Chapter 50

Ella

When sliding into the back seat of Grant's car, I instantly felt my body relaxing. Kris also relaxing next to mine, her hands still slightly shaken from earlier, but overall we’re both fine.

Lifting my hand, I slowly moved to reach for hers. Gently moving to give a light squeeze only to catch her gaze as she moves to look over at me.

“Hey” I whispered, attempting to smile at her.

“Hey” she whispers back.

“Sorry” I started. “I didn’t mean to drag you into this mess of mine.”

Shaking her head, Kris moves to speak again, “No, don’t think like that. You couldn’t have known” admits Kris, her eyes locked with mine as we continued to stare at one another silently.

“But-

“No El, she’s right and you know it. You couldn’t have known that” replied Hayden, his eyes now locked on mine, his voice firm.

Biting my lip, I want to rebuttal, but I know it’s impossible. Impossible because I know they’re right. It’s not like I knew they would find me and so soon after everything that’s happened to me, unless…. A scary thought soon leaving my thoughts. A thought of them stalking me, to possibly even bugging my brothers' home, to even someone spying on us had all kinds of weird vibes now running through me.

A shiver of dread now leaving my body as it did.

“Ella?” calls Kris softly, her eyes catching the shiver.

Glancing back over to her, I knew Kris could feel my fears. I mean, because, after all, we’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. Kris has always been my rock, my support, even when I couldn’t see my brothers because of school.

Feeling a twinge of pain begin to stir, I move to grab my phone once more. The need to call my brothers rising. The need to hear their voices, to know their safe and sound. To let them know that I’m on my way back home to them. All of it slowly consuming me.

Sighing, I move to call Reece. My thumb hovering over Reece’s name, a part of me hoping and praying that he’d answer my call, unlike Dylan. A piece of me still hurt that he hadn’t answered me when I tried calling him back.

Shaking the unwanted thoughts aside, I quickly decide to give it another try, my finger dialing Reece. A shaky hand bringing the phone back up to my ear as it rang.

2 rings in and a voice suddenly appears over the phone, a voice that I’ve come to love and cherish since arriving at their home. “ELLA” cries Reece, fear and panic evident within his voice.

“Reece” I whimper, trying hard not to cry.

“Oh dear lord, where are you? We tried calling you multiple times, yet you didn’t answer us. What happened?”

With worry still etched within his voice, I tried not to wince, knowing that I needed to tell him soon before they worried themselves to the point of no return.

“Sorry… But I’m with Grant and-” but then, before I could even finish that statement, the car was suddenly hit from behind. The car jerking me forward, my body thrashing against the seat belt as my phone went flying to the floor. My phone sliding around as the car gets hit again, causing me and Kris to cry out in shock.

“ELLA” I heard, Reece’s voice coming from somewhere on the floor below me.

With another cry of panic rushing past my lips, Grant began to curse. More faint sounds of Reece’s voice coming from my phone as it continued to lay on the floor by my feet. My body now clinging to the seat as I try not to move. Another hit making Grant curse louder.

“FUCK”

Crying louder by the second, I quickly closed my eyes, my body in full-blown panic mode as Hayden turned around only to see another car behind us. A car that decided that it didn't want to play nice with us. A car that kept ramming into our backend as if trying to push us off the road.

Fear now clutching at my chest at the thought of never seeing my brothers again. A part of me knowing that somehow this was all my fault and because of it those I’d come to love and cherish were paying the price.

Whimpering louder, I continued to hear Reece on the phone. His voice yelling, calling my name, even as I sat completely frozen in fear, Grant now racing down the semi-empty streets in his attempt to lose whoever it was that was ramming us from behind.

“ELLA! ELLA!”

Reece… I panic, fear still clutching at my heart. A stray thought of never seeing them rising yet again.

“HOLD ON!” I heard Grant yell. Grant continuing to maneuver along the streets. My phone now silent, which meant that either my phone moved further away from me or it died. 

The latter being that my phone died. Not wanting Reece to hear us when another car chases us. Unwanted thoughts still rushing through me as we played a game of cat and mouse. Fear, panic, uncertainty rising to greet me. Emotions that I couldn’t keep at bay any longer.

My mind blanking from feeling numb. My body lost to its inner fear as I almost missed it when Grant's phone rings or how he moves to answer it quickly before the second ring. My ears picking up on angry yet panicked voices on the other end.

“Yea?”

“WHERE IS SHE? IS SHE SAFE?”

Reece, glancing over to Grant, I suddenly realized now why I no longer heard Reece on my phone. Reece must have hung up during my distraction from earlier to call Grant. My heart thumping wildly as I tried to listen to them talk.

“She’s with us. Yes she’s safe. I promise we’ll protect her” is all I hear, my breathing shallow as I continue to listen.

Hesitation filling the air, as Grant along with Hayden both worry about not only me but Kris as well. My best friend who now had a target on her back as well because of me. Regret rising as it begins to take hold.

This is all my fault. If only I had surrendered. If only I had gone with them quietly. Then maybe, just maybe, she would be safe. That Grant and Hayden would be safe, come my uneasy thoughts.

NO, I quickly think, now fighting the urge to hold back tears. It’s Nicholas’s fault. He only wants to hurt us to gain access to my father’s company. Well, jokes on him if he thinks I’ll help him.

Pulled from thoughts yet again, I suddenly hear Reece, Grant placing him on speakerphone as he begins to drive defensively, his car attempting to zigzag through traffic in hopes of throwing off whoever was on our tail.

“Ella? Baby? Are you there?” calls Reece, his voice strained.

“Y-Yes” I say, loud enough for him to hopefully hear me, my ears buzzing with panic.

“Good. I need you to stay strong for us, okay. Let Grant and Hayden protect you. And whatever you do, do as he tells you, got it?”

Nodding my head, I know it’s pointless, pointless because he’ll never see it. So, I do the next best thing, I speak.

“Yes….” I say, stopping myself before I could utter the word daddy. Not wanting Grant, Hayden or Kris to know that little bit of information just yet. Surprised when no one mentions the word baby that was uttered between Reece and I just now.

Do they possibly know? I pondered, my eyes steadily watching those within the car, a part of speculating that Grant and Hayden probably knew because they worked with Reece and Dylan, but a part of me didn’t want Kris to know just yet or did she.

Searching her gaze, her eyes began to hold something along the lines of, Ha I knew it, which means she obviously knew about me and my brothers. Fuck.

“Good girl” says Reece again, my insides melting at his voice. The need to be fucked by them now rising only for me to pause, the car suddenly hit from the side which causes me to hit my head against the window hard.

The force knocking me out as Reece yells my name. Kris too. Their voices now distant as I suddenly faded into the darkness, pain radiating all throughout my body.