All three men were now silently watching Claire. Waiting for her to begin an explanation they assumed would be a complicated one for her to give. And as soon as she began to do so, their assumptions were proven to be correct.
"The Phoenix Clan has deeper roots into this country than most realize." She gazed over them as she spoke. "And as you all already know, dealing with the type of group that has the amount of money, resources and connections that they do, isn't something easy to achieve. Especially when you're on the receiving side of their violent hatred." They were giving her their full attention without interruption, so she continued. "As smart and capable as my group and I may seem, our conflicts with the clan are much more grave and complex than meets the eye."
'Isn't that an understatement.' Aiden sarcastically thought to himself as he watched her skillfully avoid mentioning any sensitive information about herself. She truly was something else.
"And because of that, we can't simply go head to head with them. Not without careful planning anyway." She paused for a moment before she continued. "Look, I know you guys think of me as mysterious and even suspicious." Her eyes landed on Jacob as she said so. "But if you need to be sure of something, be sure that the main reason behind the way my team and I do things is because we want to be completely ready to take them on. Without risking major casualties on our part. " Looking down to the tea inside her mug, her voice turned somewhat softer. "I'm done with seeing people I know being left to look like the images you saw earlier in the meeting room."
A brief silence washed over them as they all reflected on what they saw. Making both Lucas and Jacob better understand, that whatever her reasons for being how she was, was surely well founded and justified. Regardless of them not knowing all of the details to her story. And if they were to guess by the images they had seen, it was likely beyond just bloody.
"I'm not foolish enough to expect you all to simply stay put and let my team and I deal with them as we see fit. But I do hope that your newly found fury towards them can be held at bay for now." She continued as they all focused on her. They could easily tell that the act of her asking that, wasn't at all easy. She didn't exactly look like the "help me because I'm hopeless" type. "I can assure you that you will not be excluded from our planning. But if you take matters into your own hands and exact your vengeance, or whatever else you have in mind, my people will not be able to truly be free of their ties with them. And frankly speaking, neither will I." While saying so, her eyes had slowly started to show signs of deep emotions. A mixture of true sincerity and vulnerability.
Even though her words were somewhat collected and restrained, her eyes did all the pleading needed to convince them. And soon as Aiden saw her beautiful forest eyes do so, he cared very little as to what she, or his men, thought about what the proper sitting etiquette was in a situation like that.
Without saying a word, he stood up and gently took the mug out of her hands. After softly pressing his hand on her back to force her out of her seat, he took her place. Only to quickly make her sit on his lap. It was so swift, that Claire only realized what he truly wanted to achieve once he gave her back the mug and was already preciously placed on his lap.
Yet another sudden silence fell over them. But this one, only lasted a few seconds before Lucas and Jacob both burst into laughter at the same time. It was as if Aiden had decided to be the comical relief right in the middle of a very tense moment.
"Are you serious right now Bro?" Lucas asked as he placed his own mug on the table. He feared he would spill it thanks to not being able to stop laughing.
"I knew you were clingy Aiden." Jacob said between wheezing. "But that's just too much. Let the poor girl breath."
Their contagious laughter started to make Claire giggle. Aiden on the other hand, did not find his actions funny at all. Making his serious face only add fuel to their amusement.
"It's okay." Claire said as she leaned back into his embrace with her lips stretched out into a smile. "I don't mind at all."
Aiden only tightened his grip around her waist and smirked. "Sucks to be jealous huh?" He said in an almost proud tone while looking at his still laughing brothers.
They continued to laugh as the tension in the air continued to dissipate. Bringing nothing but relief to Claire.
----------------------------------
Colton was standing by the door as he waited for Anna to come out. Neither of them had left the meeting room. Seeing as Anna decided to stay behind, Colton promptly did the same. He knew the only reason for her to do so was to shut herself inside the empty interrogation room in the back and cry by herself. So he simply sent the two stand by technicians out with the rest and patiently stood guard by the door. Something Anna was completely unaware of.
She had already been inside the room for half an hour, which made Colton's unease increase and make him feel even more grim. Thanks to their relationship being as strained as it could possibly be, he didn't want to make it worse by barging in. Anna was never the kind of person to freely spill out her feelings. And trying to force his way into her private moment, just to comfort her, was a sure way to piss her off. A lesson he had learned the hard way. So he simply resigned himself to lean on the wall and feel as if the minutes that passed by were in fact hours.
Sure enough, his patience was rewarded some time later when he heard the locked door click. Glancing over to it, he saw Anna slowly come out of the room while looking down at the floor. Not noticing he was there. Only after taking a few deep breaths did she look up. Immediately realizing she wasn't alone. And although she tried, it was too late to pretend like she was completely composed. He had already seen her.
Her eyes were still moist from her successful attempt to hold back the tears, her cheeks were slightly flushed and her lips were tugged down into a sad frown that made her look heartbroken. Something that Colton knew she actually was.
"I'm sorry." He said after they stared at each other in silence for a few moments. His voice seemingly soft and caring.
