Ivory Causeways Framed Distant Outposts by Arman Steele 29

Chapter 29 

Dean 

I’ll fucking kill her! Rea was the one that hurt you?” I asked her, and she blinked twice. Jesus Christ. 

“Are Mallory, Andrew, Chris, and Nella involved?‘ Aleck asked her, and she blinked once. 

Is Rea helping Macy?” I asked, and she blinked twice. 

I saw her eyes begin closing. “It’s okay, princess, you can rest now. We’re here, and no one is going to hurt you,” I said, caressing her face. We waited until 

she fell asleep, then walked outside. 

“Now, boys, I suggest you find that girl, and fast,” Dad said. 

I walked back into the room, and the minute I did, she opened her eyes. 

“One last question, princess. Can I let the others know you’re okay? We will need them to get to Rea,” I asked, waiting for her. After what felt like an 

eternity, she blinked twice. 

“Thank you, love. Get some rest.” 

I walked back out and looked at Aleck. “Round up the four of them; have them meet us at the office, and Aleck, make sure they don’t tell Rea anything.” 

‘I’ll make sure.” 

After we got changed, we left, but before we did, we asked Marcella to stay with her until we returned. I took my car, and Aleck took his. We got to the company and waited in the security room for them. The building was empty, so we weren’t worried about anyone seeing us and them. Chris showed up first. 

He wanted to know what was going on; we just told him to wait until the others got here. Nella was the last to show up. We asked the security guards to 

I leave for a minute. 

“Okay, what’s going on? You asked us to come here at this time, which means something happened. Did something happen to Layla? Chris asked. 

‘Yes and no. She’s awake. Her eyes are open, but she can’t move them; she can hear. She has been listening to us since the day we brought her home. It was all thanks to Marcella,” Aleck said, looking at them. 

“Wait, I thought you said your dad took her away?” Mallory asked, looking at us. 

‘Dean, Aleck, what exactly is going on, and tell me the truth,” she said. I knew that tone. She was always worried about everyone, and Mallory was loyal to a 

fault. 

‘Rea was the one that did that to her.” 

“I’m sorry, repeat that for me, Dean, Nella said, looking at me. I could see Chris’s mind working. 

‘Rea was the one that hurt her,” Aleck said. 

‘I knew we were right about something being off. That fucking psychopath. Where the fuck is she? Chris said, looking at us. 

1/3 

13:45 pm PPM MO 

Chapter 29 

“We don’t know.” 

1… I can’t believe this. She… she’s our friend, and she tried to… she tried to fucking kill her. If I see her, I’ll kill her, I swear I will. Mallory said, looking st 

What exactly happened? How did you find out? Andrew asked. 

We told them exactly what happened. Jesus Christ, she’s insane, just like Mary, Nella said. 

Wait, if Rea was the one that hurt Layla, then who hurt Rea? Mallory asked. 

“Now that is a good question,” Chris said. 

“Do any of you know where Rea is at this moment?” I asked. 

“No. We haven’t met her in weeks. She calls, but that’s about it,” Nella said. 

“She was here in my office earlier, and she was weird, to me at least,” Aleck said. 

“Look, let’s keep an eye on her and see who she’s meeting up with and what she does. We’ll tell her Layla is recovering and awake, and let’s see her reaction. I said, looking at them. 

“That’s a good idea.” 

After we decided on a course of action, we left and headed back home. The others would visit her tomorrow, one at a time. When we got in, Mom was 

waiting for us in the foyer. 

“What happened?” 

“She can move her eyes. Marcella told me a half hour after you left. She’s asleep right now. Why don’t you boys have something to eat, then you can go sit 

with her?” 

I nodded. Today was the first time in weeks that Aleck and I have had the urge to eat. Knowing that she was trying was good enough for me. After dinner, we went to the room. Marcella said goodnight and left. The minute the door closed, she opened her eyes. She looked to the left, then to the right. 

“It’s okay, baby girl, go to sleep. We’ll be right here with you.” 

“Try to rest your mind, princess. We’ll deal with it. After saying that, she closed her eyes, I looked at Aleck on the other side of the bed. I knew he wanted to say something but wouldn’t. We sat with her, watching her sleep. Halfway through the night, Aleck’s phone started vibrating. He pulled it out and put it on silent. Twenty minutes later, he was waving his phone at me. I looked at him with raised eyebrows. He handed his phone to me, I grabbed it and looked at her to make sure she was sleeping. 

When I checked his phone, I saw the message. I looked at him immediately. He was standing now, bracing against the wall. 

MESSAGES 

(REA) 

Aleck, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect Layla. I spoke to a friend of mine; he’s a neurosurgeon, and he said that in cases like Layla’s, they never wake up. 

Sorry, I’m having a drink and feeling a bit emotional. It’s just… 

2/3 

3:45 pm P Pм M. 

Chapter 29 

I’ve always wanted to tell you… … 

Ever since I started tutoring you, I’ve been in love with you. I know you don’t feel that way about me, and I never said anything because, well…. 

I’m saying it now; it’s probably because of the alcohol, but I love you, Aleck. I always have and never stopped. If there is ever a chance for us. 

If there isn’t, then we’ll forget this ever happened. 

I looked at him, and he was still standing there. She was in love with him; that’s why she hurt Layla. Fuck, how did we miss it? Macy was always upfront about her interest in me, but Rea hid it so well. When I looked back at her, her eyes were open. I smiled at her. 

“You need to rest, princess. Everything is fine,‘ I said, caressing her face. She made a face, 

1 touched her face. “Can you feel that?” 

She blinked twice. Aleck held her hand. “Can you feel Aleck holding your hand?” She blinked twice. 

“That’s good enough for now, princess. Get some rest.” She closed her eyes, and I already found Aleck looking at me. We continued watching her sleep. She didn’t wake up for the remainder of the night. The next morning, we told Marcella of the improvement, and she said that was good. We were having breakfast, and Aleck was quiet. 

“Aleck, we need to talk about this.” 

He put his coffee down and looked at me. “What do you want me to say, Dean? I never knew she felt that way. Even back in college, she hinted that she was a lesbian, so I never thought about it. So many years, and she hid that side of her. Macy wants you; Rea wants me, and we want Layla. Where does that put Layla? It puts her in the center of this fucking shit and makes her their target because those two fucked–up bitches decided to team up.” He said. He threw the coffee cup into the wall. 

Hilda ran into the kitchen; I just shook my head, and she left. I kept looking at him. He wasn’t wrong. “Then we do more to protect her.” 

“What happens when she finds out why Rea did it?” he said, and I knew the minute she was better she would run if she found out. 

“Then we tell her now. She can’t run, can she?” I said, looking at him. 

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