Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 42863 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42863 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
I hoped one day I would get to witness it. But even if I never did, I would be content with this. Just so long as they stayed with me. I couldn’t lose them. Even if I never got all I wanted, I knew I couldn’t live a life where they weren’t in it.
We continued to eat in silence, but Clarke never released my hand. I didn’t mind. I liked feeling her smaller hand in mine, knowing she trusted me. Knowing she wanted to cling to me.
“What do we do when this is all taken care of?” Clarke suddenly blurted, breaking the silence. Beck and I both swung our heads to her in surprise. She swallowed thickly, a haunted look entering her eyes. She looked at me, her face a little too pale for my liking. I tightened my fingers around hers. “I don’t want to go back home, Tank. I’m scared to.”
“Ash,” I gently corrected her. “My real name is Ash Grave. You and Beck are the only ones who can use that name.” It brought a smile to her face, returned some color to her cheeks. I gently squeezed her hand. “If you and Beck don’t want to go home, you don’t have to. We can figure out everything else when this is all over, or we can figure it out along the way. But just know, you two never have to go back home.”
Clarke relaxed, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I smiled at her. “I swore I would protect you,” I reminded her. “That vow won’t end just because the ring is torn down. That vow is until death.”
Beck sucked in a sharp breath, drawing my eyes to him. His eyes were wet with tears, and he was clutching Clarke’s other hand. “We haven’t…” His voice trailed off, but what he left unsaid broke my fucking heart.
They’d never had someone who cared enough to make that kind of vow to them. Not even their parents.
“I’m yours,” I promised them. They could interpret that however they wanted, but I was truly theirs. I belonged to them. And they could use me however they wanted.
Beck looked up, a cookie held to his lips as I made my way through the living room, the burner phone in my hand. He frowned at me, and Clarke turned to see what was going on, her eyes zeroing in on the flip phone in my hand.
“What are you doing?” Beck finally asked, his voice slightly trembling with fear. Like he was afraid I would betray them.
“Checking in with River,” I told him. “He’s the president of the Fathers of Mayhem, and he was one of the men in the basement with me when I came to talk to you. He asked me to call and check in every day, and he may have an update for us.”
Beck relaxed but looked down at his lap, no doubt feeling like shit for thinking I might do something to betray their trust in me. I didn’t like it. He and Clarke both had a shit ton to work through, and they had no reason to feel bad about anything they may be feeling as they healed.
“Beck,” I gently called, drawing his eyes back to me, “don’t,” I warned. “You’re allowed to feel everything you’re feeling, you hear me? I just ask that you don’t feel guilty for it. You have a lot to work through. You both do. And you’re allowed to do that.”
He nodded at me before wrapping his free arm around Clarke, drawing her against his side. Clarke smiled at me. “Will you let us know if there are any changes?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
When I got outside, I dialed River’s number and pulled the phone to my ear. He answered on the third ring. “River?” I asked.
He sighed. “Nothing new. Not yet. Alejandro is digging. His men are still infiltrating. But there’s still nothing.”
I leaned against the porch railing and stared down at my bare feet. “What about their parents?”
“So far, squeaky clean,” River answered me. I made an aggravated noise. “Alejandro put out a surveillance team on them yesterday, so we should have something soon.”
Just how many men did Alejandro have working under him, for fuck’s sake?
“If you hear anything before I call again tomorrow, will you reach out?” I asked him, looking over at the sight of one of the bushes rustling. I momentarily tensed, but it was only one of Alejandro’s guards getting more comfortable in his position.
“Yeah, brother. I’ll reach out.” He paused for a moment. “How are Clarke and Beck?”
“Hanging in there,” I told him honestly. “Not much else they can do, but they’re handling everything pretty well, all things considered.” I didn’t bother telling him I’d fucked Beck six ways from Sunday. “Clarke’s only had one nightmare so far. Could get worse the longer she’s away. Only time will tell.”