Page 12 of Hold Me Down
“Will do.” He grins back at me, and nods lightly to Zeke before making his way to the garage door. Grease steps up to me next and takes my hand as well. This handshake is a little friendlier, and there’s sincerity behind it.
“You’re sure you’re good, mama?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks for helping Zeke find him. It means a lot to us,” I say honestly.
“It’s all good. I’m glad he’s doing better. I’ll let you know when I work out the details with the doc, alright?”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Grease.”
He squeezes my hand a little tighter and then steps back to follow Derek. The three of us had come to an arrangement on ordering medical supplies over the past couple of days. Grease doesn’t need as much for the MC, obviously, but we’ll order for the Attic in case of medical emergencies. Apparently, Derek will ‘continue’ his under-the-table work for Grease—which I didn’t even know about. There’s a lot that goes on around here that I was apparently oblivious to before, and now I’m wondering if Damien even knew about it. That conversation is definitely going on the backburner, though.
Once Grease shuts the door, and I look back towards Damien, he’s already making his way back inside. The same worried look is on his face, and even though his features are tight and harsh, he still looks so tired—like he should sleep for the next year. He storms his way over and stands next to me, but he doesn’t look down at me yet. He’s too busy searching the room.
“Where’s Carter?” he asks angrily and looks over to Zeke. I sit up a little straighter at the edge in his voice. The baby starts to do her crazy kicks and flips again, and I lay my hand on my stomach as a calming gesture. I just want to poke my belly to try and get her to kick hard enough to feel on the surface, but I refrain for now, knowing that Damien needs my undivided attention.
“He’s ups—”
“I’m right here, D.” Carter calls out from the stairs, and I look back just in time to see him trot down the wooden steps with Serena in tow. She smiles lightly at me and then walks into the kitchen to grab her purse. I had asked her to run out and grab Victoria some essentials, like a toothbrush and clothes so she wouldn’t have to wear mine anymore. Now seems like a good time while we help Damien calm down. “What’s up? What do you need?”
“Is Alex here, too?”
“I can call him. We sent him home this morning to spend some time with Trina, but I’m sure he’ll—”
“Call him. Now. Zeke, where are the other guns?” Damien turns his attention back to my brother and asks. His urgent tone worries me instantly. Serena gently moves the bottle of anti-anxiety medication from the sink to the kitchen island as she walks past, nonchalantly reminding me that they’re there if we need them. I can’t help but narrow my eyes at her, not really appreciating the recollection, and she just waves quickly before slipping out. Once she walks into the garage, I turn my attention back to Damien.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him softly and reach to grab his hand. He squeezes my fingers with his, but he doesn’t look down at me yet. It’s like he can’t convince himself to gaze in my direction, and it breaks my heart all over again. He stares harshly at Zeke, like his entire life is hanging on his answer.
“They’re put up just like they were before, D. What do you want me to do?”
“Search the perimeter with me,” he demands in a crisp tone, and then turns back to Carter. “I want an update on the security of the house. I don’t care if you and Kade have to meld your brains together to get it done, but I want it impenetrable. No one enters the property without my knowledge from here on out. I want cameras in the forest, around the fence line, and definitely up the back trail that’s going to lead to your new house, if you’ve already mapped it out.”
“Yeah. I’ll see what I can do,” Carter replies confidently, but that’s not enough for Damien. His hand squeezes mine a little tighter, and his body tenses even more.
“That’s not good enough!Makeit happen,” Damien demands a little more brutally this time, and I try to pull him closer. He doesn’t let himself budge, though, and I just get even more upset.
“Come sit down, baby. We should probably talk about a few things before you get too carried away.” I need to tell him about John. Victoria wasn’t even aware that he was still alive, so I know Damien doesn’t know either. They’ll be here any minute, and he doesn’t need this taking him by surprise.
“We can talk later,” he snips at me, and it shocks me a little. So, I just close my mouth, not wanting to upset him. Zeke narrows his eyes subtly, like he’s also trying to figure out where his head is before he speaks. I turn my head to glare at Victoria as she walks inside, and thankfully after meeting my gaze, she continues to walk back upstairs. Whatever he said to her outside clearly upset her, and even though I sound like a horrible person, I’m happy about it.
“We’ve been checking the outside, D. No one has been here, I promise,” Zeke says softly, like he’s trying to reassure him, but it clearly doesn’t work.
“It’s not enough!” Damien shouts, and it takes me by surprise. I can’t help but flinch a little as I look back over to him, and that’s when his attention finally snaps over to me. My eyes meet his, and I see the instant regret there, but then he turns and shakes his head.
My heart plummets when I see Leanne’s car pull into the driveway, and Damien freezes. His grip on my hand only gets tighter, and I move to rub his arm with my other hand, but then he pulls away and takes my heart with him.
“I’ll check the back,” he says sharply and storms off.
“Damien, just wait a second…” I try to stop him, but it’s no use. We all watch him walk to the back door. That sickening feeling returns tenfold, and now I’m not sure how this is going to go. Thankfully, he makes it outside just as Leanne and John walk in.
“Where is he?” John asks as he stomps inside, but it’s clear that he’s a little unsteady. Bandages still cover his throat, and his skin remains that ghostly pale color, but he’s managing through it. Leanne walks in with her arm wrapped around his as she tries to lead him over to the furniture, but he’s not having it. He starts to walk towards the stairs, letting go of Leanne’s arm to push his way through. I stand quickly and step in front of him, placing my hands on his chest to keep him from going up there. Damien isn’t even there, and if he sees Victoria, he’ll kill her.
Hell, I still might.
“John, you need to calm down before you see him. He’s agitated right now,” I try to warn him. I don’t know what all Leanne told him, and I’m not sure she even knows most of what he’s been through since he’s been home.
“I don’t care. I need to see my son,” he demands.
“I know you do, but he thinks you’re dead,” I blurt out, and he comes to halt. He looks down at me with that same sorrow I’ve only seen from him a few times. There’s a good chance that if I don’t let him see Damien right now, he might just keel over. “Hewas watching on a live feed when they shot you. I haven’t had the chance to talk to him about it yet, and he’s scared right now. We need to do this right.”
