Chapter 79

Enigma

Taylor POV

Well that went better than expected. Elliot and I have always been close. He's just that kind of guy. It's no surprise that everyone likes him. I need to talk to Grey to see what he's thinking, but first I'll talk to the guys. I need to know what's going on with Luke. Hopefully, he's taking his pain meds and they knock him out for a while.

I call Ryan and it doesn't take very long for him to answer.

"Hey T, how are things going there?" He sounds exhausted and he probably is. After all, he's dealing with this bullshit firsthand.

I want to cut right to the chase but I actually care about my guys and their wellbeing. We've all grown close, like brothers, and I'm not about to change that. They're more than employees.

I ask the obvious question, "Are you guys doing OK? You sound tired."

He sighs, "T, we're exhausted. Luke has turned this into a stress-fest and both Reynolds and I want to tie him up and beat some sense into him."

I chuckle, "I can imagine I'd feel the same way. I do, actually, but we can't beat him right now." I pause, "Let's wait until we get him home."

"Deal. I call dibs on the first swing." He laughs.

"So, what's the status with him? I hope everything has calmed down?" I ask, closing my eyes and hoping he gives me the answer I want.

"Luke's sleeping a lot. Those pain meds really knock him out. The doctor told him, and us, that he needs to take them regularly. We've got him on a schedule. There's a little bit of lag between dose time to let him wake up because of the mild concussion. We don't want to cause further damage. So far so good though." He laughs, "I feel like I'm taking care of a giant toddler."

I chuckle at the image. I can't help it. Sometimes he acts like one but he is the best guy I've ever had working with me; I trust him implicitly. Which makes this more concerning.

Ryan continues, "Reynolds and I are taking turns babysitting." He laughs, "I mean watching, him. He hasn't left the room since we got back from the clinic. He's in pretty rough shape right now. In addition to the physical injuries he's quiet. I'm sure he's thinking about the whole situation." He sighs, "I don't know if he upset that he's not with Rhiann or if he's upset that she knocked him on his ass. Either way, I know he regrets what happened. He's not a man without feelings. You know that."

Even though he can't see me, I nod in agreement. "That's true. He does care, he just doesn't show it. Which concerns me a little. All the women he's been with, he's never gotten attached to any one of them. Maybe she's just a challenge and he sees her as a conquest." I sigh, "Whatever it is, I hope to find out when I get there tomorrow morning."

"Have you heard anything about her? Is she OK?" He asks, concern in his tone.

I'm proud of my men. Ryan has always cared about other people, especially women. He hates seeing women injured so I'm not surprised he's asking. I'm sure this has really bothered him.

I'm quiet for a moment and I hear him getting restless on his end. Sighing I give him the information I have. "Yes, I know a little. I've seen images of her hand and they're not pretty. Apparently she went to the clinic and has x-rays confirming she broke a couple of bones in her hand." I pause when I hear him growl. "She's in a cast right now but she will need surgery when she returns."

We're both silent for a moment. "Ryan, this never should have happened. She never should have been placed in that situation." I pause, "You guys should have done something more to stop Luke when you first saw him acting strange. Now there's an innocent person hurt and it's because we fucked up. We ALL did. From Grey down to Luke. It's inexcusable."

With conviction, he responds, "You're right T. Reynolds and I feel terrible that we weren't able to stop him from trying to get to her." I can hear it in his voice that he truly feels bad. "It all happened so fast when she hit him. When he went down that's when we were able to intervene. Though not before she chewed us out. However, by then the damage was already done and she was walking away." He pauses, "We've been trying to keep to ourselves ever since, making sure no one sees us leave or enter the room. We keep tabs of when they come and go so we avoid them in the hallway or elevator. So far we've been successful."

That makes me feel better. At least they're trying to be proactive. Unfortunately, it's after the fact but it shows they really didn't want her to get hurt. "Glad to hear that. I wish it could have been before anything happened but at least something is being done right now."