"There's nothing for you to apologize about." She replied in a dismissive tone as she walked passed him. In a few steps, she reached the metal table in the middle of the room and picked up her tablet. Ignoring Colton's obvious staring.
"You're wrong." He continued to say as he watched her. She purposely gave his back to him as she tapped away on the screen. "There's actually a lot I should apologize for. But right now, I'm not apologizing because of something that I did." And at that, he saw her fingers stop whatever they were doing. It was only for a brief second, but he caught it.
"Like I said." She answered in a drier and almost irritated voice. "There is nothing to apologize for. So drop it." Her demeanor was that of somebody obviously trying to cut the conversation short. But Colton knew. He knew when to push and when to pull when it came to her. Earlier he pulled away to give her privacy. But now? Now was time to push.
"I'm sorry Anna." His voice was still smooth and calm. It was more than evident that her sharp tongue was doing absolutely nothing to his resolve.
Anna's eyebrow twitched at the mention of her name. It was one of the many buttons he would push to make her determination waver. And one of the most powerful ones too.
"I told you to stop." Her voice was almost mad now as she gripped the tablet in her hands. She couldn't afford to let her emotions take up any more of her time. Especially when she knew there were things to do. And more importantly, when she also knew that she wouldn't be able to regain her composure so easily in front of him. But before she could even refocus on work, she involuntarily shivered thanks to his voice being directly in her ear.
"I'm sorry Anna." Colton had quietly made his way towards her and was now right behind her. He felt her tremble when he spoke. Making him certain that she was conscious of their closeness. "I'm so sorry that you had to relive it today." He knew she wouldn't need further explanation as to what he meant. After all, when everybody was watching the bloody photographs on the TV monitors during the meeting, he could only look at her. At her broken expression. At her eyes. Which were the windows into her very soul. A weeping soul.
Anna felt her legs begin to shake as she shut her eyes. She had managed to regain her self control in the interrogation room by forcing the images out of her head. Out of her thoughts.
But it would never be truly possible. Not when they weren't just simple pictures. Not when in reality, they were memories. Memories of the worst day of her life.
Colton gently took the tablet out of her hands. She was gripping it so tightly, that her knuckles had already begun to turn white. Just as he did, he heard the first sniffle. Followed by another, and another. A pattern that continued until the first definite sob came out of her. Making him step to her side and lean on the table. He looked at her closed eyes while he leaned his crutch on the edge of the table as well. And as soon as she felt his warm palm on her cheek, she opened her eyes. Letting the held back waterfall finally come crashing down.
He pulled her into his arms without any kind of resistance. And although she didn't wrap her own arms around him, she buried her face into his chest. Letting herself silently cry and be comforted by him for the first time in years.
----------------
"Look at her. Isn't she too adorable? It should be illegal." Lucas said as he grinned.
After their conversation at the sleeping quarters, which ended after their outburst of laughter, the group decided to continue the good mood by paying Lily a visit. The same little flower who was currently inside her classroom with her private teacher. Completely unaware of the two grown men peeking at her through the small space created by the open door.
"You sound like a creep Lucas." Jacob replied while also peeking at the little red head. Other than at the cafeteria, he hadn't had the chance to see interact with her. But he could already tell why everybody was so smitten.
"Illegal I say." Lucas responded as the two bickered in hushed tones. They didn't want their voices to be heard by the very focused student inside.
Claire chuckled at the scene before her. Both Lucas and Jacob were slightly struggling to get a better look at her little flower through the slightly opened door, while neither of them realizing how ridiculous they both looked from where she stood. Her silly Lily really hand a way of wrapping people around her tiny little fingers. It was almost a talent.
"Stop it. Both of you." Aiden's commanding tone was heard. He was standing close to Claire as he too saw his men making fools of themselves. Not that he could truly judge them. His Princess was indeed too adorable not to want to look at constantly. But she was in class. And the two idiots in front of him were getting louder by the second. "You'll end up catching her attention."
And just as he finished saying that, Lucas burst the classroom door open without a second thought. Making everybody, both inside and in the hallway, immediately draw their attention towards him.
"Hey Kiddo!" He said as he confidently strolled over towards her. Lily hadn't even noticed the noise they had all been making until Lucas loudly yelled out. She was initially somewhat startled, seeing as she wasn't expecting it, but as soon as she saw his face, her lips broke out into a bright smile.
'Uncle Lucas!' She quickly signed with excitement before she got up from the floor. She had been sitting on the rug with her teacher. After that, she reached her arms up towards him for him to lift her up.
And although Claire and Aiden were used to the bubbly dynamic between the two, Jacob and the teacher were not. Especially the teacher, who was now looking up at Lucas with an astonished expression on her face.
'How come you're in my classroom?' Lily asked while smiling. She was thrilled with the idea of showing her classroom to so many new people. Or better said, to her newly accepted, trustworthy people.
"The meeting I was in was sooo boring. So I decided to come see you instead. I know you missed me to-" Lucas'response was cut short when the woman sitting on the floor made herself heard.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Jasmine asked as she too got up from the floor. Her expression was now one of concern instead of surprise. And although her tone was sharp, it was the last thing Lucas was taking notice of.