Chapter 73

Trepidation

Elliot POV

I'm sitting on my patio drinking a beer when my phone rings. Looking at the screen I see it's Kate. I'm happy to hear from her but I'm filled with trepidation. So far most calls have been about something bad happening out there. I cross my fingers and only hope this is a good call.

"Hey babe. How are things out there?" I ask trying to sound calm and relaxed. I'm anything but relaxed right now, considering all the bullshit that's happened.

Her reply sounds a little on edge. "Hey El. We're back from Rhi's appointment. The doctor came and said she needed x-rays so we had to go to the clinic. Her hand is definitely broken. She's in a cast and will need surgery when she gets back to Seattle."

I let out a breath, "Woah. That's bad but I bet she's glad she went to the doctor."

She laughs, "Actually, she wasn't too happy at all. She's been a nervous wreck but she seems better after talking to Dr. W. Whatever they talked about must have helped because she's much calmer."

I sigh, "I can understand the nerves. She's been hiding a lot from everyone." I pause, "In addition to hiding from everyone."

Kate replies, "You know, to be honest, I'm pretty sure a lot has been revealed. At least a lot was revealed in the doctor's office."

Quietly I ask, "Does Alex know?"

When she answers I can't help but feel the tension. "I'm pretty sure he's seen the x-rays. I don't know what she said to Dr. W or Alex but he went in while they were putting the cast on." She pauses briefly, then continues. "They seem OK, so far. Though Ana and I are waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"What do you mean?" I ask. I'm a little concerned about that.

"It's just a feeling that something's going to happen. Things are too normal right now." She laughs but it's not a true laugh. I can hear the nervousness in it.

I laugh. "Normal and Rhi don't go together."

She laughs, a real one this time. "You're not wrong. There's always something that's lingering around her, like the dust cloud that follows around Pigpen from Peanuts."

I can imagine that. "How is she doing otherwise?"

When Kate answers I'm not sure how I feel about it. "She's actually acting close to normal, for Rhi anyway. I think it's because she doesn't have to hide things anymore. Alex has an idea about what happened so she's not having to talk in code anymore." She pauses, "Not to mention she can't feel anything because she was given a nerve block. Dr. W told her that some guy came in with a broken nose, black eye and a concussion. We're not positive it was Luke because of privacy laws but it was implied. If it truly was Luke I hope he learned his lesson. Don't Fuck With Rhi." She laughs wickedly. Now she sounds like Rhi.

I feel bad. My dumb ass brother is the cause of pain for someone he doesn't even know. I'd like to beat his ass right now, and Taylor's too. Neither one of them have ANY clue what they've done. Taylor surprises me. He seems indifferent to the whole thing. It's almost like he doesn't have any feelings.

"I'm sorry she got hurt, Kate. She didn't deserve any of this. On the bright side, it sounds like she really nailed Luke. That fucker deserved it. I never thought he'd do something like that." I truly mean that because he's always been protective of women and keeping them safe. "Are you guys OK?" I ask, a little concerned.

There's silence for a minute, long enough to wonder if the call dropped. "Yeah, we're OK. Just trying to get Rhi settled and trying to keep her from being an idiot." She chuckles and I can hear the tension in her voice. She sighs, "You know how she is."

Yep. I certainly know how she can be.

I laugh, trying to make things a little lighter. "Yeah, I can imagine you have your hands full." I'm curious but afraid to ask the next question. "How's Alex taking everything?"

I know how Rhi can be. She's fun and adorable and energetic but everything that's happened I can only imagine Alex is wondering what he's gotten himself into.

Kate replies, "You know, I think he's a bit shocked about the whole thing. He's been pretty calm about everything but he hasn't said much. At least not to me or Ana."

"Yeah, I can only imagine what's going through his head. It's a lot to have thrown at you when you first meet someone." I'm not sure what's going to happen but I only hope for the best. "Hopefully he'll stick around."

She sounds a little worried when she answers, "He seems to care about her a lot but I'm not sure how she's feeling." She takes a deep breath, "She really won't talk about it except for saying she's broken and not good enough for him."

I'm shocked. "WHAT? How the fuck could she think that?" I growl, "She and I are going to have a little chat when you guys get back. She's awesome and too good for anyone, to be honest."

Kate laughs, "You're not telling me anything I don't already know but I agree. You need to talk to her when we get back." She laughs again, "She needs some goofiness."

I laugh, "I think I have that covered. You know how I love her. She's like my twin."

Kate laughs and I can almost hear her eyes roll, "Don't remind me. You two are trouble when you get together. You're good for her though."

There's silence again and I can hear Kate sigh, "So… What's happening there?"

I had hoped she wouldn't ask. Sighing, I respond, "It's a shit show. My brother almost lost it when I showed him a picture of Rhi's hand. To be honest, I think he's feeling bad about leaving the guys there." Pausing I recall his reaction to the images. "I know he never meant for anyone to get hurt, but then again I don't think he ever thought Luke would do something like that."

I don't want to tell her the plan but I know I need to. She'll be pissed if she finds out on her own. I can't lose her. Besides, I'm not the one who fucked up.

Taking a deep breath I tell her the plan. "Taylor is flying out tomorrow morning to confront Ryan and Reynolds and Luke might be pulled down to the police station until he can talk to him." I close my eyes and wait for her reaction. When she doesn't respond I continue, "I told him Luke needs a psych eval done. We're all confused why he did what he did."

"We haven't seen any movement in their suite since the incident happened. Do you know if they're still staying there?" She asks, "Or did they change hotels?"

