Chapter 145

Vultures and Coyotes

Reynolds POV

I watch as Rhi walks toward the door with Devin and I can't help but worry. I wish she wouldn't go out alone. I don't know what's going through her mind but being alone might not be the best thing depending on her state of mind. Kate and Ana are right, a woman walking alone at night and dressed like that is unsafe. I wish I could protect her from everything, especially after what she revealed, but I'm not going to even try without asking. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't go over well or help anything. I understand why she needed to get some air though. Fucking Luke. Leave it to him to ruin a perfectly fun night.

The way she was shaking when she returned was 100% visible to more than just me. I'm not positive which was more prevalent, anger, adrenalin or fear. I'd place a bet that it was anger. She doesn't seem like she's afraid of too many things. I know he's been staring at her all night, which hasn't helped matters.

What the fuck did he say to her to make her want to leave? It had to be something bad, that's for sure. We never would have known anything was happening had Black's men not been watching. When they said Luke was approaching her the hairs on the back of my neck were standing at attention. Ryan and I didn't get up because that would have caused more problems than necessary. After all, we are all personally involved in this mess. Devin brought that fact to the attention of all of us and was right to handle things himself. She trusts him, I think, and feels comfortable with him being there.

Watching Luke being told to go back upstairs with Taylor was odd. He seemed to be defeated as he walked up the stairs. However, I didn't miss the look he gave me as he was doing so. I'm not sure if it's anger, betrayal, disappointment or jealousy but if I'm being honest, I think it's all of them combined. I understand that he's angry with me for getting so close with her but it's mutual, she said it herself, and I didn't force anything on her. Hey, brother, it's not your choice who she's with. Not to mention it's none of your business what she does.

Do I feel bad about flirting with her? Absolutely not. She's fun, hilarious, and free-spirited. I also didn't expect anything in return. I still don't. If she just wants to flirt in fun, I'm good with that. If she wants something more, I'm good with that too. It's her choice, I'm just along for the ride and I want her as a friend no matter what. Maybe that's why she and I get along so well, I don't push anything on her so she feels more comfortable with me. Who knows but I always said in the beginning that she'd be a blast to hang out with back home and I meant it. No matter what we're doing, I'm sure Ryan will be around and I know he feels the same way. Not everything is about hooking up, sometimes it's all about the company. I called it earlier when I said that if he wasn't careful she'd push him away and out of her life. To be honest, she should and he deserves it.

He knows better than to try to force things on people, especially women. His size alone is intimidating and him constantly trying to stop her so he can talk is threatening to her, especially when he's grabbing at her. I know her well enough by now that she's stubborn and won't listen to someone once they've fucked up. He took for granted that she forgave him so she could enjoy her night. Now look where it's gotten him.

His first fuck up was getting on her for her drinking. He already knows that she drinks, and she drinks a lot, she's done it since we first saw her. Am I happy with the amount that she drinks? Absolutely not. It's not healthy to drink that much. However, I don't know her well enough to try and stop her. She has her reasons for doing it. Would I consider her an alcoholic? Not really. It doesn't seem like she needs it to function. I'm pretty sure she uses it to handle stress, especially after her revelations tonight. The Alex revelation surprised the hell out of me and I could tell it did Ana and Kate too. I wonder what else happened? I know I won't be asking about anything or trying to force it out of her. If there's one thing I've learned about her today is that everything is on Rhi's time and I'm going to give her all the time she needs.

His second fuck up was staying upstairs with Taylor after they were invited down here with us. They could have come down and we all could have had a good time. I think that when he chose to stay up there, it upset her for some reason. I'm not sure why, it's just a feeling I have.

I know she tried to have fun with everyone but people can't be forced to enjoy themselves. Maybe that's why she goes out of her way to make people happy. Maybe she knows that some people don't know how to be happy or they're embarrassed by it. Whatever the reason is, she certainly seems to know just the right thing to do. It's like she's in tune with the feelings and emotions of the people she encounters.

