SWNOVELS Runner: Chapter 37
Every muscle ached, and even my skin seemed to radiate pain. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this bad off. I’d had bad injuries before, thanks to Joel, but never so much all at once. My head was pounding, and I sucked in a breath when I shifted in bed. In Kade and Gray’s house. I couldn’t believe they were the ones who’d rescued me. After what I did to them, they could have easily left me for dead.
Feeling someone’s breath on the back of my neck, I turned, trying to move as little as possible. I smiled, seeing Caleb’s sleeping face. The relief I’d felt when I’d known he was alive was like a weight off my chest. I was terrified I’d never see him again. A noise made me turn back around to look into the kitchen.
Kade was awake, standing at the island. It was different seeing him in such relaxed clothes. He was wearing gray sweats and that was it. His hair was wet, and there were still drops of water on the tattoos covering his bare chest. He was gripping a coffee cup, his glare focused not on me, but on Caleb.
“Hey, Mili.”
Surprise jolted through me when I saw Rylan leaning against the wall near the front door. He was dressed in one of his usual suits, and even though he was giving me a small grin, his jaw was tight, and his eyes darted behind me to Caleb.
“Rylan,” I breathed out, trying to sit up and grimacing.
He strode across the room, stopping at the side of the bed and crouching until he was eye level with me. He gently brushed hair out of my eyes as he studied the injuries I was sure were covering my face.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come for you myself,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. “I was out of town—”
“It’s fine,” I assured him. In all honesty, I was glad he hadn’t been there. It had been a bloodbath, and while Kade and Gray could fight, Rylan could have gotten hurt or killed. “How’d you know Kade and Gray would help me?”
He chuckled. “They were my only options. And even though they’re assholes, they seem to have a soft spot for you.”
“Not sure that’s true,” I muttered, my gaze going behind him to Kade. Even as I said the words, I realized that Rylan was right to an extent. They did save me. Protected me. Killed for me. They didn’t have to do that.
“Mmm, is that the mayor I’ve heard so much about?” Caleb’s voice was thick from sleep, but the bed moved as he sat up.
Rylan’s smile faded, and he glared at Caleb. “That’s me. The one she called when she couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“Apparently, she made the right choice since she’s alive,” Caleb replied, ignoring the venom in Rylan’s words.
I scooted up slowly, the blanket pooling around my waist. Rylan’s gaze darted to my body, his stare staying on my chest. I glanced down, wondering if I was bleeding through my bandages. Nope, no blood. But I studied the shirt I was wearing, realizing what he was stuck on. It was a guy’s shirt, too large for me. And from the name of a classic rock band, I was guessing it was Gray’s. I lifted the blanket a bit more, seeing I was wearing a pair of boxers. The guys must have showered and dressed me after they brought me here.
“Breakfast?” Gray asked as he appeared in the kitchen from the hallway. “I called in an order for donuts and crepes.”
“You feed them, and they’re never going to leave,” Kade grumbled, moving to pour another cup of coffee.
“Caleb and I are leaving today,” I stated, glancing at him and frowning when he refused to meet my eyes. “Am I wrong?”
“I have a few things to do first,” Caleb said, climbing out of the bed.
“Like what?” I questioned, not enjoying how evasive he was being.
“Want some coffee, Rebel?” Gray asked, taking the pot out of Kade’s hands.
My stomach rumbled, and Rylan laughed. “I think she wants food.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the warmth in my chest. Tension still coated the room, but having them all here was making me feel things. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I didn’t completely hate it.
The food got here, and we all ate. Caleb stood at the counter with Gray and Kade, whispering things that made me wary. It wasn’t like him to keep me out of the loop. Rylan propped himself on the edge of the bed as we both enjoyed the strawberry crepes.
“I have to go to work,” Rylan said with a frown. “I’d stay here but—”
“Go,” I told him, setting my empty plate down.
“You’re going to be here when I come back?”
I bit my lip. “I don’t plan on staying, Rylan. I never did.”
He sighed, leaning over and brushing a kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you later, Lynx.”
I didn’t argue with him, even though there was a good chance I’d be gone by the end of the day. I watched him leave, and Caleb came back to sit next to me.
“I don’t know why you were so against staying in Ridgewood,” Caleb said, loud enough for Kade and Gray to hear. “Even with them making you try to stay, they don’t seem that bad.”
My stomach flipped when Kade and Gray both stared at me curiously. I hadn’t exactly told Caleb everything they’d done to me. If he knew they’d locked a chain around my neck to try and claim me, he would have been on the next plane out here to kill them himself.
