Chapter 24 – Chelcie

“That’s all it said?” Izzy asks from the floor, where she’s playing with Nate. She’s been in the same spot since she arrived at my apartment earlier.

“Yeah. Scary, right?” I look around, meeting each of their eyes.

Izzy looks confused, Dee’s worried, and Melissa looks pissed.

“What did Asher say?” Dee questions.

“He told me not to worry about it. That he would take care of it, but it’s been two weeks and he’s been so distant lately. He’s gone before I wake up and I’m already asleep when he comes home. The little that I have seen him was in passing when he came home to change his clothes.”

I’ve been so worried about the distance between us. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but every time I try, he just gives me one of his sweet kisses and tells me to stop worrying. I’m terrified and I feel so alone.

“He’s been at CS. Axel says that he’s there every morning and stays long after they all have gone.”

“Goddammit. He’s researching that man again! I thought we had moved past it. I mean, I knew that he was still looking into him, but I didn’t think it was as bad as before.”

My heart hurts. I think I’ve known that there was a chance that even my love wouldn’t keep him from this crazy, quest for vengeance. There can’t be anything good that comes from his bloodthirst to avenge Coop’s death. I get it—I really do—but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel hopeless to stop this.

“What man?” Izzy asks.

“Dominic Murphy,” I shudder. “The man who put everything in motion. The man who is single-handedly responsible for everything that happened to you, Dee. And the man Asher is hunting so that he can make him pay for Coop’s murder.”

All of their eyes widen. I know Dee knew that he has been researching him, but I don’t think anyone besides Maddox and I knew just how deep he was swimming in this shit.

“Do you think it’s from him?” Melissa asks with worry clearly written all over her face.

She hands one of her twin daughters—Lyndsie, I think—over to Dee and shifts the other sweetheart onto her shoulder to give her a burp. I look over at Dee, who is doing the same. I have no idea how Melissa has learned to breastfeed both babies at the same time.

I meet her eyes and let her see my worry. Maybe if she talks to Greg, he can talk some sense into Asher. “I can’t imagine anyone else it could be. I don’t know anyone here beyond all of y’all, and unless Dee is pissed that I’m no longer working for her, then I can’t comprehend who else it could be. It makes sense. Who else would say that?”

The whole situation is both confusing and terrifying. I can’t even leave the apartment without becoming so fearful of my surroundings that I’m teetering on the verge of having a panic attack. And I know my rising anxiety isn’t good for the baby, so I haven’t left. I stay here day in and day out, praying that everything is going to be okay.

“You need to talk to Asher, babe. Don’t let this fester,” Dee whispers.

I know she means well, and Lord knows I love her, but I don’t keep things from Asher. She and Beck had a crappy start, and I know she’s speaking from experience, but my not talking to Asher has nothing to do with avoiding the topic. I haven’t been able to get him in the same room with me long enough to have a conversation. I think he believes that, by shutting me out completely, he’s doing me a favor, but the worry for him is worse than the fear of the unknown.

I don’t know what I would do if I lost him. If we lost him.

“I’m going to make sure he talks to me today. I’ve been trying so hard to stay up and wait for him to come home, but my body always wins the fight and I’m passed out long before he comes home. I set my alarm on my phone to go off every hour, and I don’t care if I have to do it all night—I will be awake when he gets home. If he’s asleep when it goes off, I’m going to wake him up and demand answers.”

“Hell yeah!” Melissa cheers.

“If you need anything, promise you’ll call?” Izzy asks.

“I’ll call, but I won’t need anything other than my man to talk to me.”

She smiles sweetly at me and goes to pull herself off the floor. Her stomach is just now starting to show signs of her pregnancy.

“I’m going to head home. Nate hasn’t been sleeping well at night, so I told Axel that we needed to have an early dinner and get him down before his normal bedtime. I hope that works. You let me know if you need anything, Chelcie.” She leans in and gives me a hug.