49

Kashton
My jaw ached from how tightly it was clenched. My fingers drummed frantically on my knees as I stared at the closed door.
Chris insisted on going in without us.
Something that wasn’t sitting right with me.
Not because I was worried for their safety. More so because I wanted to punch Bryan across his smug face.
I knew his type. Men who thought their power gave them the excuse to behave without consequences.
Men who would kidnap their grandson’s girlfriend without remorse or regret.
My breath left my lungs on a harsh exhale as the door swung open, and Chris emerged with Raven in his arms. She cuddled against his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck in a death grip.
Before I knew what I was doing, I opened the door and gathered them into the SUV.
“Baby girl, are you alright?” I desperately wanted to take her from Chris’s arms and pull her onto my lap, but he needed her strength more than I did right now.
“Tired and cold, but otherwise okay.” Her voice was low. Much quieter than her usually passionate speech.
I adjusted the temperature in the backseat to give her some heat.
“Oscar, get us the fuck out of here,” Chris growled harshly, his arms tightening around Raven.
With a silent nod, Oscar obeyed, for once not saying a word.
The cabin of the vehicle was quiet.
Too quiet.
And it infuriated me that Bryan took Raven and put that look of terror on her face. That he snatched her before we’d put heavier security on her.
It felt like I had failed both her and Chris.
“I’m so sorry, Raven.” I reached out and played with a strand of her hair. I wanted to do much more than that, but I settled for the easy touch.
“Please stop saying sorry.” She leaned back and caught the look of Chris, blanketing him with the same statement. “It’s over, and I feel like he won’t be able to get near me with the guys that will be hovering by the time I wake up in the morning.”
“By the time we’re even home,” Chris growled in agreement. “I won’t let anyone touch you again.”
Raven sighed. It was a deep, shuddering exhale as all of her fight left in that instant. Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”
I laid my hand on her back, rubbing up and down. She may be in Chris’s arms, but I needed the reminder that she was here with us.
It had only been two hours at most, but it felt like it had taken years off my life.
“We can talk more about security tomorrow.” I pressed my lips to her temple. “I won’t let Chris get too out of control.”
Hardened caramel eyes cut over to me and his jaw hardened. I knew what he was thinking already. Yeah, right.
But I knew Raven would never want an army around her.
I couldn’t stifle her. Once Chris calmed down and reasoned, he’d realize it as well.
Raven needed room to spread her wings.
This thing with Bryan couldn’t change us so severely that we lost sight of our girl and what she needed and wanted.
We had to support her, not clip her wings so she plummeted to the ground before she even got to fly.
The car ride was filled with thick, silent tension that made breathing difficult.
I kept my hand on Raven’s back. Her eyes fluttered shut, and eventually, her breathing evened out.
“This can never happen again,” Chris whispered. “I don’t think I’d survive if anything happened to her.”
I knew in my heart I felt the same way. She had brought light, laughter, and love into our lives.
If something happened or she left us, all that would go with her. We’d be back in the darkness, just going through the motions. It wouldn’t be living. It would be existing.
“But we can’t take away her freedom in the name of protecting her,” Caden replied, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“I know, but I can’t let him retake her. He’ll try it. I know him. He’ll do whatever it takes until I do what he wants.” Chris’s jaw clenched as he gazed out the window.
“What did he want?” I asked, trying to figure out more of what was going through his head.
“He said just to talk, but it’s more than that, I fucking know it.”
“What about asking your grandma what he wants?” Asking too many questions could lead to Chris shutting downcompletely, but I wouldn’t let him get away with silence for the rest of the car ride.
Chris leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “She knows our issues, but I can’t be sure if she’d tell me. I think she wants us to start talking again.”
The somber mood in the car intensified as we pulled into my driveway.
“Are you both staying here tonight?” I was almost positive I already knew the answer to my question, but I needed to double-check.
Oscar pulled into the garage and turned off the car.
“Yeah, I don’t want to leave her,” Chris said quietly as he looked down at our girl.
“Me either,” Caden added.
It was exactly what I expected. It would be the same for me.
“Take turns holding her?”
They agreed with me as we folded ourselves out of the car.
“You got her?” I asked Chris, who nodded and waved me away. He exited the car gracefully with our girl in his arms.
She was still fast asleep, the crash of adrenaline draining her completely. I only hoped she’d sleep through the night and wouldn’t have any lingering nightmares.
Fucking hell, this has been a day. A week. Month. Year.
I ran my hand over my stubbled jaw before entering the kitchen. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. Not something I’d ever wanted to admit, but all I wanted to do was crawl into bed, holding our girl and fucking her until all she knew was pleasure.
Then maybe keep her in there for a year or two until I felt like she was safe again.
None of us said a word as Chris made his way to the stairs, climbing them easily, even with Raven in his arms.
All I kept thinking was: What are we going to do about Bryan? I knew Chris would want to take this all on his own shoulders, but there was no way in hell I’d ever let that happen.
Caden hesitated, not following after Chris and Raven. I turned back to him with a quizzical glance.
“Should I make something to eat?” He looked lost, something I wasn’t used to seeing from my other best friend. This day was a difficult one in more ways than just the obvious.
I couldn’t blame him because I felt the same way.
What was there to do right now? I didn’t want to shake Raven awake so we could have a sit down conversation about what Bryan had told her or if he hurt her.
Although I did see the marks around her wrists; red and inflamed, from some sort of bindings.
Bindings that were too tight and too rough for her fair skin.
I wanted her in my ropes, but I’d make sure they were only the softest of materials and not anything that would give lasting damage to her skin.
Some marks were expected after a good rope-tying session, but nothing that would linger more than a day or two.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think that’s a good idea. Let me go talk to Chris.”
“I don’t want him to spiral.” Caden rubbed his hand over his eyes. “He can’t shut down, and he can’t keep her in a bubble. I’m worried about both.”
“Me too.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying not to think the worst. All we could do now was support them both. Plus, make sure that Chris didn’t go completely insane.
“He needs to talk to Bryan,” Caden whispered, his eyes darting up the stairs to ensure Chris was out of earshot.
“I agree.” I let out a heavy sigh, feeling like the world’s weight was descending on my shoulders.
Chris hated his grandfather, but there had to be a serious reason for him to go to these lengths to get Chris to speak to him. We just needed to find out what the fuck it was.
“The question is, how?”
That was the conundrum of the year.