My lungs inflate in a rush, bringing oxygen so quickly to my brain that my vision goes hazy for a few seconds. I let a breath out. Take another back in.
Then I say, “I know. But I’m doing it anyway.”
I tell her goodbye then hang up.
A moment later, I’m making my way back to my car and heading down the mountain.
I meet up with Tera, with the district attorney and the detective handling Hiller’s case…and I keep my promise.
To the other women.
And to myself.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Damon
“I thoughtyou were flying out this morning.”
I turn, tear my gaze away from the guys warming up below, and see Kylie hovering in the doorway of the owner’s box.
“I changed my flight.”
She nibbles at her bottom lip. “Because of what happened with Joey?”
My head jerks and I set my tablet aside. “What happened with Joey?”
“What do you mean?” She frowns. “You said you talked to her last night and everything was fine.”
I push out of my chair, move to the back of the suite, tugging her fully inside and out of view of any errant cameras, then close the door behind her.
“Ky,” I say, the edges of my temper fraying. “I need you to spell it out for me, babe.”
“I…” Worry skitters across my sister’s face.
“Tell me,” I order quietly.
Carefully.
Catching those frayed edges, clinging to them desperately to keep them contained.
“She knows about Hiller’s case going bad.”
My heart spasms, my hold on those strands slipping. “What?” I rasp.
Kylie reaches for me, but I step back. “Damon,” she whispers.
I think about Joey on the ice last night, think about that sad, tortured smile in the parking lot. I think about the bath, the weirdsweetheartthat sounded like a goodbye, think about going to sleep with her in my arms…
And then I think about waking up alone in my empty bed.
“Fuck!”
“I didn’t mean to tell her,” she says in a rush. “I know you were trying to protect her and that eventually you would talk to her, but she saw something was wrong with me and then I couldn’t hold it in and—and—” A tear slips down her cheek. “We were talking and it just came out. I think she’s okay,” she adds in a hurry. “We’ve been working through our…stuff together and we’ve been talking and…”
“Kylie.”
“It’s been good. Helpful for both of us. But I still wanted to check in with you guys, so when you said it was fine…” She lifts a shaky hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry. I never should have?—”
