Page 29 of Timeless Pages

Chapter twenty-three

Evan

I handed the gun off and turned to Isa. Dom and I crowded against her back, and I leaned my forehead against her head, breathing her in and grounding myself in her scent.

She was here and she was safe. We were never letting her out of our sight again.

Every fucking damn time we did, something happened to her.

When Grant had called to tell us what was happening at the mall, we found ourselves speeding across town again.

This time, we weren't just terrified, we were pissed.

Daniel had called Grant, but he hadn't called us.

Apparently, it was because he was worried that we'd arrive first and make the situation worse.

Thankfully, that hadn't sat right with Grant. We'd deal with Daniel later.

An officer stepped beside us with a pair of cuffs in his hand. "Miss, we're going to need to take you down to the station so that we can get this all straightened out."

"The fuck you are!" Dom snapped as I shifted to place myself between Isa and the cop.

I saw Daniel separate himself from Brandy and rush over to us; his demeanor seamlessly shifted from worried lover to lawyer as he slid between us and the cop.

"Officer, that won't be necessary. Isa is my client, and if you call the Chief, he can explain the situation.

This man has a warrant out for a previous murder attempt on my client.

We have two other witnesses who can quickly corroborate the events that transpired here without unnecessary arrests.

"I'm sorry, but I have a dead cop on the floor, and she was holding the gun. She's coming with me," the cop replied.

"That cop was working with the perpetrator and was under investigation for corruption.

Trust me, this isn't a road you want to go down.

Call your chief before you ruin your career.

" The cop looked like he was going to argue, but at the last second thought better of it.

There was no consequence to checking first, but there would be if he fucked up.

He pulled out his phone and stepped away to make the call.

"Once he talks to the Chief, he'll be back to apologize," Daniel assured us. He looked at Isa and slipped out of lawyer mode again. "Are you ok, Isa?"

"Take her," Nate ordered as he gently turned Isa into Dom's arms. As soon as she was safely tucked away with Dom, Nate turned to Daniel and cold-cocked him in the face.

To his credit, Daniel only stumbled back slightly before righting himself.

"If you ever fucking try to keep something like this from us again, I will destroy you," Nate promised.

"We shouldn't have had to find out what was going on from Grant. "

"It wasn't like that," Daniel said, rubbing his jaw. "I knew Grant would call you, but it gave the police time to get into position. If I had called you first, you three knuckleheads would have gone running into this room and gotten yourselves killed. You're fucking welcome."

He might have a point, but that wasn't something any of us were willing to admit any time soon. "You still should have called us," I said.

"And yet, I would still do it all again the same way," Daniel replied without remorse.

"Just let it go," Dom said quietly. "We got here, and she is safe. That's all I care about."

The cop returned, and I could tell from his expression that he'd been properly put in his place. "Ma'am, I'd like to apologize for my behavior before. The detective in charge of your case will be in touch with you and your friends for official statements. You're all free to go."

"Smart choice," Daniel replied as he swept his arm out for us to go ahead of him.

Isa was still crying, so Dom picked her up, cradling her tightly to his chest, and left the room. We'd get our girl home, and then we might not ever let her leave again.

I looked up from the book I was reading when Nate came storming into the living room. With a frustrated growl, he grabbed the vase off the table and chucked it against the wall. "Someone else needs to sit with her."

"Still crying?" Dom asked with a sigh. We had been home for hours now, and Isa hadn't stopped crying once. It was taking its toll on us all, and I was starting to become concerned about dehydration.

"I'll take the next shift," I said, putting my book aside and standing.

"Yes, she's still crying," Nate replied, "and I don't know how to make it stop.

She won't say anything, just cries. How can we make it better if she won't tell us how?

" The powerlessness we all felt was reflected in Nate's voice.

We were lost, the love of our life was hurting, and we had no idea how to fix it.

"Maybe it isn't something we can fix," Dom said, staring into his whiskey glass. "Maybe this is just something Isa needs right now. To cry it out."

"Well, each tear is breaking me, so I need a few minutes away from her," Nate replied, falling to the couch in defeat.

"After you've recovered, don't forget to clean up all the glass," I said as I left the living room.

I made a quick detour to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and then went into what was now our bedroom.

Isa was curled in a ball under the covers, her soft sobs breaking my heart in two.

Dom might be right about her needing this purge of emotions, but it didn't make it any easier.

"Hey, Baby. Can you sit up and drink some water for me?

" I asked softly. "That's a good girl," I praised when she started to emerge from the blanket nest she had burrowed into.

I opened the bottle and handed it to her.

After a few tentative sips, she chugged more than half the bottle as her body's needs took over.

I wondered if I could get a snack into her as well, but decided not to push my luck.

On the next shift change, we could try to get her to eat a little food.

When Isa handed the bottle back to me, I capped it and set it on the nightstand.

I lay down and opened my arms for Isa to snuggle in.

She came willingly and buried her wet face in my neck.

I held her close as she continued to cry, quietly murmuring an endless litany of promises and assurances, in an attempt to comfort her.

I made a deal with myself. I'd give her today, but that was it.

Today was traumatic but also likely freeing to see Morris finally in handcuffs.

To know that after a lifetime of abuse and nobody listening, that it was over.

That someone listened, and her father would pay for what he's done.

She deserved today.

But if she were still crying tomorrow, we'd have to call in the Doc.

"Tell me there is coffee," I grumbled as I padded out into the kitchen the following morning. Last night was rough for us all, but sometime in the early hours of the morning, the tears stopped and Isa finally fell asleep.

Dom poured coffee into a mug and passed it to me. "I'll put another pot on."

"Is she still sleeping?" Nate asked.

I nodded as I savored the first sip of my coffee. A few more of these, and I might feel human again. "Soundly, no tears."

"Thank fuck," Nate replied. "I couldn't do this for another day."

"I have news," Dom announced. "It should only be a couple more weeks until we can transfer the properties to Isa. I think we should tell her before then. It might help give her something positive to focus on during Morris's trial.”

"That's a good idea," I agreed. We both looked at Nate, who had been more resistant to this plan from the start.

"I'm in. If it will stop the tears, I'll do anything. Isa can have all of our properties for all I care, just as long as she never cries again." I bit back my smirk. If anyone ever clued Isa into the power she holds over Nate with a single tear, the man would be screwed.

The sound of the bedroom door opening had us holding our breath as we braced for whatever state Isa was in this morning. The fact that she was getting out of bed was a good sign. Braced or not, we weren't prepared for the showered and perky woman who bounced into the kitchen.

"Good morning!" she said as she kissed us each in turn before pulling out a mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"You look like you're feeling better," Nate said cautiously.

"Loads," Isa agreed. "Sometimes all you need is a good cry. Now I need to call Daniel. I want to see my father."

She wants to do what now?