”

“Don’t play coy,” she laughs. “Did you tell him how you feel?”

“How did everyone know what I felt before I did?”

“Because it was all over your face, darling. So, did you?”

“You’re nosey, Betty,” I joke.

“I’m an old lady living vicariously through all you heathens. Give me something.”

I look at the door, where I can see Tyler, and look back at her. “Yeah. I told him.”

“You didn’t tell him everything.”

“How do you do that?”

“I’ve been around the Saviors long enough to pick up a few tricks. One of these is reading between the lines.”

“He doesn’t need to know that right now. I don’t think that’s what he wants.”

“You would be surprised, Gavin. Tyler might be silly, but he’s aware of much more than what people give him credit for.”

I know there’s a lot of depth to Tyler that not everyone is allowed to see. But he doesn’t need to know that this isn’t just a simple attraction for me.

He doesn’t need to know that I fell in love with him a long time ago.

After we left the hospital,we decided to go back to the house to hang out instead of going to High Flyer. I feel better since we went to the hospital, but there’s still so much running through my head. We kick back on the couch and are halfway through the movie before Tyler makes a move. He yawns, stretches, and throws his arm behind my shoulders.

“Really?” I laugh. “That’s the oldest trick in the book.”

“Shhh. I’m wooing you. Is it working?”

“If you have to ask, you have your answer.”