Her Angels (The Roses, Book 2) Completed

18. Michael

I had listened to mom and Eve through the monitor on the kitchen table, until dad came in and sent the girls up, telling us to turn it off for now.
I knew we should, but still felt shaken up about how close we had come to losing her, and hearing her voice helped, but we did as instructed.
The house phone ringing made us all jump a little as we sat in silence thinking of the events of the day.
"Mrs Carstairs" Dad greeted after he said hello.
We watched and listened as he outlined what had happened to Eve, and Gabe growled when dad told her he could not take the phone to her, as she was sleeping, but he would ask her to phone them tomorrow. We waited as he asked when they would be arriving and his expression told us the answer before his curt reply told us his feelings about their response, he informed them he would take care of Eve and would refer everything else to the Carstairs solicitor in town, we could see his struggle to stay polite as he ended the call after telling them to contact him if they needed any more information.
"They're not coming ?" Lo asked him when he sat back down with us.
"It appears not, the police have contacted them about the break in and assault, I think they just believe she was locked in the cupboard, not anything more, we will see if they change their minds tomorrow, but I'm not letting her go back to that house. If they want it cleared they can hire a service to do it"
Gabe nods "she has already cleared her own room, minus the furniture so she has nothing more to take from the house, did you know about the car her father told her to use?" He told them.
"No, why" dad Luc asked.
"No tax, bald tyre, no insurance, no MOT, but he told her it was okay for her to use and she believed him."
They looked stunned "where is it now?" they asked.
"We left it in the garage at the house when we saw it earlier"
"Did you tell her why"
"Yes, she tried to pass it off as he didn't know but she's not stupid and just doesn't want to admit the truth"

"Boys, you won't need the monitor tonight" Mom said from the doorway as she joined us.
"Why?" Gabe asked reaching for it but dad got there first.
"The girls are all sleeping in with her tonight, she wants them there and it will help her feel safe" she tells us.
"But..." Lo starts only to be cut off by mom "go up and say goodnight, while the girls are getting ready, "support only boys, you hear me"
"Yes mom" we all chorus together, heading up to her room.
Jo was just coming out as we knocked, "go on in" she instructed us, calling back to warn Eve we were there.
Eve was sat up in the bed, pillows piled up around her, she looked so delicate, so tiny and I wanted to grab her and take her to our rooms and keep her safe, I knew my brothers were feeling the same.
Gabe reached her first, sitting down on the edge of the bed he pulled her into a gentle hug, kissing her forehead and whispering to her, making her blush, before another kiss to the cheek and he pulled back to let Lo reach her.
Lo held her hands in his and rested his forehead against hers carefully avoiding the bruising, his gentle kiss on the end of her nose had a small giggle coming from her, before he too whispered in her ear then moved back.
I stepped forward my hands curling into fists, this was not how our evening should have gone, her eyes lifted to mine and I saw her emotions, I knelt on the floor at the edge of the bed and brought her hands to my lips, kissing each wrist on the pulse point, looking up into her beautiful face, "if you need anything, you call us, at any time, promise me" I tell her softly watching her face.
"Promise me" I order her, growling softly as her eyes dilated.
"Yes sir, I promise" she whispered, her pulse racing.
I rose to my feet and leaned over her to kiss the top of her head gently.
"That's our good girl" I whispered back, smiling at her indrawn gasp, knowing I was repeating words she had used frequently in her novel.
The girls were watching from the door as we moved back from the bed stepping aside to let us leave before rushing back in and shutting us out.
Lo slapped my back and we followed Gabe back to our rooms, I was ready for today to be over.