The Act

Reunion

Xan's POV

"Yes Niko. She's going to be okay and she's coming home." My baby cries for the seventh time since we've returned to the hotel (Once at the hospital, twice telling Nicole and Dante, three times since we've talked about it, and right now). It's driving me a little insane. Even if I know they're tears of joy, my Sage senses can't help but panic that she crying.

"You okay?" I mouth when she meets my eyes and she nods wiping her tears. Her bottom lip is all wobbly and mascara stained her beautiful face. Jesus. Shutting the book I was reading, I motion for her to come to me and she does. As soon as she's in reach, I pull her onto my body allowing her to lay against me. My hands involuntarily find her eyes wiping away her tears.

I can't get a wink of my story read while she's in this state. When she cries I feel it in my heart and bleed it through my soul so intensely. Every time. And fuck does it hurt.

Despite her tears i'm so incredibly happy with this outcome. I'd been worried for months about Mrs. Loretta's condition. More importantly what her dying would do to Sage. It didn't make it any better that I grew close to the woman myself. It was going to be a mess. Me and Sage both knew, yet we both were willing to face that hurt head on.

The fact that after everything she's going to be okay—it's easily become the best news i've gotten all year. I'm so damn grateful. God really walked with us on this one.

"Yeah, I'll call you when we're back in town." She sniffles. "Yes, Xan is right here with me." Her face turns confused. "You want to talk to him? Okay."

"Niko wants to speak to you." She whispers to me as if I didn't hear the conversation. Cute ass. With a nod I take the phone bringing it to my ear.

"Yes?" I offer confused on what he could possibly want to speak to me about. I've kinda acted an ass every time i've met him in person; This is very awkward for me.

"Xan! Glad to get you on the phone. I've got some crazy news about Sage's godforsaken ex-boyfriend that you might want to know about." The man says getting my attention immediately.

"What about him?" I try not to seethe the words. Everything Sage has told me about that sorry ass excuse of a man has put him on my shit list. It's one thing for him to make her question her value, two things for him to be popping up at houses, but putting his fucking hands on her? My jaw clenches furiously.

"Ever since Sage told me that he was trying to worm his way back into her life," Over my dead body. "I've had some people looking into his situation." He explains.

"And?" I press.

"And I found out that he's been involved in a lot more than he let on. Do you remember when those pictures of you two got out last time in California?"

"Yes." It was something that Dorian had also been looking into for a while now. The one piece of the puzzle that didn't fit.

"Apparently, Travis had plane tickets booked to California there and back around the exact days as you two did. I think he's the one who exposed the pictures." Niko exclaims dramatically.

Shit. That makes sense but it still doesn't explain how he knew we were leaving town. We didn't even know we were leaving town. It doesn't add up.