BOND

45.

Hold me close and I won't leave

'Cause it hurts when you hurt somebody

So much to say but I don't speak

And I hate that I let you stop me

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Hey!"

Joey snapped out of the memory and noticed that his knuckles had turned stark white from his grip on the armrest. Chase and Michael were looking at him, their faces contorted into similar expressions of worry and a minute bit of annoyance.

He had been thinking back to the night at the warehouse, actually the car ride. He didn't remember a whole lot of it but he could vividly feel Elena lying right next to him. 

"You okay?" Chase asked and he nodded automatically, bored of the question by now.

"Let's get back to him," he drummed his fingers along the photo of Reese on the middle of the table. 

Chase had called them in but the fact that they needed to find him, fast, had been on all of their minds.

Michael ran a hand down his face, clearly frustrated. They had been going at it for a couple of hours now. "He's not in Madison anymore. I have it in good faith."

Joey nodded along halfheartedly, his mind miles away. He should be in school but this was more important. The drags of summer school came nowhere near to the urge of finding Reese and holding him responsible for every single thing he had done to Elena and so many others.

"I'll get Nicholas to look in New York, Reese was there once before," he said. He wasn't too keen about them searching for the guy, since any tip off could speed up whatever he had planned next for Elena, but they needed to take the risk.

He had people posted, following her around covertly for extra protection. Nathan was qualified enough, he had done a thorough background search, but if she got hurt again, he didn't know what he would do. 

"Nicholas? Are you sure it's good idea bringing him into this?" Michael blanched. After a questioning look from Chase, he said, "His reputation precedes him."

Joey snapped his neck towards him and glared, "You have a better idea? He's one of the best."

"He's no better-"

Chase cut them both off, "Stop the bickering! I don't care how but if it doesn't harm any of us then I want Reese found. Quickly!"

They fell quiet, thinking through all that had been discussed. The front door cracked open and all three jumped up to their feet. Whoever had passed through half a dozen trained assassins, albeit hidden, was clearly welcome into the house but they could still be careful. 

He was the first one into the foyer and also the first one to come to a skidding halt.

"What are you doing here?" Elena looked straight at Joey, ignoring everybody else's eyes on her. Chase took a step towards her but she quickly shook her head and he stopped mid step. 

Joey kept his gaze trained on her and looking at her, slumped up in a seat, having to be moved around, broke his heart. He knew he shouldn't be there but Reese had to pay. This had gone on long enough, he should have been taken down a lifetime ago. 

He had almost unlimited resources at his disposal but this incident involved her and Chase would turn homicidal if anything was done without calculating all the further risks that it put her in.