Page 63 of Forever Found

“Eli?”

“Right here, brother. I’m good,” Eli called out, breathlessly.

“Help me sit up, princess,” Jordan croaked as he held his hand out to me. I grabbed it and pulled, helping him to a sitting position. He groaned again, but once he was up he seemed steady. “What happened?” he asked, as he rubbed at the back of his head.

“You got knocked out. I managed to get the fucker outside, but he got away,” Eli explained as he lifted my cell to his ear. “I need to call Ash. He’ll be losing it.”

“The cops?” Jord questioned.

“Not here yet.” I got to my feet and winced as pain throbbed from my thighs and my right arm, but it was nothing bad. Pushing it aside I hurried to the kitchen to grab some clean dish towels. When I got back to Jordan I pressed them to the deep cut on his right arm that was still bleeding pretty badly.

“Ash! Calm the hell down. We’re all whole!” Eli yelled into the phone.

“What happened?” I asked as I turned back to Jordan and nodded to the three deep slashes on his arms. There were two on his right and one on his left.

“The guy had a knife. They were trained professionals I think. They knew what they were doing,” he told me as he reached up his free hand, which trembled slightly, and ran it through my hair.

“There were two of them?”

“Yeah. Eli kicked one out of the window, so I’m pretty sure he’s dead. The other he said got away.”

“What did they want?” I asked. Jordan’s face dropped as he stared at me with hesitation and fear. It told me the answer without him uttering a word.

“Addy…”

“Me, right? They came for me?”

“Yeah,” he nodded reluctantly. “They headed right for your room, and they shot two silenced bullets right where your chest would have been if you were in the bed.”

“They came to kill me. How did they know th-that was my room?” I questioned, like that was the most important point in all he had told me. I was freaking out though, so handing the most trivial details seemed easier.

“Maybe they already came in the house? I don’t know, princess.”

“So it…it’s n-not over, is it?” I asked, the last words turning into a high squeak as my throat tightened and tears poured down my cheeks.

“I don’t know that either, but I promise you we will keep you safe.” He pulled me into his arms and I went willingly, the towel I had been holding dropping between us as I pressed myself against him and tried hard not to fall apart. Someone out there wanted me dead. I couldn’t afford to crumble until I was somewhere much safer, and the people I cared for were protected too.

I gave myself a couple of minutes in his arms, then I pulled back, swiping away my tears and pulling in deep breaths. “Your arm. We have to stop the bleeding,” I told him.

Before he could say anything else the sound of sirens, speeding towards us, rang out. Eli was still talking to Ash and the others on my phone, but he got to his feet and headed for the front door as blue and red lights lit the darkness out front. Better late than never, I told myself weakly.

CHAPTER 21

ADDY

Hours later we were at the hospital. I had no idea which hospital or which town or city we had even been brought to. I had been numb riding in the back of the ambulance with Jordan and Eli.

We all had to give brief statements to the police, and then the FBI agents, who were handling the trafficking case, were contacted too. The body outside was dead and Eli had given them a description of the car the other guy got away in. Other than briefly explaining what happened to the police, I had barely spoken. The EMT’s who arrived told Jord and Eli I was likely in shock, then asked if I was hurt, since I was bleeding. I hadn’t even noticed.

They brought us to the hospital. They’d stitched up one of the cuts on Jordan’s arms and dressed the rest. He had a mild concussion and some bruised ribs, but they hadn’t admitted him. I had a deep cut on my left thigh from the glass on the stairs, and many more shallow cuts. My arm, which I’d landed on, was badly bruised and swollen, but I was fine on the whole. Now we were just waiting for Eli. He had two broken ribs and the doctor wanted X-rays to ensure they wouldn’t cause him further harm. He also had a ton of cuts and bruises and his left ankle was sprained.

We were in a private room, police outside the door for our protection at the insistence of the FBI.

“Shall I get us some more coffee, beautiful?” Jordan asked. I was sat in his lap, curled up against him and hiding against his chest. I shook my head. I hadn’t touched the last cup he brought me and the idea of him leaving was more than I could stand.

It's not over, was the thought that circled over and over again.Those men came to kill me.If I hadn’t woken up would they have come into the cabin without us knowing? Would Jord and I be dead in that bed right now?I didn’t understand it. The FBI had told us everyone involved in the whole messed up situation was in custody, facing trial. They told me I was safe and that it was over. Who was coming for me now and why? I didn’t know anything else! Even if I did I wasn’t sure I’d voice it, because I just needed it all to be over. I didn’t have the strength left to face anything else. I lay in pieces – millions of tiny broken pieces – and I knew if I didn’t get some breathing space to try and piece some of them back together soon, I never would.

“You should at least try to drink something, Addy,” Jordan gently coaxed.