She sat back in her chair and laughed. “I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you would. Besides, how do you fit that into a casual conversation? ‘I’m really looking forward to the spring so I can start holding classes outside, and by the way, how awkward is it that Dante’s in love with you?’”
I threw my hands back over my face and groaned. “This can’t be happening. I don’t need added drama right now.”
“I know. But seriously, how awkward is it that Dante’s in love with you?”
Removing my hands from my face, I took my pillow and threw it at her. “I should smack you, you know.”
Dee hugged my pillow and rested her chin on it. “You wouldn’t hurt little ol’ me.” She sighed and tilted her head. “Oh, what a horrible life you have, Emmie. All these men, swooning over you, willing to die for you. It must be dreadful to be so beautiful.”
“Give me back my pillow.” I glared at her and until she gave in and handed it back. I set it back on the bed, giving it a little fluff in the process. Resting my head back down on it, I looked at her. “You know, it wasn’t awkward before because I obviously didn’t pick up on it. But now it will be. How can I look at him now?” I gave her a half-smile. “And you’re even more beautiful than I am. So are Tina and Vivica. All three of you have men swooning for you.”
She took my hand. “I just wish my swooning man would propose already. I’m dying over here! It’s agonizing. Does he realize what he’s putting me through? We’ve been exclusively dating for a year now. He’s told me he loves me. He talks about our future all the time. I know mini Will’s and Dee’s are in that said future of his.”
My smile grew. “Dee, Will is one of the shiest guys we know. Give him a break. He’s probably just building up the courage.”
“Could you maybe say something to him?” She looked at me eagerly, squeezing my hand. “Like, he’d better propose soon, or I'll beat the crap out of him? Oh, and it better be romantic like Eric’s proposal.”
“I have no idea how Will could top what Eric did.” I twisted my ring, my smile somehow getting even bigger. “It was downright amazing.”
She sighed. “I know. He’s ruined everything for all the other guys out there in the world.”
I was about to say something when my mom’s voice came out of the communication device. I took it out of my pocket. “Hey, Mom.” Somehow, I was finding it a little bit easier to talk to her each time we talked.
“Hi Emmie,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be up this early, but I thought I’d try.”
“I couldn’t sleep.” I finally forced myself to sit up in my bed. Dee moved my pillow up against the wall so I could lean my back on it. I smiled and mouthed, “Thank you.”
“Me either,” my mom said. “It’s hard to sleep when you’re under stress.”
Lifting the bottom of my shirt, I checked the bandage covering my wound. “Or after you’ve been stabbed. I don’t recommend doing that. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.”
My mom’s gasp surprised me. I’d forgotten I hadn’t told her about that. Whoops. Her voice came out high and shrill. “When did you get stabbed? Who did it?”
I looked over at Dee, but she just shrugged. How much could I tell my mom? I wasn’t even sure if I fully trusted her yet. “Um, it happened just the other day at Kingsland.”
“Are you alright?” She sounded concerned and panicked.
“I should live. I just need to take it easy. I lost a lot of blood.”
“Oh, Emmie,” she said. “I wish I could be there with you right now. But, hey, you’ll be leaving to come here soon, right? We’re set up in the medical trade school building, so we’ll have everything you’ll need.”
Dee looked at me, shocked. “You’re going back to River Springs?”
“Is that Dee?” my mom asked.
“Yes,” Dee said. “Hi, Mrs. Woodard.” She flinched after she said the name.
“Please call me Janice.” My mom sounded amused.
“Sorry about that,” Dee said. “I wasn’t sure what to call you. That came out faster than I’d wanted it too.”
I was surprised by Dee’s candor, but my mom just laughed. Dee had always been an honest person.
I looked at Dee. “I haven’t talked with anyone about it, but I agreed to go help my mom out in River Springs.”
“You mentioned Kingsland,” my mom said. “Why were you there?”