However, Luke has been 'off' the past few days and I've never known him to act the way he has been. He's like a completely different person and I really hope that he sees Flynn when we get home. I think it will be good for him to get some answers about why he did some of the things he's done. What the hell is his problem? I mean, I understand that he's interested in her, we all were, but that doesn't mean it's OK to do the things he's done. OK, he's more than interested in her, he seems to be borderline obsessed. I thought he was moving in a positive direction and accepting her the way she is. Apparently not. He's had problems dealing with his actions this entire time and, to be honest, it doesn't look good for his reputation. I honestly don't know if he'll be able to come back from this.

His third fuck up was watching her like a hawk all night. I could tell, as the night wore on, it seemed to just piss her off even more. She still had fun doing the things she wanted to do but I could feel the anger lurking just beneath the surface. He did it to himself but from the looks he's given me I'm sure he's going to try to blame me. He'll try to blame Ryan too because he'll see it as Ryan did nothing to prevent this, whatever THIS is. Who knows what he's thinking, I wonder if he even knows.

In the few hours Ryan and I spent with Rhi, one thing stuck out the most. She always made sure that everyone knew they had choices. It's their choice of what to eat, drink, wear, be friends with, date, live and what kind of person they want to be. In a way, maybe her animosity toward Luke is because he was trying to take control of things and not letting her make her own choices. I'm just speculating here, and it's just my opinion, but maybe her freedom was threatened by him and that's one thing she thrives on. Freedom.

His last, and biggest, fuck up was confronting her and grabbing her. Yeah, that was the final straw and I'm surprised she didn't strike out at him again. You would think he would have learned his lesson after the first time. If not then, perhaps if he had paid attention today he would have learned that there's some serious shit in her past that she's still dealing with. I think he's more interested in her because she's beautiful and personable. I don't think he looks beneath the surface at the whole person. He never has with any of the other women he's been with. It's all superficial. I wonder what he said to Rhi to cause her to need to get away and go off on her own? She seems to have been having fun the way she wanted and the way she said she was going to, her way. He doesn't know her, none of us do, so maybe he just acted as he normally would?

I haven't had the privilege of talking to him yet, since she left, so I don't know what his frame of mind is, but I can imagine he's angry with me for joking around with her the way we have been. It's not just me she's flirting with though. Ryan and the other guys are part of that too. It's just her personality. However, I'm not a complete idiot and know that some of her flirting is directed toward me specifically. I can't stop her though. It's her decision on who she wants to flirt with and who she wants to date or not date. He's trying to force that decision on her.

I don't think he really understands just how big of a part he's played in this mess. He seems to have forgotten that she's a person and not everyone acts the same way. Just like they don't handle stressful situations the same way. I don't even know if it would matter if he heard the things she said. I was shocked when she said she has cried since that first day. That's not something I ever want to see. She seems so happy and carefree so hearing her saying she's cried because of us is heartbreaking. That's right, I'm responsible for some of this too. I accept that and when I get a chance I'll tell her that and apologize profusely for my part in it. I know Ryan feels the same way. Guilty.

I understand if he's mad at me for flirting with her and having fun but she has that type of personality. Sure, it started as fun but somehow it became more than that. I'm hesitant to pursue anything with her because I don't want to seem like Alex or Luke. I'm not the controlling type and I completely understand needing personal space. If people are around each other constantly, they lose their identity and who they are is suppressed. From what she said earlier, she's been through some rough stuff and my protective side would go nuts if she was hurt. I want to know about her but I'm afraid of what I'll find out. I plan on waiting until she comes to me.

Ryan and I knew there was something in her past that was bad, we just don't know what it is. She confirmed it tonight after what she said. Who is this Jace guy and what did he do to her? From what I've heard, it must be pretty bad, more than a bad breakup.

I do know this, there are so many pieces to this puzzle that are missing and only time is going to put them together to make the final picture. Time is the word that is most important in this situation.

I don't know what's going on with Taylor though. Ryan and I need to talk with him to see if we can figure it out. I wish I could say his indifference was something new but I'd be lying. He's never been an emotional person but shutting everything down so no one knows what he's thinking is new.

I can only speculate on things but I'm pretty sure the biggest problem he has is the fact that there's almost no trace of information on her and it bugs the shit out of him. He's always taken pride in the fact that he can find information on anyone. When she told him that the only way he'll get information is if she tells him, I knew it pissed him off. He likes to be in control and one step ahead of everyone.

