Chapter 241 241

Chapter 241 241
Nat

"Did you find him?" Maya's voice broke my train of thought and I turned to see her hurrying towards us from the room where the nurse had just entered. Worry was etched on her features as she looked from me to Elias, then her gaze fell on Noah and she went still. "Oh."
Again, guilt twisted in my gut and I found it hard to meet her eyes. Even though we'd talked and I still couldn't help but feel responsible for keeping the truth from my best friend, which had put her and my godchildren in danger again.
What's worse, it felt like everything had changed in our relationship. And yes, that was my fault.
Elias crossed the foyer in a few long strides and wrapped her in his arms like she was the only thing holding him together. It was raw and quiet, and intimate in a way that made me look away for a second.
"You okay?" I heard him murmur, as he dropped a kiss on top of her head.
"Yeah, the twins are settling in okay too." Maya replied, then she glanced at me over her husband's shoulder and smiled and I felt my own lips stretch in an answering smile.
Maybe we would be okay. Once we dealt with this mess with Cam and eliminated the threat, maybe I could feel free of guilt.
The shuffle of feet had me glancing towards where Noah stood, flanked by Dex and Jack. He was staring at Maya like he was trying to will her to look at him. His expression was tight with guilt, mouth twitching like he wanted to say something. "Maya -"
Elias didn't even look back. "Don't talk to her."
That was all it took. He kept one hand protectively on her back, and led her towards the nursery. The message was clear.
You lost the right to speak to her.
I saw Maya look over her shoulder—just for a second. Her eyes met mine again, and in them I saw gratitude, exhaustion… and resolve. I gave her a small nod, then turned away before I could do something stupid like cry.
Noah looked frozen, stuck between shame and whatever leftover delusion he had about forgiveness. Too late.
Dex clapped a firm hand on his shoulder. "Alright, emo boy. Shed time."
In desperate need of a distraction, I didn't wait to be invited. "I'm coming with."
Dex raised a brow. "Oh good. You can watch me work. Might be impressed."
I rolled my eyes and fell into step beside him as we walked toward a small path that wound around the side of the mansion. "I've seen you work, Dex. Your version of interrogation is mostly yelling, bad jokes, and unnecessary shirt removal."
He laughed, unapologetic. "Hey, the yelling works. And the shirt thing is for ventilation."
"Uh-huh."
The 'shed' turned out to be the poolhouse, and from the looks of it, it had recently been given a cursory cleaning, with most of the furniture still covered with dust covers and shoved to one side. On the 'cleaner' side, a single chair and a table filled with what Dex liked to call his 'playthings.'
As soon as we stepped inside, the air shifted. It was quiet. Heavy. Noah looked around and swallowed hard.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, letting my voice drop cold. "Welcome to confession hour, Noah."
Dex shut the door behind us with a soft click. Then he placed a heavy hand on Noah's shoulder and forced him onto the chair.
"Start talking."



Elias

The sun was too bright for a morning like this. It should have been cold and overcast outside, to match the mood in the car. The driver pulled up in front of the FBI building and I turned to Maya, who was sitting beside me, uncharacteristically quiet, her attention fixed on the screen of the ipad, which displayed live video feed of the nursery.
She worried her lower lip between her teeth, her shoulders rigid, arms crossed tightly across her stomach as though she were trying to hold herself together by sheer will alone. She was lost in her thoughts, not realizing that we'd stopped moving.
"Maya," I said softly, reaching for her hand. She flinched for a moment, then quickly recovered, cheeks flushing as her gaze flickered down to our hands as I threaded my fingers through hers and squeezed lightly. "We're here."
Her mouth formed an 'o' as she glanced out the window in confusion. "I didn't notice the car stop." She turned to me, her gaze as heavy as storm clouds. "Sorry, my mind was…she glanced down at the ipad on her lap and sighed, the sound heavy and carried a wealth of troubles.
"I hate being away from the twins," she murmured, idly stroking the screen with her free hand. "Even for a few hours. I just… I know they're doing better, but…"
I nodded reassuringly. "I know it's the first time you're away from them for more than a few minutes. It's okay to worry, babe. But they'll be okay." I reminded her gently. "They're doing so much better now and you saw Kelsey grab your finger this morning. Don't forget how Kayley glared at the nurse like she was ready to throw hands."
A small laugh escaped her lips. "She did look pissed at being woken up to eat."
"There you go," I smiled, brushing my thumb along the back of her hand. "Our daughters are fierce and a tad too dramatic."
She chuckled and visibly relaxed, then scooted closer and leaned into me, letting her head rest against my shoulder. She soon sobered and I felt her tense up again. ""I'm not sure I can do this, Elias."
I gently brushed hair off her face and raised her chin so she could look at me. "You don't have to do anything. If you've changed your mind about giving the statement, just say the word and we'll leave this place immediately."
She was quiet for a moment as she considered her options. I waited patiently, ready to support whatever choice she made. I knew she dreaded having to relieve the harrowing experience of her abduction once again, to have to remember the helplessness, desperation and despair she felt during those dark times was enough trauma to last a lifetime.
"I'm really tempted to leave," Maya admitted with a sigh. She straightened and looked down at the screen once more and her jaw firmed in determination. "But I won't. Our babies deserve justice and I'll do it for them."
"And I'll be there with you the whole time. I promise."
She tilted her head back and looked up at me, her eyes shining. "I don't know how you always know what I need, but… thank you."
I cupped her cheek and bent down, brushing my lips against hers. "I'm the lucky one, Maya. Don't ever forget that."