“Uh …” I bit my lip, trying to decide what to tell her. “They needed some help, too.”
“Did they send some people over to River Springs why you were there?” my mom asked.
I thought about President Coleman, Brandon, and all the others who escaped. “No, but some people ran away while we were there.”
“Anyone of importance?” my mom asked.
“Their president,” Dee said.
“That makes sense now,” my mom said. “There were about twenty to thirty people who snuck into Austin’s territory the other day. My security said one looked like someone important. They could tell by the way he was guarded.”
“That’s probably President Coleman.” I shook my head. “But why did he go there?”
“I’m thinking he and Austin have formed an alliance.” My mom swore, making Dee smile. “This can’t be good. How big is Kingsland?”
“Pretty big,” I said. “But they’re split right now. More than half support New Haven.”
My mom let out a little sigh of relief. “That’s good. The more people on our side, the better. Em, I think you need to get here as soon as you can. They may be already planning something.”
“Let me talk with my people here and get back to you. I haven’t even told them what I’ve agreed to.”
“What did you agree to?” Dante’s sudden voice at the door startled me. By the way Dee jumped out of her chair, she was surprised, too.
“Uh, Mom, I’ll get back to you.” I put the communication device down next to me.
“Okay, talk to you soon,” my mom said.
Dante cautiously approached the bed. “What did you agree to?”
I looked past him at the door, hoping to see Maya, but she was nowhere to be seen. Dee started to get up, but I yanked her back into her seat. I gave her a look that hopefully said, 'Please don’t leave me here alone with Dante because I think it'll be too awkward and it’s too early in the morning to deal with it.' Or something along those lines.
“Dee, could you leave us alone for a minute?” Dante asked.
“Uh …” Dee's gaze darted back and forth between me and Dante. She was probably deciding which look outweighed the other. Mine was a desperate, pleading one, and Dante’s was one of, get out of here now and I won’t hurt you.
Dante’s eyes softened. “Please?”
She started to give in. I held onto her arm tightly. “She doesn’t need to leave. Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of her.”
Dante looked at me, his eyes now pained. “I’m not sure about that.”
Dee turned to me, mouthed, “I’m sorry,” and left me alone in the room with Dante.
I played with my butterfly pendant, twisting it so hard that I worried it might snap off.
He stood there for a minute, shifting back and forth on his heels, staring at me. I had the answer to Dee’s question; I’d never felt so awkward in my life.
In one swift movement, he was sitting in the chair, holding my hand, leaning in close, and tears falling down his cheeks. “Em, I …”
“What’s going on in here?” Eric stood at the door, a look of fury on his face.
Dante immediately stood, took a few wide strides away from me, turned his back to Eric and wiped his eyes and cheeks. He sniffled a few times, bouncing up and down just like he did before a boxing match.
I sighed in relief and reached my hand out for Eric. He came to my side, taking a seat in the chair and grabbing my hand.
He brushed my cheek. “Are you okay?”
Slowly shaking my head, I open
ed my mouth to speak, but Maya and Santiago entered the room. Santiago looked back and forth between me and Dante. He cracked his knuckles. “Is everything good in here? It’s never too early for a smackdown.”
Eric glared at Dante, who still had his back to us.
I squeezed Eric’s hand. “We’re fine. I was just about to ask Eric to help me get up.”
“No, Emmie,” Eric said. “You need to stay in bed and rest.”
“Well, I have to use the restroom at some point,” I said with my eyebrows raised. “I’m not going to wear diapers.”
Santiago laughed. “You sure? Because that would be awesome. Little Emmie in diapers.”
I rolled my eyes at him but still smiled. The tension in the room needed a break. Eric helped me to my feet. I was perfectly fine standing on my own, but I leaned into him anyway. He put his arms around me, gently hugging me.
Clearing my throat, I threw the words out of my mouth so fast I could barely understand myself. “But then I need to go back to my place so I can pack because we're leaving today for River Springs. Okay? Great. Let’s go.”
