Page 100 of Forever Found

Kane draped his arm over my shoulders and we all walked out together. We weren’t staying to see the rest of the trial. I’d done what I could to get justice for myself and so many others. Now we just wanted to be somewhere secure and comfortable until the verdict was announced.

Not that we were in danger any longer, or so we believed anyway. Jeff Kline had been blackmailed into helping his father. As soon as the FBI questioned him, he’d admitted everything. Max had threatened to have his family – a wife and two three year old twins – killed if Jeff didn’t do as Max told him to. Max had been able to have a cell phone brought into the prison for himsomehow, and he’d used it to orchestrate everything through his terrified son.

Jeff and his family had been moved to a safe house by the FBI for now, and they were safe. I didn’t know what would happen to them next, but I didn’t blame Jeff for doing what he had to do in order to protect the ones he loved. I knew there was very little I wouldn’t be willing to do in the same position.

So we were safe-ish. We were still staying at the hotel though, until the trial was over and we knew what was next. I had my own security team now too. Simon was with us in the court house, waiting in the long hallway as we all stepped out of the courtroom. He served in the military as a SEAL for twelve years before he got out and started working private security. He was tall and built like a truck. I’d been terrified of him when I’d met him, but he was a teddy bear really, and I was already starting to find that I liked him a lot. He was good at his job, but he didn’t take things too seriously when he was able to relax and not on duty, and it was a good mix.

My other guard, Mal, was smaller and leaner. He didn’t talk much, but he was always watching everything around him, his mind fully on his role at all times he was on duty. He was ex-police and he knew like a million martial arts, or so Kane had told me. He was also Simon’s partner, which I was pretty sure was the reason Kane had assigned them as my detail. He was a possessive ass, but he was my possessive ass.

They were my shadow for the foreseeable future. Even when all of this was over – if it ever were – Asher was determined he wanted me to have security round the clock and after everything that had happened, I wasn’t inclined to argue.

“All good?” Simon asked as he looked to me.

“All good,” I agreed with a shaky smile.

“She was amazing. That fucker’s definitely going down!” Jordan cried from behind me, and I loved the happiness in his voice. It did what it always did and made me feel lighter instantly.

“You feeling okay, angel?” Kane asked me so only I could hear.

“I think so. A little shaky, but I got through it,” I shrugged.

“You did great, not that I expected anything less from you,” he kissed the side of my head and I sank into him even deeper, wanting his warmth around me. The neat navy pencil skirt and thin, but pretty cream silk blouse Jenny had picked for me to wear looked the part, but I wished I brought my jacket.

“Are we going to the car? My feet are killing in these stupid shoes,” I groaned as I glared daggers down at the navy, three inch pumps Jen had insisted I wear. She and I may have become close in the last week or so, but I was never taking her advice about shoes again. Yes they were only three inch heels, but they felt like they wanted to murder my feet!

“Not a fan of the heels, huh baby?” Adam laughed from behind me.

“No, certainly not. Sorry, but I’m definitely a comfort kind of girl,” I told him as I glanced over my shoulder to him.

“You look sexy in whatever you wear, pretty girl,” Kane told me, making me blush.

“How about we grab some pizzas and some beer and have a celebration?” Asher asked loudly as we started down the stairs of the courthouse.

“We don’t even know the verdict yet,” I laughed.

“It’s a foregone conclusion after that, little dot,” Ash grinned as he looked up from the stairs below to me. “We’re celebrating you, and how amazing you were in there. I was really fucking proud of you,” he told me, making me instantly tear up.

“We all were,” Jordan added.

“Okay, enough,” I laughed. “I said I was not going to cry at all today and I meant it.”

We piled into the two cars waiting outside. Simon was up front driving, and beside him sat Adam. Kane, Jordan, and I were in the back, and I was more than happy squished between them.

Ash and Eli followed in the other car with one of Eli’s new shadows driving – Webb. I didn’t even know what his first name was. He was British and I was pretty sure he used to be a spy or something, not that he’d tell me when I found the courage to ask him. He was quiet and reserved, not talking often and never giving away anything about himself. I liked his accent though, and when I’d asked him about British food, he’d offered to show me some recipes, so I liked him so far and I was relieved that he would protect my brothers, along with the other member of the team – Dan. I hadn’t met him much yet because he preferred to work the night shifts so far, but he seemed friendly enough. He was older than all of the other guards by at least ten years, but he was in incredible shape and I had no doubt that between him and Webb, my brothers were protected.

“Is Jen still working?” I asked as I looked to Kane. She had returned to her salon just a few days earlier, and while she was still a little nervous, Kane’s assurance that Dean would never bother her ever again, had made her feel safe enough to get the place reopened. I had even gone with her and been her first client back.

My hair was now cut neatly to just below my shoulders. I had given her free reign, my only stipulation that it not be too short, and she had worked a miracle. I had layers to my hair now and it looked bouncy and alive, The soft bangs around my face made me look younger and for the first time in so long I liked what I saw when I looked at my face in the mirror.

I had no idea what Kane had done to Dean, but I presumed since he hadn’t been arrested, he hadn’t killed him. All I knew was that Jen was safe and Kane wasn’t worrying about her constantly anymore and that was good enough for me.

“Yep. And she’s going to look at those new apartments after. She’ll be back late,” Kane explained. I was disappointed she’d miss our mini celebration, but I was pleased that she was getting back on her feet, with her business reopened and her search for a new apartment. It had been special to me, her friendship so far, and I hoped that it would just continue to grow from there. We seemed to click and I had to admit, it was nice to have another woman to talk to sometimes.

It was amazing how much things had changed in a week. I was still struggling, especially at night, but for the most part I had been better at keeping myself together, and managing my anxiety when it struck. I didn’t know if that was the tablets, or me, but something was working and I felt more positive, and definitely stronger. Best of all, my guys and my brothers seemed to have relaxed a lot, and they laughed and smiled the way they used to before. They still worried too, when I got upset or lost control as I had a few times, but at least now they weren’t living in a constant state of worry and stress because of me. It was a start, and that, I could work with.

EPILOGUE

ADDY