I can see his perspective about not knowing about her but he's disregarding the fact that she's a person and not a computer program. I know how he thinks, he is so loyal to Grey that he's started thinking like him. Grey's paranoia is beginning to rub off onto him and it's beginning to show. He takes his job seriously and has always been about safety and security which is why he doesn't have personal relationships with many people. Just like Grey.

That's a whole different ball game in itself. I have no idea what's going to happen with that mess. I can only imagine what Ana thinks about what he's done and I have no idea what's going to happen when she returns home. Elliot is lucky that he's not involved in any of this bullshit directly. However, I'm not so sure how true that statement is. I'm pretty sure Kate has been in contact with him about what's been happening so my guess is he's the middleman handling both sides. Poor guy, he's getting it from the girls and the guys. Maybe he's not so lucky after all.

Ryan has gone up to talk to them to see what happened and I hope he comes back with some answers that are useful.

Rhi POV

Heading back to the hotel, my nerves are starting to get to me. I texted Devin and he said everyone was heading back to the hotel. He said they decided to walk since it's not that far. Hopefully, things will cool off a little. I hope I don't see them on the street.

I had a good time playing pool. It's been a while and playing with those guys made me miss my friends back home. Don't get me wrong, I love Kate and Ana but while they are used to doing things like this, I hang out with different groups of people. I always have. I've never been one to stay in a clique, like in Junior High or High School. I've always gotten along with everyone. I still do, for the most part. I'm comfortable around all types of people from all walks of life. I don't care about labels and I treat everyone the same, as a person. Of course, that is until you disrespect me. Once that happens, I walk away and while I'm forgiving things will never be the same.

I really wish people would stop calling me a Princess, though. I'm not, nor will I ever be, a Princess. Dad always called me that but that's different. Every little girl is Daddy's Princess. At least that's how it should be. When other people call me that it sounds like I expect things to be done for me or that I'm high maintenance. I know Retro and Lurch are joking about it, and that's fine, but the guys I was playing pool with? I think they really do consider me a Princess. It's frustrating but I guess, compared to them, I physically look like one. They've pretty much only seen me dressed like this so I guess I can see where that would give someone that impression.

They were nice letting me crash their game, I'm not sure why they did because they didn't have to. It was appreciated though. It was entertaining to see their reactions when I beat them at playing pool. Pool shark. That's hilarious. That's what they get for assuming I can't do some things. Princess JAWS. That's just as bad as Fairy Princess.

I roll my eyes and can't stop the laugh that comes out. It's a little louder than anticipated and I hear, "What's so funny, Princess?"

Rolling my eyes, I turn to my right and see Mr. Tattoo. "You know that's creepy, right?"

"What's creepy?" He chuckles as he catches up, falling into step with me.

"Listening to a stranger's conversation." I reply.

"You're not a stranger. You're Princess. Besides, what conversation?" He looks around. "I don't see you talking with anyone."

Straight-faced, I look at him, "Nah, they're just in my head. I don't have any friends so I have to make them up. They're invisible."

He's so busy looking at me that he doesn't watch where he's walking and almost runs into a street sign. I can't help but laugh and when he glares at me I laugh so hard I snort.

Laughter comes from behind us and I hear, "What the hell was that sound?"

"What sound?" I ask, looking behind me. "I didn't hear anything."

"Oh, I heard something alright." Blondie says, smirking, "Didn't you guys hear it?"

"Yeah, I heard it too." I'm not sure who said that because I had already turned back around. "I can't put my finger on it though to identify it."

Shaking my head, I continue walking. The closer we get to the Fountain, Mr. Tattoo asks, "Are you going to dance tonight?"

Shaking my head, "No. I've done enough dancing tonight." I mutter, "No more dancing at the Fountain for me."

It's silent for a minute. "Why not?" Mr. Tattoo asks.

I can't tell if he's genuinely interested or just making conversation. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask, changing the subject. "I thought you were playing pool?"

"It got boring after our entertainment left." Blondie says, catching up to walk alongside me on my left. "Besides, we wanted to make sure you got back to your hotel safely."

