Mercs’ childhood sweetheart.
Lilah.
Chapter Eight
MERCS
As I watch Effa’s face fall, I know instantly something’s wrong. For a split second, I wonder if her headache has worsened, but her eyes aren’t unfocused or glazed with pain. They’re fixed on something in the doorway of the pub.
So I turn.
And there she is.
Fucking Lilah.
My jaw tightens until my teeth grind, and I force myself to swallow the irritation rising in my throat. I turn back to Effa immediately and rub her back a little firmer, grounding her, reminding her I’m here. Her gaze drops to her lap, her lips turning down, her expression closing in on itself. I despise that one person still has the ability to dim her light.
I lean into her side and lower my voice. “Don’t let her get to you. I’m here with you. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
She glances up at me and nods, but I can see the tension lingering in her eyes.
“Fuck. You two look serious,” Tank calls from across the table.
“That’s because Lilah walked in,” Kiera announces to the entire group, and I groan while Gran shoots her a warning glare.
“Who’s Lilah?” Kristy asks, already leaning forward like she’s about to enjoy this.
“Kaden’s ex. She’s a bitch—”
“Kiera,” Gran cuts in sharply.
“What? She is.”
“Do I need to kick her ass?” Andi calls out, half-rising from her seat.
“I can remove her if you like?” Raoul offers evenly.
“Yes,” Kiera shouts, almost bouncing in her chair, which earns a soft giggle from Effa despite everything.
“No. Kiera, behave yourself,” Gran scolds.
Donny shakes his head and grins. “Damn. Would’ve loved to see a good old-fashioned escort from the building.” He throws up exaggerated finger quotes. “Maybe she would’ve thrown a tantrum. Arms flying everywhere.”
“Oh yes, my vote is yes. Let’s kick her out,” Kristy adds, far too enthusiastically.
“All right, that’s enough. Calm down. We can’t kick locals out of their own town pub. We are the guests here, and you’d all do well to remember that,” Luke mutters, still staring at his phone.
“Party pooper,” Andi shoots back, sticking her tongue out at him.
Kassidy returns with a tray loaded with bottles of water and more glasses than we probably need. “Here you go. Ready to order?” she asks, and the table erupts into a chorus of “yes” as everyone starts rattling off requests.
While they’re distracted, I glance over again.
Lilah is standing with Jaydin, another familiar face from school. Jaydin looks exactly the same, her black curls cascading around her shoulders, her gorgeous skin glowing under the warm lights. They’re best friends, so I’m not surprised they’re together.
Jaydin notices me first, and she gives me a tentative little wave.
I respond with a short nod.
