Page 30 of Resolve
Dane—with his re-dyed blond hair—turns to the keyboard. Individual camera feeds pop up one after another in boxes across the screens on the wall as Cibrina recalls her gift, and the golden text of information we’d been reviewing fades.
Kellan moves in front of the door as a barrier, crossing his arms, his gaze scanning the camera views with a fierce expression. Jackson pushes off the wall, his hands automatically going to his hoodie pocket to start pulling knives.
I call on my gift, readying myself for a fight.
“Is it Charles?” I ask, looking to Aiden.
“No.” Reid takes Tinsley’s hand, as if in preparation to get her away, if needed. “I’d be able to tell if it was.”
“We’ve blocked his ability to teleport here anyway, so unless he came through the front door—” Dane adds, then stopshimself when Aiden’s head snaps up, his dark eyes pinning mine. His jaw tics.
“It’s a false alarm,” he begins, lifting the phone to his ear. The tension in the room eases a fraction. “What happened?” He listens to the person’s reply, then pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. “No. Clear the alert and let them through. We’ll be right there.” He shoves the phone into his pocket. “It’s Elias,” he finally elaborates, his tone edged with distaste as he says the name. I can tell because it’s no longer there when he continues, “And Portia. They apparently forced their way past the initial security checkpoint and set off our alarms.”
I’m only half-listening as I practically leap to the door, pushing at Kellan to make room so I can leave the office.
“Watch out! I need to go see her!” I shout when he doesn’timmediatelyshift aside.
“Who’re they?” Reid asks, his brow scrunched as he stands and watches me.
Kellan laughs and grabs the doorknob. “Slow down, beautiful. We’re going with you.”
The others gather at my back as Cibrina explains my friendship with Portia and Elias before I started working with the guys, which leads Reid to ask why I wasn’t on the best of terms with them when I’d first arrived in this city.
Thankfully, Kell’s opened the door, and I’m out before I have to worry about Reid’s reaction to that whole story. The five of us take the elevator to the first floor.
I'm brimming with excitement and nerves. Excitement, because I really freaking missed Portia and her contagious energy. And nerves, because we’d only known each other for a short time before she wastaken and then ran away. What if I’ve over-fantasized our friendship in the last few months? What if it meant more to me than to her?
The doors open, and I make myself push past that doubt as I race down the hallway to the large open area that’s just beyond the security checkpoint and a wall of translucent glass. The murky glass blocks this side of the first level from being visible to the entrance, so Aiden and I don’t have to hide.
Security guards form a line a few yards in, blocking a small group of people. It’s more than just Elias and Portia. I don’t recognize the others, and the surprise of seeing more people slows my steps.
“Oh my god, she’s here! Rae!” Portia shouts when she sees me, then runs at me at full speed.
Shit, she’s not slowing down.
I brace myself, then feel Kellan at my back just before she crashes into me, her arms squeezing me against her full chest. We bump into Kell, but he helps steady us so we don’t fall.
“You’re alive! They kept saying you died, and Aiden died, and I knew it couldn’t be true! But then these guys wouldn’t let us through, and I had to see you no matter what!”
I can’t help but laugh, wrapping my arms around her. “We’re okay. Thanks to Jack, we made it. But we have everyone still pretending we died.”
Portia pulls back, her forest green eyes bright. “I have a gazillion questions for you and so much to tell you, too.”
“Me too.” I glance over my shoulder at the guys and notice Aidenand Elias eyeing each other, their postures stiff.
“Thorton.”
“Adams.”
“It’s still appropriate to provide notice of a visit. Or at least follow the security protocols a business has in place rather than forcing your way in,” Aiden remarks in a smooth yet threatening tone.
Elias smiles. “A landlord doesn’t require giving advance notice to check on his tenants. It’s polite, of course, but not mandatory.” Aiden’s eyes narrow, but Elias continues, “The forced entry was out of concern for Raegan’s well-being. Security confirmed with my source that you’d both died, and it was necessary that we press through to verify it for ourselves by someone with a first-hand account. Portia wouldn’t have been satisfied with anything less. And it appears it’s a good thing we did.”
He turns to me, his smile softening. “Raegan. I’m relieved to see the rumor is false. Have they been treating you well since I’ve been gone?”
I open my mouth to respond, but Dane steps forward and snaps, “Says the guy who kicked her out of his apartment the second things got rough.”
Portia jabs a finger at Dane. “Hey! Don't talk to Elias like that! You weren’t so great to Rae when we were here before, either.”