"Thanks, but I'll be OK. It's not that far." This is just plain weird.

"That may be true but it's still late and you're alone and dressed like a Princess. We don't want anything to happen to you." Blondie says.

Raising my hand I explain, "Cast. Remember? I'm pretty sure someone would have to be an idiot to try something when I have a weapon readily available."

Chuckles come from behind, followed by, "Good grief you're stubborn."

Shrugging my shoulders, "So I've been told. In fact, I've been told numerous times in the past few days. It seems my Dad was right all along." I giggle. He was always frustrated because I have a stubborn streak a mile wide.

"A cast is not the most effective weapon. You seem smart enough to know that." Mr. Tattoo says.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being scolded?" I laugh and shake my head. "Besides, I don't have my pistol so I've have to use whatever is handy." I stop walking because I'm laughing so hard at my joke. Unfortunately, my snort chooses this time to make itself present and I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.

"That was YOU that made that sound?" Blondie exclaims. "What the hell?"

"You carry a pistol?" Mr. Tattoo asks, surprised.

"What the hell guys? Cast… handy…?" I look at all of them and get no reaction. "Nothing? Come on, that was an amazing joke!"

"That was an awful joke." Blondie groans.

"Oh, come on!" I'm still laughing. "You guys need a sense of humor. That was a gem if I do say so myself."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Mr. Tattoo laughs sarcastically, slapping his hand on his thigh. "That was so funny. You should be a comedian."

"I know! Right?" I grinning, "I'm a riot! I keep telling people that but they don't believe me." I shrug. "Their loss."

"So, Princess, you carry a pistol?" Mr. Smooth asks.

"Uh, yeah. I have for years. Why?" I'm not sure why this matters but I'll go along with it.

"Just curious." He replies. "That's impressive."

"Thanks. You should see me shoot." I wink at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Come on. Let's get you back to your hotel so you can do whatever it is Princesses do after a night on the town." Blondie says, holding his hand out in front of him, indicating for me to walk ahead of him.

"I don't suppose I will be able to talk you out of this, will I?" I pout, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No. No matter how tough you think you are, you're still vulnerable. Especially in those shoes." I can tell it's Mr. Smooth speaking by his tone. "You're not invincible."

"Willing or not, we're still making sure you get back safe." Mr. Behemoth cuts in. "Besides, if you refuse, we'll 'just happen' to be going the same direction as you."

Mr. Tattoo adds, with a smirk, "You might as well accept it."

"Fine." Pouting still, I start walking and before I take five steps I see everyone making their way up the sidewalk heading to the hotel. Luke is with them and he's the last person I want to see. Abruptly, I turn around and start walking in the other direction, squeezing between Mr. Behemoth and Mr. Smooth, before I'm spotted.

"Hey. Aren't you going the wrong way?" Blondie questions.

Without looking back, I keep my head down and keep walking. "Um, yeah. I, um, forgot something. You guys go ahead and I'll talk to you later."

I don't hear footsteps behind me so hopefully they're not following. I don't dare turn around just in case I'm spotted. I was hoping I wouldn't run into them before returning to the hotel. I don't want to see Luke, or Taylor for that matter. Now I need to worry about them seeing me with Mr. Smooth and the others. Fuck my life.

"Princess. Who are you running from?" I hear from behind me.

I don't stop. I won't. Not until I can find a place where I can hide. Not that I'm afraid of Luke but I really don't want these guys to do anything to him. It doesn't warrant anyone being hurt and I don't know these guys well enough to stop them. Not to mention that I don't want Lurch to get involved or hurt. How the fuck did this get so complicated?

Looking up through my hair, I see that I'm almost to the end of the fountain where there are some stairs and a door into the north end of the hotel. Just a little further and I can get off the sidewalk so no one sees me. Speeding up, relief hits me when I run up the stairs and through the doorway. Unfortunately, I hear heavy footsteps behind me coming closer. Ugh. Why are they following me? Letting the door shut behind me I keep walking to find a place to sit down. Looking around, I spot a chair that's out of the way hidden in an alcove, and head over to it and sit.

I hear a deep gruff voice ask, "Princess? Who are you running from and why?"

