With Love

Chapter Twenty

The whole of Friday, I spent locked in my bedroom sleeping. We only managed to get home at five in the morning after having to organize rooms for our men with the hotel staff and then having food sent up to the penthouse since we hadn't eaten before leaving the last night.

Currently, I sat in the SUV on our way back to the manor late Friday night. "So you borrowed Jasper's car specifically even though the whole garage was stocked with the rest of them?" I asked Corinne, resting my head against the headrest, closing my eyes.

Something I noticed about myself is; it doesn't matter how long I napped, I always woke up even more tired. Thankfully the SUV had only three of us in it aside from Harvey and Lorenzo. Finn sat in the back, silent and most likely dozing quietly, I didn't bother turning to find out. I didn't need Corinne to think I had become slightly attached to my doctor's company.

"Elijah called me in a panic, saying they couldn't find you and the police were sniffing around the area, his car was closest," she said nonchalantly.

Jasper had an absolute fit when he saw his car outside the hotel and decided that he and Elijah would drive back to the manor in it because he didn't trust anyone to drive his car other than him. I'd never seen his face so red.

An amused smile appeared on my face. Jasper really shouldn't leave the keys to his car lying around.

"The Warden mentioned you," I said casually, keeping her relative ties with Finn to myself, "she informed me that you were not permitted in the building," I opened my eyes and shifted my head to face her, "care to share?"

Corinne rolled her eyes, glancing out the window. "I may have done something when I first got to America." My elbow leaned on the seat's arm and I placed my head in my hand, waiting patiently. "Back when I still did contract work." Her eyes darted to the backseat where Finn sat and I nodded subtly, understanding her statement.

As the silence crept into the car, I pulled out my iPad and pulled up some emails I'd yet to check. My father had yet to contact us and the two-week mark slowly closed in, filling me with anxiety. What if something happened? He doesn't even know I was shot, yet and now I have to tell him about last night on top of it?

Remembering last night, I typed keywords into a search bar and a few articles popped up on the screen dated less than twenty-four hours ago. A couple of articles had the term BREAKING NEWS! on them and proceeded to talk about possible gang violence and mentions of the explosion.

I ordered Jasper on his way home to stop at a trusted police department and report the car, that exploded in the warehouse, stolen so if investigators found out who the car belonged to and come asking questions, then Jasper has the police report to fall back on as to why his car exploded in a shipping container warehouse. Especially now that the FBI is looking into my family because of the street shooting over a week ago.

We drove down the winding road leading to our neighborhood. The night shadowed over the trees, adding to the ominous feeling from driving in a secluded place, in the dark, surrounded by trees without another car in sight aside from the other two SUVs following us.

A sinking feeling hit my stomach when we drive up to the compound gates. They were wide open. The car slowly rolled to a stop at the discovery, Harvey unsure of what to do next.

Corinne's eyebrows narrowed as she leaned forward in her seat, sticking her head between the driver and passenger. The leather seat behind me shifted as Finn's head poked through, curiosity swimming in his gaze. The headlights from the SUV behind us flashed in question.

Alarm slammed into me. "Harvey, get to the manor," I breathed, my voice stuck in my throat.

The car lurched forward, Harvey speeding down the way while Lorenzo prepared himself, pulling out his gun, and checking his bullets.