Ely had an inkling of what played in his mind, recruiting another powerful male into Guardian life, and she took great pleasure in informing her leader, “Oh, Nate’s a mechanic, did you know? It’s what he wants now. He’s rebuilding a Charger between his other work, and it looks good.” Not that she’d seen it.
Nate merely shrugged. “I like what I do. I want a quieter life.”
“Pity,” Michael said with a faint smile. “You change your mind, let me know.”
Nate snorted. “Unlikely. I’ve had enough of killings and bloodshed.”
Aba crossed to the French doors, then glanced back. “It will be good to continue having you in my life,cnati.” He stepped out onto the terrace.
“Wait, wait!” Echo hurried after him, and Aba turned. “Thank you for taking care of him. Keta means everything to me.”
“He is my son. I would do anything for him.” Then he frowned. “Keta?” he asked.
“Ketan, actually. That’s his name,” Echo explained. “I couldn’t say his name properly as a child. But you call himNate?” Her eyebrows tipped together.
“Natek,” he murmured. “It’s what he revealed to me as his name.” His gaze slipped to Nate. “He didn’t speak for a while after I saved him. I understood trauma could do that. Then, one day he wrote it down for me as N.A.T.E.K., since he didn’t like being calledchild.”
And the truth struck Ely.
Are you dyslexic?she mind-linked with Nate.
His jaw clenched briefly then he gave a barely perceptible nod.Yeah.
Finally, she understood his frustration with the cell digits, and then typing her name when she first gave him her number. It all made sense.
“He wrote it backward…?” Echo murmured, her forehead furrowing.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I hated things like writing since it always came out the other way around. Aba homeschooled me, and it helped. Now, it’s not so bad. Just numbers annoy me at times.”
Echo laughed, and Ely smiled, her heart squeezing at his droll, self-deprecation. More, she was glad he’d worked past what had obviously been a handicap, and considering what he’d gone through, aye, Nate was amazing. And hers.
With a nod at them, Aba left in a flash.
“Well,” Ely said. “If the meeting’s over, I have things to do. Stuff to move—”
“You’re moving?” Echo asked, cheeks paling. Her gaze rushed to Nate. “But I just found you.”
“Only to the boathouse,” Nate said. “I like the sea. It’s…soothing.”
“Thank God!” she expelled a deep breath, her relief palpable. “Besides, we have so much to catch up on.”
“So,” Aethan said. “You don’t want to be a Guardian. Do you play pool, foosball—”
“Aethan, stop,” Ely groaned. “Týr already tried that, took him through the whole spiel. He knows.”
“Wasn’t doing anything.” Aethan laughed. “But good that he knows.”
“Ely, I know the girls are dying to talk to you,” Echo said, hooking her arm through Ely’s. “Let me help you pack, and you can fill us in on how you met my brother.”
“Oh, she stabbed me.” Nate deadpanned.
Ely glowered. “You put me on a rooftop!”
“Only to keepyousafe,laika.”
And there was no rejoinder for that, so she rolled her eyes.
He smiled.Go, do what you need, my heart, and I’ll get to know these males you call brothers.