I remain silent as I look out the window that looks across the water of the fountain.

"Princess?" I jump when I feel a hand on mine.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm ok." Giving them a smile that I hope is convincing, I continue. "I guess today has been a bit… overwhelming."

"Overwhelming. Huh. That's interesting." Mr. Smooth shakes his head, "What happened out there?"

Shaking my head, "Nothing. I just forgot something."

"Forgetting something and turning back around to get it is one thing." Blondie shakes his head, "However, 'forgetting something' and turning around and bolting somewhere random is a whole different ballgame."

"So, care to try that again, Princess?" Mr. Behemoth growls, glowering down at me. "Who were you running from and why?"

Shaking my head, I reply, "No one. It was nothing. Today was just overwhelming and I guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"Mhmm. I see." He replies, shaking his head. "It wouldn't have to do with the 'bullshit' you talked about earlier, would it?"

Fuck. "Bullshit?" Maybe if I play dumb they'll forget about it.

"Yeah, the bullshit you had with a couple of guys. Or did you forget already?" Mr. Tattoo interjects.

Nope, I didn't forget but I'm trying to. "Oh. THAT bullshit." I chuckle nervously, "That was taken care of." Kind of, but not completely.

"Princess, we can't help if you don't tell us." Mr. Smooth kneels and rests his hands on top of mine. "You're shaking, which makes me believe that whatever it was, has not been taken care of completely."

What the hell? Is he reading my mind now?

"You're easy to read and we've been around this type of thing before." He says quietly. "You don't have to be scared."

I laugh this time. "What makes you think that I'm scared?"

Shaking his head, he replies, "People who aren't scared don't turn tail and run and hide for no reason. So tell me, why did you?"

Silently looking at all of them for a minute, I'm trying to decide how to answer. Obviously, they're not going to let this drop. Sighing, I answer honestly. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Mr. Tattoo and Mr. Behemoth share a glance that leaves me confused. "Why would someone get hurt?"

"I know what 'being taught a lesson' means." I use air quotes for emphasis. "I've seen it. Whatever it was that happened doesn't warrant someone getting hurt. I'd like to just forget it ever happened."

"If someone hurt you then lessons need to be taught. We told you earlier that we don't approve of men laying hands on women of any age. No matter what the reason is." Mr. Smooth responds.

After a minute, Mr. Tattoo speaks up. "Tell us who you were running and hiding from, Princess."

Sighing in defeat, my breath shaky, I answer quietly, "One of the guys who did it was coming up the sidewalk. I didn't want to be seen because I didn't want to deal with him tonight. I don't want to be around him and until they leave tomorrow he'll be too close for my comfort."

Silence surrounds us, and an intoxicating cocktail of testosterone and tension leaves my head spinning. This is getting to be ridiculous with all the fucking drama. I just want to see Lurch and let him know I'm OK. Pulling out my phone, I send a message to him. I'm sure he'll check it when he returns to our suite.

R: Hey. I just wanted to let you know I'm OK. I saw you guys walking up the sidewalk to the hotel and saw Luke. I ran and hid so he wouldn't see me. I don't want to be around him at all. Can you let me know when it's safe for me to come back to the suite? Please?

I hope I don't have to stay away for too long. I'm ready to shower and relax before we head home tomorrow. I have a lot of people I need to follow up with before I leave and I need a few hours of sleep so I can do that properly.

"What are you doing?" Blondie asks.

"I sent a message to my friends to let me know when it's safe to go back to our suite. I told them I didn't want to be around the guy." Smiling up at him, I add, "I wanted them to know that I was OK and not to worry."

Nodding, Mr. Smooth replies, "That's a good idea, letting your friends know you're OK. We'll stay with you until you can go back." He smirks. "Just in case."

Rolling my eyes, I laugh, "You certainly know how to make a girl feel special."

"That's what we aim for, Princess." Mr. Tattoo laughs.

"Why?" This is what's been confusing me since I ran into them earlier today. Making eye contact with each of them, I continue, "I mean, you seem to be nice guys and everything but you don't know me. So, why the interest and Knight in Shining Armor act?"

Mr. Behemoth shrugs, "There was something about you when we first saw you. Then playing pool kind of triggered our protective sides."

