“The truth is,” Skye cut in, a lock of her short, dark hair falling forward as she leaned toward me, “Roman can hold his own until the rest of his brothers get there. They’ll take care of one another.”
All the women in the room agreed, absolutely certain of it.
But something didn’t sit right with me.
I didn’t want someone only watching out for his physical safety and keeping him alive. That was important, but there were other important things.
Someone should be there who wouldn’t let him face it alone—someone who would protect more than his body.
Roman needed someone who would take care of his heart, too.
I didn’t know whether I was the right person to do it, didn’t know whether he would want me, but I had to try.
28
Palmer
Twohoursaftertheinitial text with the picture of Roman, I was sitting in a leather desk chair in a private office tucked off the main hallway of the house. The room was nothing like the open living spaces. This one felt small and contained. There wasn’t even a window.
Multiple computer monitors glowed along one wall, cables snaking across the floor and into a rack of equipment thathummed quietly. Fox sat at the center desk, shoulders hunched as lines of code and maps flickered across his screens. August stood bent over his shoulder, one hand braced on the desk, speaking low and fast.
The rest of the brothers were scattered throughout the room.
Reid leaned against a bookshelf, arms crossed. Graham stood near the far wall, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans, watchful and calm.
The man who’d arrived earlier stood near the doorway like a guard. His name was Garrison Locke, if I remembered right. I hadn’t talked to him since August introduced him when he arrived earlier in the day.
He was tall. Maybe even a little taller than August. Dark hair and eyes, with broad shoulders. His arms were crossed over his chest, posture loose but alert. Something about him radiated danger. A controlled and focused kind of danger, but threatening nonetheless. If I hadn’t been told he was safe, I might have been afraid of him.
Maybe I still was. A little.
Fox still had my phone, so I had no idea how Roman was, but I assumed he was safe because no one had told me otherwise. At least, for now.
The panic that had started in the living room hadn’t left me. It had just settled deeper, a weight pressing in on my ribs.
The only time I’d felt even remotely calm was when I’d tucked Hailey into bed. I’d smoothed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her temple. I stayed with her longer than necessary, listening to her breathe. We hadn’t told her what was going on. She didn’t need that fear.
When I finally dragged myself from her side, August wanted to speak to me privately.
So now I was here in the office, fidgeting with the buttons of my cardigan, trying not to appear as scared as I was.
Fox said something under his breath, and August straightened.
Then he turned to face me fully, his expression carefully controlled. “We’ve decided we’re going back to Ember Hollow tonight.”
My heart raced. I opened my mouth, but August raised a hand.
“Roman is fine. We’ve talked to him, but we think it’s best to get back as soon as possible instead of waiting a couple of days from now.”
“Okay.” I kept my voice even. “When are you leaving?”
“Within the hour.”
I glanced between him and Fox. “Did you find anything from my phone?”
Fox leaned back in his chair and looked at me, steady and determined. “The messages definitely came from Ember Hollow,” he said. “We think Amos is there.”
My fingers curled into the fabric of my sweater. “Do you think the Shadow Stalker knows where we are right now? How did he get my number?”
