133 Chapter 2.54

ASHER POV

When Elijah called me, I felt my heart race as I knew Will was leaving today. Did something happen? God, did decide not to go? I quickly answered.

"Hey," I said hesitantly, "everything okay?"

Elijah sighed deeply, "could we meet up? Just you, Hunter, and me."

"Please tell me he made it and didn't go back to that Alpha."

Elijah's pause freaked me out, "he and the kids made it to their flight. They should be arriving and going to my friend's place soon."

"Then what's this about?"

"We can't talk about it now. It needs to be in person. Can you meet me at my place tomorrow morning at 9? Hunter said he can make it but we can change it if it doesn't work for you."

"Yeah, I'll be there."

I was relieved later that night when I went to Hunter's house and got to see Will. He called Cam on Facetime and seemed stressed and tired, but safe and well.

When I woke up in the morning, I quickly got dressed before heading out to my car. I nervously rushed over to Elijah's place with every terrifying possibility flashing through my mind. It had to be bad if we couldnt talk about it and had to meet so quickly. Something is really wrong, I know it.

I was relieved to see Hunter's car was already there and I raced inside. Elijah and Hunter were in the living room, waiting while drinking bourbon.

"Make yourself at home." Elijah insisted as he poured another glass of bourbon and handed it to me. I sat beside Hunter on a large couch that Elijah sat across from in a chair. "Sorry for the short notice, but I need your help."

"Why just us?" Hunter asked before taking a drink.

Elijah's jaw clenched, "I don't want to involve any of you, but I need both of you. You know him best and he has confided in you before."

"You're starting to freak me out. What the hell happened? You said Will and the kids were okay."

Elijah sighed deeply, "you asked if they made their flight. They did."

"So they're not okay?" Hunter asked with a gulp, "I know he wouldn't let the kids get hurt. So Will got hurt?"

"Sir!" A woman suddenly stated as she rushed over to Elijah with a stack of paper, "they just came through."

Elijah took them with a nod, "thanks Bridget." The woman left and I saw a deep frown come to Elijah. He scanned the papers and his face turned darker with each page. He slammed them down on the table and hung his head while pulling his fingers through his hair.

"Spit it out, Elijah!" Hunter growled and Elijah looked to us.

"Let me explain what happened." He took a few breaths to calm himself, "yesterday morning the kids suddenly showed up at my door with the boys. They were beyond panicked but refused to tell me what was going on." He sighed, "I finally forced it out of Chase that Jayden suddenly showed up at their place. Will told them to take the kids and rush over to me."

"They left Will alone with him?!"

"They didn't have a choice!" Elijah yelled back at me, "they had to keep the kids calm or it could've made the situation even worse!"

"So they talked and Jayden gave up?"

Elijah looked to Hunter with pain, "Jayden attacked Will."

We both shot to our feet, "what?!"

Elijah looked to the floor, "he raped him until Will passed out." We both stared at him in anger and fear, "he was able to run to a friend's house that called me while we were already on our way to get him. We barely made the flight, but they did make it."

The doorbell rang and Elijah rushed out of the room. Hunter and I slowly sat back down and waited for him to return.

A woman hesitantly came into the room and glanced to us. "Hunter and Asher, right?"

I nodded with confusion and watched her sit in a chair next to Elijah. "This is Marie," Elijah stated quietly. "She's the one that helped Will."

I heard her gulp and saw tears welling in her eyes, "have you heard from him? Are they okay?"

Elijah nodded, "I talked to him when they were on the way to my friend's home."

"We got to see Will and the twins last night when he called Cam, our friend."

"They didn't keep him at the hospital?!" My heart stopped and I felt like I couldnt breath. "He went there, right?"

Elijah leaned forward and picked up the papers but kept them in his lap. "He did."

"And his neck? They stitched it up, right?"

"28 stitches."

"Elijah!" Hunter hissed, "what did he do to Will?! He needed stitches from a rape?!"

I saw the women's hand go to the back of her neck as she shivered, "he bit Will so hard that he nearly took out part of his neck."

Elijah glanced to us as Hunter threw himself back to sit on the couch in anger. "I'm putting together a police report for Will. We are trying to get Jayden arrested for rape and a restraining order." He took a hard breath, "the hospital he went to took an extensive report and involved the local police in filing it. My attorney is taking care of it and just sent me the hospital report. His attack was much worse than he let us know."

Marie began crying and put her head in her hands, "how can it be worse than what we saw?! What kind of monster is that man?!"

Elijah looked to us, "I think you two need to know everything so you can help if they need statements to how long Jayden has been hurting Will."

I stood and put my hand out toward Elijah. He reluctantly handed over the papers. I sat and handed some to Hunter. I began looking them over as I sat down.

My stomach turned as I looked to the pictures. His neck bitten, his chest bruised and battered, and his wrists sprained and multiple colors. Words stood out as I skimmed the document: raped, beaten, restrained, emaciated, oxygen deprivation...

I threw the papers on the ground as hard as I could. "HE GAVE UP HIS LIFE FOR HIM!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I paced the room, "Will gave up his world to make their relationship work for the kids!" I whipped around the glare at Elijah, "HE NEARLY KILLED WILL! Just because he wanted to leave! He didn't want the kids to know the monster their father truly was!" I went back and sat down as I fought not to cry, "raping him at least twice to produce 3 kids... using their bond to tie him down... and to say he loves Will?! He doesn't know what love is!"

"That is why I tried to send him back to you. I knew this would happen. It's in his DNA and in his upbringing. He fooled Will and those kids, luckily Will is stronger than anyone else."

Hunter slammed the papers down, "that man nor anyone else will EVER hold Will back. He is stronger than that Alpha knows if he thought he could force Will to stay."

Marie wiped her face and sighed, "I should've realized it sooner. I let him down."

Elijah shook his head with a sad smile, "you gave him a friend that could truly understand him and support him when the rest couldn't."

She glanced to me, "he's sending people out to search for him."

Elijah huffed, "he can look all he wants. Will his himself for 6 years successfully without any help. With my financial support, he can do anything and that man won't find him. I will make sure of it."

"So what do we need to do to help get him arrested?"

Elijah looked to Hunter, "I need you to both prepare written statements about any violence towards Will you witnessed Jayden inflict. I have the video, so Cam won't need to provide a statement."

"Can I send it to you? I need to cool my head before I do anything else." Hunter said as he stood and Elijah nodded. Hunter patted my shoulder before leaving the house.

"I'm can't just sit and let him go through this. Not alone."

"He has my friends to support him. I made sure he wasn't alone."

"He needs a friend. Someone who he trusts." I gulped back my fears, "he needs one of us. And I'm the only one that could just get up and leave. I have staff at each of my bars that can take over and I've always thought of expanding."

"If that's what you want, I'll support you."

"Then I need to get on a flight. For his sake."