He continues, "Like I said, Reynolds and I take turns watching him in shifts. We need rest too but we make sure if one of us needs help we don't hesitate to work together. We're doing whatever we can to prevent something like that again. Hopefully, he's learned his lesson and is just going to sleep until you get here. He's pretty sure you are pissed and disappointed."

I bark out a sarcastic laugh and say, "Pissed isn't a strong enough word for what I'm feeling. Disappointed is pretty accurate too." I shake my head and take a deep breath to calm down. If I could go out right now I would, but it takes time to prepare the plane get everything in order with the FAA.

"Did you say bones in her hand are broken?" He sounds surprised. "That's terrible. I know this sounds bad but I wish you could've seen it." He chuckles, "If it wasn't so tragic it would be funny. Someone as small as her knocking him on his ass. She's one tough woman. I know I'd never want to be on her bad side. I'd love to spar with her though."

I admit, I would love to have seen that. I know how big Luke is and I've kind of seen how small she is, via social media. To be honest, I would even pay money to watch that, as long as she didn't get hurt. I know, that's fucked up but it's true.

I chuckle, "Who knows, maybe there will be a chance to set up a sparring match. Though I've never thought about what's going to happen when they return to Seattle. It wouldn't surprise me if we never saw her again."

"That would be a shame, to be honest. She's quite interesting and I find her fascinating." He replies.

I'm confused. "Why would you say that?" Don't tell me he's going to be another Luke.

"I don't mean it in a stalking way like Luke. More of the intellectual level." Concern is a little evident in his tone but I don't say anything. "T, I don't know how to explain it. I just get a vibe, when we've watched her, that there's something lurking under the surface. Something that's not… normal."

Now I'm really confused. "What do you mean?" He's always been good about reading people, maybe because he has a PhD in Psychology. Why the hell he's a CPO instead of a psychologist is beyond me.

I can tell he's thinking before he responds. "I don't know. It's just a feeling. An observation of her actions. I've never talked to her but to watch her switch from happy to pure rage in an instant is proof enough for me." He pauses, "It was crazy to watch."

Interesting.

"Well, just keep your eyes and ears open then." That's all I can think of saying. "Here's what I want you guys to do for right now. Stay hidden, especially Luke. Do NOT make any kind of contact with any of the girls or any people they're with. We're keeping our distance and no one is to bother them at all." I pause, "You really need to make sure Luke is under control. I'll be there in the morning. I was going to have him taken to see Mitch until I could get there but since it sounds like he's under control, for now, I'll deal with him when I get there. Do whatever you have to do to keep him away from the girls. Even if you have to tie him up." I chuckle when I say that last part because I'd laugh if I got there and he was tied up.

He laughs, "Believe me it would be our pleasure."

I laugh along with him, "OK, I'll let you know when I'm heading that way."

We hang up and I shake my head. "Luke, you're the cherry on top of the shit sundae Grey created."

ping

I roll my eyes when I see it's a notification from Instagram. God I hate social media. Grey insists we be alerted just in case something happens.

Opening the notification I see there are new photos of Rhiann and the guy she's been seen with. They look great together and it seems like he really cares for her because of the way he's holding the straw for her.

I scan the image and I can see her arm in a sling and by her posture I can tell she's trying to hide it. Only then does the reality set in that she really broke, and can only use, one hand. All because we fucked up, dropped the ball and Elliot was right this whole time. I'm disgusted with the whole situation. I let the situation get worse and tried to let it sort itself out. I'm still trying to figure out what happened and where it went wrong.

The physical attraction that was prevalent is no longer my focus. The thing that's my focus now is fixing this disaster. That and the fact that no information can be found on her. It's almost as if it's either been deleted or completely locked up by someone. She's an enigma.

I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to apologize to her for causing distress and her physically getting hurt. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that one but only time will tell. I can't do much while she's in Vegas but I'm pretty sure the shit is going to hit the fan when they return to Seattle.