Page 17 of Forever Found
“We will,” Asher assured me. “I’ll find a decent diner or something near here and go out to get something edible.”
“Yeah, okay,” I nodded as I rubbed the hand I had free tiredly over my face.
“Did she say anything…about the time on the plane, when Eli wasn’t with her?” Asher asked carefully.
“They didn’t touch her, Asher. She told me plainly. She said Max wanted to, but he didn’t get chance, thanks to Eli.” I nodded to Eli. I had a lot to thank him for. He was the only reason Addy was safe in my arms in that moment, and not suffering even more.
“Yeah, he did good. He doesn’t realize how capable he is. I think it’s about time he did, Thank Christ he was able to get them out of there,” Asher sighed as he dropped back down into the seat at Eli’s side.
“Amen to that,” I agreed as I glanced down at Addy once again. She was curled around me, clutching the wrist of my left arm tight and not once letting that grip go.
“You should call Jordan. I updated him but he wanted to speak to you too.”
“I’ll do it now. What’s the update on Adam?”
“Good news for once. They eased him off of the pain meds enough for him to wake up. He’s been moved out of intensive care and he’s being a total grumpy asshole, so he’s good,” Asher chuckled, and I let out a sigh of relief I didn’t even realize had been building inside. I cared for Adam, I realized. Jordan too. I cared for both of them. Not in any kind of romantic way, but they had become good friends in recent weeks, like brothers. Addy needed them as much as she needed me and not only was I good with that, but I also knew I needed them in the relationship too for it to work as it should – as Addy needed it to.
“Thank fuck for that. I’ll call him now.” I already had my cell out and I video called Jordan. Addy was too deep asleep to hearthem, but at least they’d be able to see that she was safe and whole.
“Kane! Thank fuck! How is she?” Jordan asked all at once, answering the call almost the second it connected.
“Keep it down, man. She’s asleep,” I whispered as I flipped the camera angle so he could see Addy laid across me. I gave him a moment to just take her in, then I flipped it back to me. “She’s okay, Jord. She has some bad bruises and her wrists are shredded from ropes around them, but she’s whole. Just exhausted.”
“Her face?” he questioned.
“She has some scratches. They’re up her arms too. She said they were from glass in the car her and Eli escaped in. I don’t know the details but the car was shot at. They’re not deep,” I assured him.
“How’s she coping?”
“She was really shaky and she was trying to slip away, the way she does when things get bad, but she listened to me when I was firm, and stayed with me. She mainly needs rest and food right now. I’m hoping she’ll be calmer come morning, but she was doing okay, holding on, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. I just wish she didn’t keep on having to do that though,” he sighed.
“We’ll fix it. We know it’s Kline now, and I will not rest until he’s off the streets. Until that happens, we keep her safe and try to give her what she needs to get through this.”
“They can never get their hands on her again, Kane. She’s already survived so much more than one person should everhave to. This can never happen again. We have to make sure we protect her this time,” he said fiercely.
“We will. I’m not taking any risks at all now. I’ll make sure she has the best security, and we’ll keep her with one of us at all times too. No one is ever taking her from us again,” I promised him.
“Can I see her again?” he asked. He looked exhausted. He still wore the same clothes he had on the day we found Adam on the steps, and he had stubble on his pale face. His always neat hair was sticking up all over and the dark smudges under his eyes told me he had barely slept.
“Sure,” I flipped the camera again so he could see Addy. “Tell me how Adam is,” I said.
“The doc said he’s out of danger, but he has a ton of healing to do. They want to keep him for at least a week to monitor everything, which he’s fuming about. He wants to see Addy. He’s gone full ‘mama bear’ and he’s so pissed she was taken from him.”
“You remind him he was shot? Think that would have taken any of us down just as hard,” I said halfheartedly.
“Yeah, but he just bit my head off. I’ll let you remind him of that fact when you speak to him,” Jordan joked.
“I’ll call you tomorrow so hopefully he can speak to Addy and see she’s good. Maybe that’ll help?”
“Fuck. I hope so. He’s in a shitload of pain, and he won’t let them give him any pain meds stronger than acetaminophen, so he’s a grumpy motherfucker. He’ll be lucky of the nurses don’t throw him out before the weeks out.” Jordan sighed tiredly.
“He can’t take any stronger pain meds?” I questioned. I knew about Adam’s past of course, but surely there were allowances to take pain meds when they were really needed, like now when he had to be in a ton of pain?
“He could. The doctors have assured him they can administer them carefully, but Adam has flat out refused. He’s already taken my head off for letting them give him the meds he had when he came out of surgery. He’s a stubborn bastard.”
“Yeah, he is. Good luck with that,” I laughed. The camera was still turned so Jordan could see Addy and I noticed the way his voice had relaxed some during the call.