He grumbled something dark underneath his breath, then gently helped me into the shower before ordering, “Do not get that arm wet.”
I gave him the Vulcan Salute, which caused him to snort out a laugh before gently patting me on the ass and urging, “Shower.”
I showered, but I could hear male voices as they spoke beyond the bathroom.
I remembered that from when we used to live here.
The walls were always paper-thin.
I could always hear my parents arguing and fighting when I was closed into my bedroom or the bathroom.
In fact, I could’ve sworn I heard my father’s voice now…
I stayed in the shower until the hot water started to wane, and had just shut the shower off when the voices became louder and angrier.
I frowned as I caught the robe off the back of the bedroom door and threw it around myself in my haste to see what was going on outside the bathroom.
My feet slapped wetly against the wood floor as I hurried out of the master bathroom into the main living area.
What I saw had me coming to a sudden halt.
The entire living room was filled to the brim with people, and what looked like a command center had been set up on the kitchen island.
There were computers and papers everywhere, and there were a lot of men standing around looking on as an older man spoke.
“…she was last seen at this trailhead.” The man pointed. “I have two teams heading out now. I was hoping you’d make another team, Creed.”
“Can’t,” Creed answered quickly. “I’m not leaving Birdee here. She needs supervision for a while. Which was why I asked off in the first place.”
“I’ll stay with her,” I heard my father’s angry voice rise above the others. “Cody’s more important. Go find her. We need your skills.”
My stomach sank at my father’s words.
“Cody is not more important than the woman that’ll be my wife soon,” Creed snarled toward my dad. “And if you say one more thing like that, you’ll get the fuck out of my house.”
“It was my house first,” Dad snapped back. “And Cody’s out in the cold right now. Birdee’s fine. She’ll live for a couple hours while we’re all out looking.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, which drew the eye of several men in the room.
Some were ones that I knew. Others were ones that looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place.
I knew for sure the scary looking one was Odin. He’d been the one to take Creed’s sister to the airport.
Speaking of Creed’s sister, she came barreling into the house with snow clinging to her hair and a slight huff to her breathing.
“Thank God, I made it!” Bernice frowned as she looked around. “What’s going on?”
Before anyone could answer her, Bernice’s eyes surveyed the room. When they landed on me, she squealed and started hurrying toward me.
Odin caught her around the waist before she could make it to me. “Careful, Little Bit. She’s hurt.”
Bernice frowned at Odin until he let her go, then turned that frown on me. “What’d he do to you?”
I smiled. “It wasn’t your brother that hurt me. In fact, it was a fluke event. But you’re just in time to sit with me so your brother doesn’t worry about me dying. He needs to lead a search and rescue operation.”
“Anyone I know?” she asked, then pressed into me before giving me a very tiny side hug that felt nothing more than a soft kiss of air.
“My stepsister,” I whispered.