“Am I missing something?” Caleb asked when the silence became heavy. “Did they do something more than find you at your apartment?”
No one answered, and I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. They got what they deserved.”
Caleb’s eyes flashed with suspicion. “What did they do?”
“Nothing, Caleb,” I tried pacifying him. “They made up for it by saving me.”
“You’re protecting them,” he said in shock. “They did something bad enough that you knew I’d come, didn’t they? And you didn’t tell me?”
He gently laid an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. I leaned into him, ignoring the looks of absolute hostility coming from Kade and Gray.
“Do you trust them?” he muttered in my ear, keeping the words between us.
“To an extent—yes,” I answered softly.
He seemed to think for a minute before nodding, as if coming to a decision. “They don’t like me touching you. They think you’re with me, and they’re jealous.”
I scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. They wanted me because the city thought I was theirs.”
As if to prove his point, he pulled me until I was as close to him as I could be without sitting on his lap. He was careful, making sure not to make my injuries worse. Kade nearly slammed his coffee cup on the counter, while Gray stood rigidly as his tongue swept over his piercing.
“They want you. They’ve already proved they’ll protect you,” he whispered. “And the only reason I’m still breathing is because they know you care about me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said stiffly. “We’re leaving. They don’t need to be involved with our shit any more than they already are.”
“Tucker wanted me to tell you that he’s thinking about you.” Caleb spoke loudly, bringing Kade and Gray back into the conversation.
“Tucker?” Kade asked gruffly. “Please don’t tell me another fucking person is coming to our house.”
Caleb shook his head. “No, he’s on the East Coast, visiting family.”
I stared at him. “Why isn’t he in Florida?”
“He’s staying with his parents for a bit while I’m here with you.”
“Who’s Tucker?” Gray questioned, not liking that we hadn’t included them.
Caleb grinned. “My guy. Boyfriend.”
Kade’s jaw dropped, and he quickly reined in his surprise while Gray stared at Caleb before huffing out a laugh.
“Boyfriend?” Kade said, his gaze falling on me. “So, you two aren’t together?”
“Nope. Never have been,” Caleb answered brightly. “She’s my family.”
I frowned. “You think I’d be messing around with you if I was with someone?”
Neither of them answered, but they both visibly relaxed as Caleb chuckled. “Told you. I think the tension should go away now.”
He got off the bed and pulled a phone out of his pocket, handing it to me. Along with something else. He kept my gaze, making sure I knew not to say anything out loud. Under the phone was some type of computer chip.
“I got you a new phone,” he said before leaning closer and whispering, “Keep the other thing to yourself for now. I’ll tell you about it later.”
How the hell was I supposed to hide it from Kade and Gray when I was in their house? Nodding, I leaned back, pretending to readjust my pillow and slipping the small chip into the pillowcase. Why was he giving me this now when we were leaving?
“I have to go,” he said, grabbing his shoes. “I’ll be back later.”
“Wait—where are you going?” I asked, not ready for him to leave my sight yet.
“I need to run a few errands,” he said absentmindedly.
“Caleb,” I growled. “What aren’t you saying?”
“Nothing. Get some rest.” He leaned down and gave me a hug. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
Even with my pounding headache, I could tell something was off. Kade and Gray weren’t looking at me either, and I sat up, moving to the edge of the bed. I spied crutches across the room but had no way to get to them unless I wanted to crawl.
“Stay in bed, Mili,” Caleb ordered, shooting me a grin. “You’re going to rip your stitches.”
“Tell me where you’re going,” I snapped.
“I’ll be back.” With that, he walked out the door, closing it behind him, and I stared at it while Kade moved to lock it.
“Give me the crutches,” I demanded, my nails digging into the mattress.
Gray chuckled nervously. “Nope. I think it’s best if you can’t touch us right now.”
His words proved what I’d already guessed. Caleb wasn’t fucking coming back. At least not today. And Kade and Gray knew. They’d been planning without me. Fear clutched me, knowing there was only one reason Caleb would leave me. He knew something about Joel that he wasn’t sharing with me. I gritted my teeth, shooting Kade a scathing glare.
“Give me the crutches,” I spat out.
Kade ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe once you calm down.”
I let out a frustrated scream. “I’m not staying here.”
“You can’t even walk right now,” Gray said gently. “Take some time to heal. No one will touch you here. You won’t have to worry about Joel’s men.”
I huffed out a breath, leaning back on the bed. Because that was the only thing I could do at the moment. But the second I was good to move, I was leaving.