Dante turned around and faced me. “What? Why are we going to River Springs?”
Sighing, I let go of Eric and plopped myself down on the bed. I grimaced at the pain from moving too fast. “My mom needs our help to take over Austin’s part of the city.”
“And you said yes without talking to us?” Dante asked.
“I was tired and all of you had already left when I talked to her,” I said. “Besides, I only said I’d do it if she handed over her part of the city to New Haven. She agreed to the terms as long as she and her two closest security guys could be part of the planning.”
Smiling, Santiago let out a whistle. “Wait, we have control of half of River Springs now? Sweet.” He raised his hand for me to high five, which I happily did.
“Are you sure you should go, Emmie?” Maya asked. “I don’t know if that would be good for your injury.”
I shrugged. “It’s probably not the best idea, but they’re set up in the medical building, so there will be supplies. I don’t have to go outside; I could just be behind the scenes making the plans.” I looked at Dante, who was visibly upset. “My mom said President Coleman showed up. He and about twenty to thirty others went into Austin’s territory.”
Dante's face switched to confusion. “They’re working with Austin? That can’t be good.”
“No, it can’t,” I said, shaking my head. “This is why we need to go help them. We can’t let Austin get entire control of the city. We have to stop it before that happens.”
Eric sat down next to me and took my hand. “You promise you’ll stay inside? No top-secret Emmie missions?”
I scrunched my face together. I didn’t like the thought of being stuck indoors and not being able to help. But I also didn’t like the thought of dying. At the moment, the latter won. “Yes, I’ll stay inside. No awesome missions.”
Eric turned my chin toward his. “Promise?”
I stared into his blue eyes and I could tell how much he truly cared about me. It would be so much easier if he wasn’t so hot. “Promise.”
Santiago clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “I’ll let my mom know. Let’s go pack.”
Two hours later, we were sitting in the conference room. The four revolutionaries sat on one side, Terrance, Gideon, Hiro, Tina, and Vivica sat on the other, while President Mendes and Vice President Jennings sat on the ends.
Everyone agreed to let Eric sit in on the meeting. He didn’t want to leave my side and I needed him to help me around. Normally I would have just had Dante do it, but things were different. He sat on the other end of the table, avoiding eye contact with me or Eric.
“So, Emmie,” President Mendes said, “what exactly did you promise your mom we’ll do?” She was sitting on the opposite end next to Dante.
I held on tightly to Eric’s hand as I spoke. “Basically, I agreed to send our military to River Springs to help my mom’s side fight Austin’s. She's handing over control to us, but she and her two security guys will be working with us.”
“So, it’s not complete control,” Terrance said. “It’s just combining our two sides.”
“Does it make a difference?” Tina asked. “There will be ten of us and only three of them making the decisions. We’ll outvote them every time.”
“If we all agree,” Vivica said. “Some of us may side with them.”
Maya sighed. “This isn’t about sides. We need to focus on the big picture, which is stopping Austin and making sure New Haven is safe. He’s the one that wants to destroy us, not Emmie’s mom.”
“She’s right,” Santiago said. “I think we should go and help them out. Let’s put an end to our war with River Springs once and for all.”
Gideon sat forward in his chair and looked at me. “When does she need us there?”
“As soon as possible,” I said. His face turned somber after the words left my mouth. His wife had given birth to their first child only three days before. He already had to go on one mission and now I was making him go on another. “She’s already sent some buses to come get us.”
Dante swore and slammed his fist down on the table. “They’re already coming to get us? You can’t just make decisions without us, Emelia!”
I turned to him, my jaw dropped. Dante had always sided with me in the past because we’d always seen eye to eye. His words stung. I had to blink back my tears. “Dante, it’s my mom. She made the decision on her own without asking. That’s how she is.”
He finally turned at looked at me. “And you want to team up with this woman? If she’s going to make her own decisions, then what's the point of going there? She won’t hand over control. She’s using you and you’re too blind to notice.”
