“I’ll come with you.”
She’s a terrible liar, but she’s freaking tenacious. The woman can bring someone to their knees simply by wearing them down. It’s probably been a factor in her business. She’ll outworkanyone. Gets up earlier, takes more hikes, shoots more shots. And her gallery, Aspen & Evergreen, was born out of sheer hustle.
I’d admire her for it, but the receiving end is not where I want to be positioned.
I gesture to the silver monstrosity on her counter. “I need a latte.”
She hustles to it, Sophia never stirring, and turns to me as she opens the drawer below it. “What flavor?”
“Coffee.” I fight the smile on my lips.
My sister faces me enough that I can see her roll her eyes. “Fine.” She pulls out two cups and more shit that coffee doesn’t require and gets to work. “You were saying?”
“Coffee first, then story time.”
She huffs but obliges, walking back out to the deck once she’s done and retaking her lounge.
“Have I met all your requirements?” she snarks, taking a sip of her coffee then dancing a little in her seat.
I needed her to have caffeine as much as I need it for myself. I expect this shit sandwich to go down exactly as it sounds.
45
happy to oblige
Liam
“I don’t remember some things, so we’ll need Christian or the guys to fill in the gaps. I’m guessing that’s the narcotics.”
“Or the pain,” she adds quietly, and points to her head. She gets it.
I hate that she gets it.
“I was trapped. I escaped. I stole an ATV and was shot.” I point to my shoulder with the finger holding my coffee mug. “Christian had a better extraction plan than I did. I adjusted, but the ATV ran out of gas prior to making it to the meet-up spot.
“Set down your mug, Ayla-girl.”
She looks at me, hesitant, her brows pinching together in worry, but does what I ask.
“I had to do the last half mile on foot. I hadn’t had food or water in, I don’t know, twenty-four hours. I was bleeding and I slept like shit in that hole.”
I hold her gaze. “I came over the hill to see two masked men holding Christian at gunpoint.”
Her gasp is so loud it frightens Sophia, who juts her bottom lip out and wails. The sound sets off Poe who fusses right back. These girls…. I palm Poe’s back and purring meets my ears.
Ayla rubs Sophia’s back and speaks softly to her as she bores holes in me with her eyes.
“So, not all of it, I guess,” I say. “There was a moment—asplit second—when I decided if Sophia had to grow up without a dad or an uncle, that that was an easy decision. So, I drew fire.” I work on my coffee and stare out over the huge lawn my sister and her husband have. I don’t even have a lawn. My sister’s is manicured.
“So you drew fire?” my sister says, though I don’t think she’s asking. She repeats the words and from the corner of my eye, I watch her swipe away the tears that run unchecked down her cheeks. It takes several moments. She sobs quietly, holding her daughter who’s burrowed back into her wrap.
After a fashion, she says aloud, “I’m so pissed at you.”
“I can handle that.” I turn to face her.
“I could’ve lost you.”
“I know,” I offer back, setting my mug down.
