Three Hearts Left Intact

Chapter 23: Escape

"Where have you been?!" Nina asked curled into the side of her lover hanging on to his wet clothes for dear life.

"Hard to tell, during the ambush they drove me, Lain, and Kaila down somewhere. I couldn't tell. And I don't think the girls would know either, they were both unconscious when they got tossed into the van."

"Well how'd you escape?!" Zander put his elbows to his thighs making sure to keep close attention.

"Well, we stopped to get gas about an hour into the drive, or could have been more, I don't know. I was focusing more on escaping than time. But I could hear these guys talking outside the van doors. So I beg-"

"Was it those guys who took you?!" Zander cut him off getting too involved in the story.

Shaking his head James cleared it up, "no the van had only just come to a stop. The driver would have taken longer to get behind us. Anyways I knew it wasn't them so I started banging on the doors of the van. One thing led to another there was yelling outside the doors and I heard someone yell to let me go. The guys outside were starting to fight and before I knew it some guy opened the doors of the van. The sun was killing my eyes, spending too much time in a dimly lit van does something to you, I swear. But I bolted once the doors opened, I saw a chance to escape and I took it. I ran into a patch of corn nearby, lucky me I suppose." He explained as nearly everyone around him nodded in response, Zander's mouth was nearly fallen open at the end.

"How'd you even know where to find us?" Alex asked.

"That one was easy, I hid and waited til the van left one way so I started walking the other. I stopped by a few places asking where I was and once I found out how close I was to Z's place I figured this would be the best place to start. Turns out I was right." He smiled.

James smiled nodding softly back at everyone around him until his attention hit Mallix. "You alright?" He put his hand on his brothers shoulder.

"D-did you try to save them?" His eyes began to tear at the mere mention of his girls who were still missing.

For a moment there was silence in the room, and that was enough to answer everyone's suspicion. "I'm sorry M, they were both still unconscious. What was I suppose to do? It's not like I could of carried them both away."

Throwing his head down in slight aggravation he grunted. "You didn't even try!" He jumped up as he threw James hand off his shoulder.

"There wasn't anything I could do! My hands were bound behind my back! I tried yelling for them to wake up but nothing worked! I did try! And it did no good!" He stood up meeting just under his brothers gaze.

"There out there being hurt and who knows what else! You could've stopped it!" He put his face close to his brothers pushing against his chest with his index finger.

James went to argue back but before he could get a word out Mallix threw his finger in front of his mouth silencing him. Not wanting to blow up in anger, Mallix silently took his leave walking away from his brother to the furthest seat available in the room. As much as he was annoyed with his brothers arrogance, he did not want to miss out on the information his brother could have on their whereabouts.

As they both settled down the group proceeded with their questioning. "Did they tell you anything about where you were going or what they were going to do with you?" Nina asked.

Shaking his head James looked at her with sad eyes. "No, they weren't saying anything to me. I couldn't hear them talking in the front seats of the van. So I don't know." He shrugged with glassy eyes wishing he could offer more to Nina.

She sighed taking in the small defeat. "Fine then." She laid closer in to James still hanging on tightly to his arm.

Alex yawned softly feeling today's need to come to an end. "It's getting late you guys I say we call it a night. James I've got some spare clothes you can borrow," he offered.

Mallix nodded walking away to his room for night while Zander followed shortly after. The two lovers slowly made their way off the couch, James was assisting his girlfriend in standing up. Finally getting up to her good foot, Nina began showing James the way to her room.

Once everyone was gone, Alex closed off all the light and went to his room.

On his way passing he could hear giggling coming from inside Nina and James room. "I've missed you so much!" She smiled whispering it into his ear wanting to stay in their hug.

"I've missed you too." He replied as their hug ended. "I wish things would have gone differently. I wasn't expecting all this to happen. Especially not with Mallix, I didn't want to argue with him this late at night." He admitted.

"Just give him some space, he's been worried sick about them. And you. Tomorrow he'll forget any of that argument ever happened. Now go shower please, it smells like you were swimming in a sewer." She laughed pointing him towards the bathroom door in her room.

Chuckling and nodding in response he leaned down to kiss the cheek of his lover before walking away to grab a spare set of clothes Alex had left for him.

As soon as he shut the bathroom door and was hidden from Nina's view, he undid his clothes getting into the shower quickly. The warm water washed away all the mud and dirt on him. Before he started to clean himself he stood there with his hands on the walls. It had been a few days since he last was able to get a shower and the heat and pressure of the water was helping in easing his stress.

After a nearly two hour shower James finished changing into the soft pajamas he was offered. Seeing the light in the room off he climbed into bed besides Nina and let her sleeping body curl into side.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off