𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 ❷

𝟐𝟓. ✭ 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 ✭

Luke paces angrily in front of me, pinching the bridge of his nose while listening to whatever the person on the other end of the line is saying. "He'll be fine though? You're sure of it?" Malyssa and Denver are watching him in the same manner, faces a mirror image of concern. "Yes, I understand, but how bad was it?" He curses under his breath after another moment. "Right. Okay. Thank you, doctor." He hangs up the phone and pockets it. Staring at the wall for a moment before regarding the three of us. "Torey is in the hospital again."

"What?!"

"Why?!"

"He had another episode, didn't he?" All of their eyes are on me.

"Yes." Luke confirms. "This time he didn't hurt anyone else though, just himself." I close my eyes and blow out a frustrated breath. Torey feels out of control. When Torey feels out of control he does stupid shit. Like hurt people or, in this case, himself. "How did you know?"

I just give him a small shrug with, "your son feels powerless. He has no control. Not to mention the fact that he is extremely possessive. The thought of Dani potentially doing certain things with a man that he himself trained," I cringe at the thought, "that cannot be sitting too well with him. He can't cope therefore he explodes, projecting his internal rage." A smile tugs at Luke's lips while Denver's brows are nearly touching his hairline and Malyssa eyes me thoughtfully. "What?"

"It always surprises me how well you know my son." Malyssa glances over to Luke and they have that silent communication between themselves that they tend to. Luke nods slightly which has Malyssa looking back at me. "What do you think about going back to Vegas for a bit?"

"Without Dani and Wolf? Absolutely not." Torey would fucking kill me if I returned without them.

"We are stuck between a rock and a hard place here, Brooks, and you know it. We've got a month before we can launch another attack on the compound." Luke walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You are probably the only person who can get through to Torey right now. The longer we are all away the more stir-crazy he will get and who knows what he'll get into next, especially after he hears how long we have to wait. Please, we can figure out this end of things for the next while. He needs you."

I purse my lips and look between the three of them with a resigned shake of the head. "You do realize that he is probably going to flip the fuck out at me first before anything else, right?" Luke takes a few steps back as he contemplates my words. "I might even make the situation worse," I add.

"Doubtful." Denver chimes in which has my brow furrowing. "Oh come on, Brooks. I saw the footage of Torey storming into the guest house before we left. He didn't leave until the next morning." His tone held implication.

"It was an uneventful evening. I slept on the couch." Nothing but sleep had happened.

"It's the reason why he was there in the first place. That's what I am referring to." They knew that Adriana had brought someone home, I'd informed them of the woman, but they also knew that I had not. So what he was trying to imply I'm not quite sure. "Oh please, you may know my son but he is my son. You said it yourself, Torey is possessive of the things he considers his, which also includes people— you."

"He could've been there to yell at me for letting Adriana bring someone home." I counter.

"He could've been but that wasn't the reason, was it?"

"No. Your point?"

"My point is that my son may be confused about the way he feels about you but not about you. He is possessive of you and you know why that is, even if he doesn't." I cross my arms over my chest and look away from him feeling like Denver's words are horse shit. "You know I'm right." As much as a part of me would like to believe that I don't actually believe it. I care for Torey, yes, that is true. I am aware of that. Torey actually giving a fuck about me in manner that isn't out of selfishness, not so much.