Mr. Tattoo laughs, "Besides, you're small and some people may overpower you and try to do something to you."

Blondie speaks up, "We told you earlier that we don't approve of men laying hands on women. Period."

Mr. Smooth adds, "Imagine our anger when we found out someone did that to you." His eyes harden, "Not to mention it was someone you kind of know."

Mr. Tattoo adds, "Think of it as our version of doing good deeds and protecting and standing up for women." He grins.

"Whatever. I'm not weak and I can protect myself. I'm pretty sure I proved my point when I broke his nose after the first time." Raising my cast. "The proof is right here."

"The FIRST time?" Mr. Behemoth growls. "This happened more than once?"

Oops. I keep my face blank and remain silent when I look up at him. I better keep my mouth shut. Just then, my phone goes off. Saved by the bell. Looking down at my phone, I see a message from Lurch.

L: Oh thank god you're OK. I was getting worried. We all were. Why did you run and hide? Luke wouldn't have done anything with us there. Yes, I'll let you know when it's safe to return. Where are you?

R: Just his presence makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to deal with him right now. Maybe it will change after everyone goes home tomorrow but it may take some time for me to get over it. I'm in the hotel where I can't be found quickly. I'm safe.

L: I understand you don't want to be around him right now. I don't think he'll do anything. We've decided he should stay away from you until you're ready to deal with him. He said he'd stay in our suite and give you your space. He feels horrible about everything that happened between you two.

R: He said that before.

L: Do you want me to come to you?

R: No, I'm OK. I promise. Is it safe to come up yet?

L: He's getting ready to leave now.

R: OK. Can you have Retro keep Luke away from the door? I don't want him to hear me.

L: Yeah, he'll take care of it.

R: I'll come up in a few minutes. Where will you be?

L: I can head back to my suite if you want. So you can be alone with Ana and Kate?

R: Stay in my suite until I come up. Please.

L: OK. See you in a bit.

Ignoring the last question, I look up to see all of them watching me. Why? I have no idea. "My friends say it's safe for me to return to my suite. He's not around so…"

"Are you going to answer the question?" Mr. Behemoth growls again.

Shaking my head, I answer, "No. What's the point? I already told you I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"But it's OK for you to get hurt?" Blondie asks.

"I'm fine." OK, I'm not fine but right now I'm just trying to get rid of them so I can change clothes and relax.

"You're not 'fine', you're in a cast. You got hurt because someone caused you to react. Whether it was fear or self-defense you still had to do something because of a man." Mr. Behemoth snaps.

Mr. Tattoo cuts in, "If you can call someone who does that to a woman, let alone someone as little as you ar…"

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" I jump up and growl, cutting him off. "I'm not fucking little, I'm not fucking tiny and I'm not fucking small!" The second those words left my mouth I realized what I just did. Slapping my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide, I look at them. What the fuck have I just done? I'm sure the fear is evident, on my face and in my eyes. My voice is shaky as I stutter out an apology that I hope will keep them from killing me and dumping me in the desert somewhere to be eaten by vultures or coyotes. "I…I…I'm so s…s…sorry. I d…d…didn't mean to s…s…sn…snap at you guys. P…p…please forgive m…m…me." Lowering my head, I stare at the floor. This time the tears that form are out of fear, which has been magnified by their silence, and I whisper, my breath quickening with each word until my chest starts to hurt and I feel light-headed. "Please don't torture me and kill me and leave me in the desert to be eaten by vultures or coyotes or maybe you'll let them eat me alive never to be seen again it…" I ramble on until I'm cut off.

"Relax, Princess." A deep voice says but it sounds so far away. I nearly jump out of my skin and scream when I feel hands on my shoulders. "Woah, woah, woah. Princess, calm down. Relax. Take deep breaths. You're going to pass out."

"I don't want to die, please, I'm not ready to die, please let me live." I can't stop the panic that's invading my body. My throat tightens, my heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest, I can't see anything and I can't breathe. My arms feel heavy and my legs feel cemented to the ground. Oh god, I'm being buried alive in cement. "I can't, I can't, I can't…"

The last thing I hear before everything goes black is, "Fuck."