The words caught in her throat. “I—They—We?—”
“Christ, Adria, haveyounot told them?” Eric said.
Adria clicked her jaw shut. “Why should I? We could be dead in a week? What’s the point? Why ruin it?”
Eric wrenched on the wheel, and dirt and rocks clicked against the vehicle as it came to an abrupt stop.
He turned, putting an arm on the dash. “What is the point of any of it, Dri? You could die today. Right now, an armored car could pull up and fifteen of the Nine’s men could come pouring out and we would be dead in seven minutes and fifteen seconds.”
She shifted.
“That’s the life. Your life. You didn’t choose it, but it’s the truth. And frankly, it’s not much different from anyone else’s. Everyone is scared to love someone. Scared to put themselves out there. Scared to lose it, scared it won’t be what they wanted—what they thought. Everyone is just fucking scared. Fear isn’t the problem, because when you live your life scared like that you aren’t really living. You could die at any moment, but don’t live your life frozen because that’s not living. Living is knowing the bad shit is going to happen, being afraid of it, and going on with your day anyway. It’s telling the once-in-a-lifetime souls that you found that you care about them. That you don’t want to lose them, that you need them, even if it scares you.
“That’s life, Adria. There is no point in running from it.”
Adria just sat there, mouth open. The heat from the desert mingling with the cool car air.
“Who knew you were so deep?” she said, a smile growing on her face.
Eric sighed, his lips pressing into a line. He turned, putting the car in drive, muttering, “I don’t know why I bother, none of you take anything seriously.”
And then quieter. “A bunch of children.”
“I love you,” she said. “You know that, right? No matter what happens with me and those three. I always want you in my life.”
Eric opened his mouth to say something but stopped. “You don’t know how you’ll feel in a few years. And, Adria, youwillhave those years. We are going to get you through this.”
“Idoknow how I’ll feel in a few years. And if you are too scared to see it, too afraid to see you have found a family here with me, then you can take your little life speech and shove it up your ass.”
He laughed. “Touché.”
It had only been a short time since Adria had seen Cole at the auction, but Adria thought he looked a lot older. His hair was still cropped short, like at the auction, and his smile as always was beaming, but there was a newness to him as she approached. It was the way he carried himself.
“Adria,” he said, pulling her into a bear hug.
She cupped his face. “Look at you. You look so grown up.”
He just smiled and pulled her into his embrace again.
She buried her face in his neck. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess.”
He released her. “Are you kidding? I was excited to help. After the auction, I thought I might never see you again.”
She offered a small smile. “Cole, we’re friends. Friends see each other.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I hope so.”
The sadness she’d glimpsed months ago seemed to be lifting. Adria loved seeing him but hated that he was here, puttinghimself in danger for her sake—especially when she couldn’t offer what he wanted.
“I’m glad we’re friends,” he said, catching her eyes. “I really am, Dri.”
Adria sat in the back with Cole, catching up on all the things he couldn’t tell them over the phone.
“I brought hard copies,” he said, pulling out a folder. “Financial records, stuff that they tried to hide but couldn’t.”
Cole looked up at her, his eyes filling with mischief. “There is always a paper trail.”
Adria raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
