Page 55 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
“You got him, man,” I wheezed. “I don’t want you to go to prison for beating him to death. You got him. Just let him go, Trev.”
As if suddenly coming back to himself, Trevor shook his head, and seemed to blink himself back into reality. He looked at me, looked at his fist – which was covered in blood – and then down at Brad. The man hung limp in his grasp, so Trevor unceremoniously dropped him. Brad’s head bounced off the wood floor of the cabin with a hollow thud. He was out cold.
Trevor got back to his feet looking a little unsteady, but when he looked down at the prone form of Brad, a satisfied little smile crept across his features. He looked to me and nodded.
“You okay?” he asked. “You took a pretty good shot to the gut.”
“I’m good,” I replied, despite the pain radiating from the part of my belly that Brad had just put a home run swing on with his goddamn bat.
Nolan came rushing over and dropped down beside Brad. He pressed his fingers to the fallen man’s neck, checking for a pulse. I was nervous when he didn’t immediately give us a thumbs up, but a moment later, Nolan visibly relaxed. He turned to me and nodded.
“He’s alive,” he said.
“He’s probably got a concussion,” Sean noted.
“Like I give a shit,” Trevor said.
“None of us do,” I replied, and then turned to Elise, who was still standing in the corner, looking for all the world like a frightened deer. “Are you okay, Elle?”
She stepped forward and I saw the cut on her forehead and the bruising on her face. I felt my jaw tighten, and my eyes narrow as I looked at her. I looked at the guys, and judging by the looks on their faces, they were having the same thought I was.
“It’s from the accident,” she said.
“Are you sure?” Nolan asked.
She gave him a level look. “Yes, I’m sure,” she said. “He didn’t lay a hand on me while we were here. He mostly just ranted and raved at me.”
“Ranted and raved?” I asked.
She nodded. “It was like he’d gone crazy. Like he’d come completely undone. He went from telling me how much he hated me one second, to begging me to give him another chance the next,” she said softly. “It was scary as hell, but he didn’t hurt me.”
Sean stood beside her, checking out her wounds. “We’re going to need to get you to a hospital though,” he said. “Just to get you checked out and make sure nothing’s going on internally. That car was pretty mangled. I can’t imagine you walked away with nothing but cuts and bruises.”
“I’m fine,” she said stubbornly. “Seriously. I’m fine.”
“I agree with Sean,” I said. “At the very least, we need to rule out a concussion or anything else.”
“I appreciate the concern –”
“It’s not a discussion,” Trevor said. “We’re taking you to a hospital, and we’re getting you checked out.”
She sighed, though I didn’t think she sounded too annoyed. If anything, I thought she sounded relieved that this nightmare was over and was enjoying being doted upon – if only a little bit.
“I can’t believe you guys found us,” she said softly. “I can’t believe you came for me.”
She looked so vulnerable standing there. She met each of our eyes, and in those glances I felt the gratitude and love that was emanating from her like heat off the sun.
“Of course we did,” I said softly. “We will always come for you, Elise. We’ll always be here to protect you.”
“Always,” Trevor said.
“Definitely,” Sean agreed.
“Without a doubt,” Chase said.
We stood there in a companionable silence for several long moments, each of us trying to silently communicate our feelings to and for her. Finally, the silence grew to feel a little bit awkward, and we all cleared our throat at the same time. There was a nervous chuckle around the room, that eventually grew into a genuine laugh.
It felt good to laugh. After everything we’d been through, it was a much-needed pressure release. The air in the cabin went from feeling dark and malevolent, to suddenly feeling a lot brighter, and freer. Relief washed over us all that the nightmare was finally over.
“Not to spoil the mood,” Nolan said. “But, what are we going to do about him?”
“I say we leave his ass here,” Trevor said.
“We can’t leave him here,” Elise replied.
“Why not?” Sean asked.
“For one thing, it’s not his cabin,” she said. “If the owners show up, now that it seems like the storm is passing –”
“Not our concern,” I said.
Elise sighed, and her smile fell. She looked troubled and perhaps, a little torn. She was a better person than the four of us put together, which was why she was having the moral dilemma about what to do with the unconscious man.
