The Wild

-18- Friendly Faces

Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.

Bennet parked discretely among the trees after John came out of the house looking happier than I'd ever seen him. He directed the truck to go beside the house, and as soon as we were out, Mary tackled her son with hugs and kisses, cooing and clucking over Bennet's wounded eye. Amaya nearly took me down when she hugged me, crying hysterically over how worried she was.

She leapt onto Bennet's back after that and clung there until we were inside and he let her down on the sofa. After that, he got a real hug from her, ignoring her sobbing and complaints on the shape of his eye. Mary had her hands over her mouth when she came up to me, eyes red with tears and cheeks pink. I buried myself against her, feeling overwhelmed with joy to be in her motherly embrace. I probably could have just stood there in her arms and forgotten that I was twenty again.

From the corner of my eye I caught sight of Bennet kissing Amaya's cheek, and I don't think I'd ever felt so much happiness from witnessing a cheek-kiss before. I just wanted to put my face in a pillow and scream, and then throw it at them so we could get back on topic.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to prevent this," John apologized to us, me specifically. "If there was a way to stop him from taking you two-"

"They didn't hurt us much. I kept Tyler away from Bennet as best I could," I jumped in. "Don't beat yourself up about it. We're here now."

"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry about everything! I feel like had I told you and Amaya sooner, it never would have happened," Mary gushed, taking both of my hands in hers and kissing them repeatedly, still crying as she scurried over to Bennet and took both Amaya and him into a group hug.

"How long have you guys been here?" I asked, wondering if their tracking skills were as accurate as they said.

"Not long. When we got here, we weren't sure how long it'd be until they found the cabin so we spent an hour setting them off our tracks," Amaya said, looking to John for approval. He nodded, agreeing with her.

"How?"

"We left a few things out in the open at the shop to throw him off. We dug up an old picture of Mary and I with her husband and Tyler when he was little, to make him think whatever and delay his leave of the shop. Mary left a note above the door-"

"That basically saved our lives," I snorted with a smile. "Bennet and I found it and gave it to Brian to give to Tyler, and while he was gone we locked ourselves in the house and escaped through the attic."

"Well how 'bout that?" Mary perked up, grinning so wide I feared her face might split in half. "I told you the note was a good idea!" she snapped at John, who folded his arms over his broad, barrel chest and raised an eyebrow at her. She stood up to him with her hands on her hips and her nose wrinkled up. Amaya rolled her eyes and whispered something to Bennet, who laughed and nudged her in the side.

"Where's Brad?" I interrupted.

"We're holding him until we decide to leave. We've tied him up in the bathroom tub--he's sleeping I think," Amaya said, glancing at the door that remained partially open. I debated checking up on him, and after small chitchat with Bennet's parents, Mary started fussing over his eye again and urging him to let her clean it. I asked John for permission to see Brad, and he reluctantly agreed, but stood outside the door while I entered the bathroom.

The rope tied around his wrists was secured around the base of the toilet, and gave him enough wriggle room to walk the length of the bathroom and back. I noticed the mirror had been removed and stored outside the room, and really all that was in the bathroom was what was built into it.