"They're still there." I tell her, "I guess Ryan and Reynolds are taking 4hr shifts watching Luke to keep him under control until Taylor gets there. He's got pain meds that knock him out so that's beneficial."

"I hope so. He was such a nice guy." She sounds sad when she responds. She sighs heavily, "You know, even though they're CPO's, it's still considered stalking when the other parties don't know they're being watched for protection." She sounds like she's clenching her teeth, "I can't wait to get back to Seattle and end this bullshit. Let me tell you Grey is in for a surprise when Ana sees him." Sighing, she continues, "I don't know why I thought you could control him. He does whatever he wants and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process."

"Kate. That's my brother you're talking about. Yes, he's an asshole most of the time, but he has a huge heart when given a chance." I know my brother can be an asshole but he's still my brother. "I'm not saying what he's done is right, because it's not, but he has a lot of things he worries about protecting his family and businesses. You know that. He's under a lot of pressure and there's always a possibility that someone will sneak in and cause problems."

I hear her snort and I try to reign in my temper because of who is involved so I take a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I'm just as upset as you are. I'm angry with him because he wouldn't listen to me and I'm his brother. No one can control my brother; you know this as much as I do. I'm hoping that with the revelation of Rhi's injury they will start listening to me and take the threat out of the picture. Hopefully when Taylor gets there things will be resolved."

She sounds apologetic, and I'm sure she is, when she replies. "El, I'm sorry. I know he's your brother but you have to admit he is a little over the top. He's always worried Ana will leave him or that something bad has happened to her." Chuckling she adds, "My god, for someone so powerful and successful he's the most insecure man I've ever seen."

She's not wrong. I didn't realize he was like that. But then again, he never brought a girl home, so I guess that's why.

We're both silent for a few minutes. It's not quite uncomfortable but it's not comfortable either.

Breaking the silence, I ask, "What's everyone doing now?"

"Alex and Rhi are taking a nap and Ana and I are just hanging out relaxing. It was a long night and morning. We're all pretty worn out. Hopefully, after resting a while, we'll be able to enjoy the rest of our vacation." She sounds tired and I feel bad for her.

I feel bad for what they're going through. "I'm sorry, babe. I really had hoped there wouldn't be any problems for you guys, but somehow it went to shit." I pause, "Christian knows he's the cause of it and I think he feels bad. We shall see what happens when you all return." I laugh, "I can tell you he's worried about what Ana's going to do."

Kate laughs, "He'll be cowering like a scared puppy. She's pretty pissed at him right now." She sounds a little smug too.

I laugh too. I can see my brother in a corner scared of Ana. "I wonder what's going to happen between Rhi and Alex. They seem really happy when they are together; from the videos I've seen."

She sighs, "Here are some recent pictures Ana and I've taken of them. This is how they are most of the time. Especially Alex."

My phone pings with images Kate's sent. When I open them I'm surprised and I'll admit my heart swells a little. Kind of like the Grinch.

"Aww…. They look so cute! And happy. My favorite is the one of him holding the straw for her. No wonder there's a treasure hunt to find out who they are." I wonder something, "You do know the world is obsessed with that whole story, right?"

Kate laughs then sighs, "Speaking of which, do you know anything about this hunt? Who started it, what is it and what is the reward?"

I laugh, "I know a little about it but I can get more details from Mia. From what I hear it was started by People Magazine. I guess someone saw all the videos of Rhi and Alex saturating social media and they got an idea of focusing on 'feel good' stories. The magazine wants to know who they are and hopefully get an interview. There is a reward of $500 for their names. Crazy. It seems like such a small amount to go through all that work just to find out who they are. Unfortunately, I don't think that's where it's going to stop."

I pause, thinking about how annoying that would be. I don't know how my brother puts up with that. "I will tell you this too, it's brought the best out of people all over. Everyone wants to find the happy couple, hoping there's a big romantic story and not some publicity stunt. You and I both know it's love, or it will be soon." I lower my voice, "You know how I can tell? I can tell because it's how I felt when I first saw you in that bar. I don't have that kind of talent but I can build a building for you." I laugh. "I love you Kate. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Though I'm pretty sure I'd start with beating the shit out of my brother and never forgiving him."

I hear a sniffle then Kate says, "I love you too El. You have to understand something. Rhi and Ana are important to me. They're my past, present and future. I will do anything for them, to keep them safe." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "Even if it means losing the best thing that's ever happened to me. That's why I said what I did. El, this whole mess needs to be taken care of fast. You've done such a good job handling things from there, despite the obsessive ways of your brother and Taylor. Something tells me that since Rhi has been to a doctor, doesn't have to hide injuries and isn't in pain, for now anyway, things should be better."

My heart swells a little more hearing her words. She really is an amazing person. "I'm sorry you're stuck in the middle and that this whole thing happened. You know, in a way, this whole hunt thing is a good thing. People are happy and thinking positive. The Prince and Princess of Vegas is what they're calling them. If the photo of him holding the straw for her got out people would go nuts."

Kate laughs, "It's getting interesting here. Alex and Rhi just do what they're going to do and people take notice and the most innocent things and make a big deal about it. Rhi and Alex had a special moment when we got out of the taxi earlier and people stopped and stared. Kind of creepy but I get it." She laughs again, "I admit, Ana and I watch too, like a couple of star struck groupies."

I laugh, "That's funny. Who knew you two were fangirls?"

We laugh for a while before she says she's got to go. I can't wait for her to come home. I miss her.

"Thank you for everything you're doing. I love you El." She says, blowing a kiss through the phone.

"I love you too Kate. Laters, baby." I do the least manly thing and blow a kiss back. I'm so whipped.