Rescuing Their Virgin Mate(48)
Dirk halted. “Would that be so bad?”
No. “Yes. I need time. Promise me you won’t visit until I call.”
He winced and his hands clenched. “We’ll respect your wishes.”
The pain racing across his face cut her deep. “Thanks.” She averted her gaze. Her stomach hurt, and she fought back the tears.
Clay must have sensed her despair and pulled open the front door. “Dirk. Come on. Let’s leave the lady alone.”
Lady? Not our mate? Her insides almost bled.
As soon as they left, she rushed to the window. Once they were out of sight, the sobs came. She grabbed her stomach and sat on the sofa. Even the silence in the house seemed to mock her. What had she done?
#
Clay slapped the dashboard. “I don’t like it.”
Dirk glanced over at him as he turned right onto Jackson Street. “Like I do?”
“I meant, I don’t like leaving her there alone. You sensed the shifter when we were at the storage unit.”
“A lot of workers are shifters. Doesn’t mean he’s a Colter or associated with Hood.”
Maybe he was overreacting and looking for an excuse to go back and kidnap her for real. “True.” He pulled out his phone. “I’m calling Trax to see if any of the men have a beat on Hood.”
With Hood at large, there was no telling if he held a grudge against her or not. The man they’d captured mentioned Hood knew that he and Dirk had been undercover. That made things worse.
“Call the general. Maybe some of the men are spilling their guts, looking for a deal.”
“I doubt that. Since when have you known the general to cut any deals?”
“They don’t know that.”
“Harvey Couch’s death crippled their organization. If Hood goes down, the Colters will feel real pain. No one’s going to say anything.”
“I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me, too.”
#
Elena put away her few belongings and then spent at least four hours searching not only for a possible apartment, but for job openings. Her skills were limited. If her family had money while she was growing up, she would have gone to college. Law had always fascinated her, which might be why she enjoyed Janice so much. Several companies were advertising for paralegals, but even if she had the money now, it would take a long time to earn a certification.
She dropped her head in her hands. Here she thought being locked in a cage was bad. She swore the pain in her heart now was worse. Torn between her family beliefs and what she wanted was a no win situation.
Maybe some food and a glass of wine would give her clarity. The jetted tub in Janice’s master bath would soothe a lot of aches, but she wanted to ask permission first. After two slices of pizza and a glass of wine, she dropped onto the sofa and clicked on the television.
Even though one of her favorite shows was on, she couldn’t concentrate. She loved both Clay and Dirk. They both wanted her and she wanted them. She should call them back and say she wanted to be with them. But first, she needed to tell her mom.
She clicked off the tube and dialed. Her pulse soared and her pits sweated. The phone rang forever before her mom picked up.
“Hello?”
“It’s me again, Momma.”
“Elena. Something wrong?”
“No.” She rolled the bottom of her shirt into a wad. “I have a confession to make, and I pray you will forgive me.” With her free hand, she made the sign of the cross.
“Tell me.” Those two words were fraught with censure.
Here goes. “I fell in love with the men who saved me.”
Silence met her. “Did you have sex?”
She would focus on the sex part and not on the fact she fell in love with two men. Lying would not help. “Yes. With both men.”
“Lord in heaven, forgive your soul. Why, Elena, why?” The strangled cry that followed tore out her heart. Damning her soul was one thing, but crushing her mother was another.
“Maybe I’m weak. Or maybe I believed this is the right thing for me. I’m happy, Momma, for the first time in my life.”
“Do they love you?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“God would not approve. Two men? What were you thinking? This can’t end well.”
She swiped the tears from her cheek. “In Gulfside, many women are with two men.” Perhaps she exaggerated, but she had nothing else to offer.
“I’m disappointed in you. I brought you up better.”
Being disappointed was better than being destroyed or suicidal. “I know, Momma. I’m sorry.”
Lights flashed across the living room window. She tensed then returned her attention to the conversation.
“I’m not sure you should come home for a while,” her mother said.