“Stop talking,” Eric said. He had his hand that wasn’t holding mine curled tightly into a fist. His knuckles had turned white.
Dante stood, the motion sliding his chair far back. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
Maya grabbed my other hand, a mix of comfort and protection.
Santiago stood, went to get Dante’s chair, and shoved it under his legs so they buckled, and he was forced to sit back down. He clamped his hand onto Dante’s shoulder. “Easy, man. Just chill.”
Vivica glared at her brother. After a few deep breaths, she turned and looked at me. “I talked with Marcus before this meeting since someone put his ornery pants on this morning. He’s willing to help us out. He’ll send some of his men to help your mom’s territory in River Springs if we want.”
“That’s good,” Terrance said. “We can use all the help we can get.”
“With Kingsland, plus half of River Springs, and New Haven, we’ll outnumber them,” Maya said.
“Then this shouldn’t take too long,” Vice President Jennings said.
President Mendes nodded in agreement. “In the end, it’s the revolutionaries’ decision, but you have my support. Take whatever and whomever you need. We’ll be fine here until you get back.” Her watery eyes looked at Santiago. “Bring my baby home to me.” The thought of Rosie made me realize how necessary the trip was. Even if it wasn’t to help my mom, we had a rescue mission we needed to carry out.
The president and vice president both left, leaving only military personnel in the room. Terrance nodded at me. “You have our support, too. Just say the word and we’ll get going.”
I looked down the table at Maya, Santiago, and Dante. Maya and Santiago were both smiling and nodding in agreement. Dante stared straight ahead, still fuming.
I looked over at Terrance. “We’re going. The buses should be here in a few hours. Round up all the New Haven warriors, weapons, ammo, and any other supplies you think we’ll need. I want everyone and everything outside and ready to go when the buses arrive.”
“Would you like us to use our buses, too?” Hiro asked.
“Yes,” I said. “There are a lot of us and a lot of supplies we need. The more we can get there at o
ne time, the fewer number of trips we’ll have to take.”
“We’ll get on it,” Tina said as she stood. She left the room with Vivica, Terrance, Gideon, and Hiro.
When they were all out of the room, Santiago turned to Eric. “Can you leave us four alone for a few minutes?”
Eric shook his head. “I’m not leaving Emmie.”
“It won’t be long.” Santiago stood and came over to me and Eric. He kept his voice low, running his finger over the cross tattoo behind his ear. “Listen, Eric, I’m on your side. But right now, the tension between the four of us isn’t working out. We need to fix it before it gets worse.”
I squeezed Eric’s hand. “He’s right. We can’t function like this. The only way we’re going to win the war is if the four revolutionaries chosen to do it are getting along and working as one.”
Eric glanced at Dante and sighed. “Fine.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be right outside.” He kissed me on the lips and left the room.
Standing, Dante moved toward the door. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
Santiago put his hand out and stopped him. “You’re not leaving until we work this out, Dante. I’ve had enough.”
“So have I,” Maya said.
“You can’t make me stay here.” Dante pushed Santiago, but Santiago easily took control of him and forced him back in his seat.
“Enough!” Santiago yelled. “What's wrong with you, man?”
“It’s none of your business!” Dante yelled out.
Maya went to Dante. “It is our business. You keep forgetting that we’re all in this together. If you have a problem with Emmie, you have a problem with all of us.”
Dante stood to leave again, but Maya took him by the shirt and threw him up against the wall, surprising all of us. She was much tinier than him, but she was strong. “Whatever's pissing you off, you need to let it go, Dante. We’re about to go to war with River Springs. If you keep acting like this, you’re going to get one or more of us killed. We need your head in the game.”
Dante stared at the ceiling, clearly trying to fight back tears. He slammed his fists against the wall behind him. “I need five minutes with Em.”
Rise (New Haven Book 3) Page 19