Nate
“Zoey,” I say when I open the door as she storms in with a face like thunder.
“What the hell, Nate?”
Oh dear, she’s pissed. I close the door and stifle a groan before I turn around to face her.
“Why is there double the amount of security at Purity? And why are there now four guys watching me twenty-four-seven instead of just the bog-standard two?” she questions, and I run my hand through my hair, taking a breath.
“And why haven’t you picked up the phone to me the last couple of days? And how the hell is Kat? I haven’t spoken to you since what happened at Purity with her, and I swear to God, Nate, you are walking a fine line with me.”
Dear God, it’s too early for this shit.
I walk past her and into the kitchen, needing more caffeine. I see Kat sat at the kitchen island, and I go to her and place a kiss on her lips before turning to the coffee machine.
“Honestly, Nate, you can’t just keep me out of the goddamn loop all the time,” Zoey continues as she enters the kitchen and sees Kat sat there. “Oh, hey, Kat,” she says, all cheery as she goes to the island and takes a seat beside my wife. Her whole demeanour has changed in a split second, and I’m quite glad Kat is here as a buffer. When my sister is on one, well, it usually just ends with me copping a load of earache––even if what I am doing is in her best interests.
They both start chatting, both of them animated and clearly happy to see one another.
I make the drinks and refill Kat’s cup before joining them, sitting opposite.
“So?” Zoey says as she stops talking to Kat and pins me with her stare. “What’s going on, Nate?”
I glance at Kat, and she smiles behind her coffee cup. I think she enjoys seeing Zoey give me shit. The only other woman that can get away with doing so.
“Things have gotten worse with Jessica,” I begin, and then I fill her in on Stefan, and what happened at the gun range yesterday.
When I’ve finished, Zoey just looks at me, no reaction at all.
“I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you, but it’s been a clusterfuck of a few days,” I admit.
“There is such a thing as a phone, Nate,” Zoey says, and I can’t argue with her because she’s right. I should have just called her, but my mind has been elsewhere… namely on my beautiful wife and her pussy.
“I know… I’m sorry,” I say, because that is all I can say. I want to keep the two women that I love safe, and I’ll apologise for not telling her sooner, but I won’t apologise for upping security measures.
“Do you still have no idea where Jessica is?” Zoey asks, and I painfully shake my head to admit that I don’t.
“Jesus, how can she have slipped the net like this?” Zoey questions out loud, and it’s the very thing I keep asking myself.
“You know, there is one way that might work for getting her to crawl out of her hole…” Kat says, her voice fading off as she bites her bottom lip and sets her cup down.
Zoey and I both look at her and I nod for her to continue.
“I mean, she wants me, right? So, why not put me in contact with her? I could––”
“Absolutely fucking not,” I interrupt, enraged that she would think I would put her in harm’s way like that.
“Nate, just listen––”
“No, not happening.” I cut her off again, not needing to hear anymore.
“For fuck’s sake, will you listen to me?” Kat says, exasperated already, and I narrow my eyes on her.
“She wants you dead,” I say deadpan. “She wants to get to me through you. In what universe would I ever entertain the idea of you going near her?”
“Because it’s the only thing you have left,” Kat says adamantly, and the silence stretches between the three of us for a beat. “You have no idea where Stefan is, or if he is even alive, and your resources are not working.”
I grind my teeth together, hating that she is voicing what I already know.
