Page 28 of Desolation

Drake wraps me up in his arms. Both of us are crying and he pulls back, taking my face in his hands and says, “Hey Bug, let’sget out of here.” The look of pure joy and relief on his face makes me start crying even harder.

Turning I see Louis and give him a small smile. Drake opens the door and gently sits me in the car, getting in behind me and we peel out of there.

“So Zeke and Eren?” I say.

“My men. They’ve been undercover trying to even figure out if you were alive. No one has seen you until we saw you the other night. Reba was in bad shape when she got to us. It’s been hell. I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” he says, gathering me close.

Louis looks at me in the rear view mirror and says, “We gotta stop meeting like this, but I’ll be your getaway driver any time you need me to.”

I bust out a laugh and bury my face in Drake’s shirt. “Is this real?”

“It’s real. We are on our way home. Everyone is waiting for you,” he says, holding me close.

“Why wouldn’t you look at me the other night? I thought you didn’t care anymore and now this? How did you even make this happen?” I ask.

“I couldn’t do anything at the fundraiser because there were too many people. He knew what he was doing by introducing everyone to his wife,” he says that last part with a sneer. “I called Zeke and he told me Dominic had told them they were escorting you to your appointment. So it was now or maybe never and I wasn’t going to take a chance with never,” he says, lifting my face and cupping it in his hands.

“Where are my parents?” I ask. “I haven’t seen them since the day Dominic forced me to marry him.”

Louis chokes in the front seat, and then tries to cover it up with a cough.

“What?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at Drake.

“Can we talk about that after we get home?” Drake asks, looking very nervous.

“You sure are always asking me to talk about something later,” I say as I study his face. He looks like a puppy that chewed up a shoe. “Fine. But youaregoing to tell me.”

He nods. We pull up in front of his building. There are about eight guards standing there waiting. My eyes widen and I look at Drake.

“I’m not taking any chances. It’s going to be very scary for a while till we get this sorted. So extra guards at all times and we’re on house arrest for a bit,” he says grimly.

He gets out of the car, pulling me gently out behind him, the guards all form a tight circle around us and into the building we go.

Stepping into the elevator, Drake takes a key out of his pocket and inserts it into the panel. I am suddenly taken back to the other times over the last year that this happened and my breathing picks up. Drake pulls the key out after he pushes the button and then hands me the key. The feeling of relief hits me as soon as the key touches my fingers. I won’t be locked in any longer.

“This is your key. Just so you have it and know you can get out if you need to, but I’m asking you to please not to go anywhere without me, Anthony, or my dad right now. You will be fully guarded at all times, but it isn’t to keep you here, it’s to keep yousafe. Dominic is going to come after us when he realizes you’re gone,” he says looking deep into my eyes, waiting for confirmation that I am willing to do as he asks.

“Okay, but I have questions that need to be answered. Like why didn’t you get me before now? Why did you leave me there all this time?” I ask, as I watch his heart break with every word that slips from my lips.

“Dominic knew what he was doing when he forced you to marry him. We couldn’t make a direct move. When he married you, you became a part of the Petrucci Familia. They could have gone to war against us if we had tried anything. So we had to wait, until you could escape on your own. But it appears he kept you behind lock and key. Like I said earlier, no one knew if you were even alive till the guys saw you the other night when you were going to some dinner with Dominic,” he says pulling me close. “Though I have been outside that building every single night watching for any glimpse of you.”

“The only reason I was even allowed out today was because Dominic just got a new business partner and he wanted me to dress up more so that I could get closer to the wife. This is the first time I’ve been allowed out by myself,” I say quietly, “and only because of this business deal.”

Can I forgive him for not making it to me before now? Should I even be angry at him in the first place? I knew Dominic making me marry him would make it where they couldn’t come after me without a war. I made my peace with it when I made the decision to get caught by Dominic.

I also know Drake isn’t an actual part of the decision-making process. Is it fair of me to be upset or hurt that his father and brotherdidn’t get their men killed coming after me? No. I wouldn’t want people to die because of me anyway.

“El, will you talk to my dad and Anthony sometime soon about things you saw and heard there? You may have heard things that might be important to them. On your time, whenever you feel ready,” he asks.

I nod. Honestly I was already going to say something anyway. From the few things I heard at the dinner the other night, Anthony and Gio are going to be really interested to know about Dominic’s new business partner. I didn’t hear anything concrete but I have a sneaking suspicion that Gio and Anthony know Aiden well.

We make it to the top floor and the elevator door slides open, revealing Gio, Anthony, Evan, Gwen, and Reba. Reba runs to me sobbing, pulling me into her arms. “You foolish girl, why did you trade yourself for me?”

“I couldn’t let them kill you. Not because of me. I’m nobody,” I say, tears running down my face.

“Look around you Elodie. Do you see how many people here are crying now that you are here? Does this look like you’re a nobody? Or does it seem like you might be somebody to these people? I’ve been worried sick; you are like my own daughter. Gwen has been beside herself. Drake, well Drake has been a ghost. A very surly, growly, grumpy ghost. Gio and Anthony tried to figure out any way they could to get you out without causing a war. We missed you and wanted you home every single day,” she says pulling me into her arms.

We drop to the floor sobbing into each other’s arms. Am I home? Is this my home, with these people?